If anyone is looking to make a journey towards a modern day “fountain of youth”, a good starting point might be Alison Rollins Field on the east end of the Massachusetts Maritime campus where the Buccaneer softball team is preparing for the 2011 season.

A total of 11 freshmen and sophomores dot the roster for first year Head Coach Lindsay DeStefano, who brings an impressive resume to Buzzards Bay after a standout playing career at Emerson College that included both all-conference and all-regional accolades.  Massachusetts Maritime welcomes back eight letterwinners from last season, and DeStefano will look to blend that returning experience with a talented group of newcomers to the fold.

Leadership has always been a staple of the Buccaneer program, and that tradition will continue this spring, as DeStefano will look for a veteran presence from senior Katie Maynard (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) and junior Holly McLaughlin (Belmont, Mass./Belmont), who have been named as Massachusetts Maritime’s co-captains for the 2011 campaign.  DeStefano describes the duo as “committed to building this program to a high level of success and excellence, both on the field and in the classroom.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2011 edition of Buccaneer Softball:

INFIELD.  McLaughlin leads an experienced group returning in the infield, as she earned all-MASCAC accolades as a sophomore after leading Massachusetts Maritime at the plate with a .375 batting average that included eight extra base hits and 18 RBI at third base.  Maynard returns at second base after starting 21 of 22 games in 2010, while sophomore Meghan Thibeault (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) impressed as a rookie in batting .328 with a homer, six extra base hits and seven RBI at first base.  Sophomore Sarah Click (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Bourne) will take over for the graduated Jess O’Meara at shortstop after missing all of last season due to injury.

OUTFIELD.  Sophomores Erin Eastman (Harwich, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) and Laura Basile (Cambridge, Mass./Mount Saint Joseph) combined for 42 starts in the outfield for the Buccaneers last spring, and they will be joined by fellow sophomore Meredith Anderson (Federal Way, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) as well as the freshman trio of Crystal Sherman (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill), Lisa Burke (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) and Melanie Holder (Calidonia, Brazil/Colegio Javier) in competing for the final starting spot.

PITCHER.  Sophomore Janelle Beaulieu (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Mount St. Charles) carried the bulk of the pitching load for Massachusetts Maritime as a rookie, as she posted a pair of victories and fanned 35 while adding a .355 batting average that included five extra base hits and 12 RBI at the plate.  Freshman Jaclyn Labrecque (Sutton, Mass./Sutton) will join Beaulieu inside the circle in 2011.

CATCHER.  Sophomore Rachel Johnson (South Chatham, Mass./Chatham) returns to her starting role behind the plate for DeStefano this spring, as she started all 26 contests as a rookie and scored a team-best 16 runs.

The fountain of youth that is Massachusetts Maritime softball should certainly be bubbling over with success under Lindsay DeStefano’s watchful eye, and the Buccaneers are set to begin the 2011 season on Saturday, March 19^th by hosting Lyndon State in a non-league twinbill at Alison Rollins Field that begins at 1:00 p.m. EDT.