A solid mix of experience and youth is creating excitement for the Massachusetts Maritime softball team heading into the 2012 season, as second year Head Coach Lindsay DeStefano blends a talented group of veterans with enthusiastic newcomers that will guide the Buccaneers this spring.

DeStefano, a former standout at Emerson College, laid the foundation for success both on and off the field in her first year at the Academy in 2011, and the building blocks for the continued climb of success will lie with the Buccaneers’ tri-captains, senior Holly McLaughlin (Belmont, Mass./Belmont) and juniors Rachel Johnson (South Chatham, Mass./Chatham) and Meghan Thibeault (Scituate, Mass./Scituate).  DeStefano describes the trio as “extremely hard working and enthusiastic.  They continue to set an example on the field, in the classroom and in the community that reflects positively on our program and what college athletics represents.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2012 edition of Buccaneer Softball:

INFIELD.  Thibeault returns to anchor the right side of the diamond at first base for Massachusetts Maritime, as she led the Buccaneers at the plate with a .348 batting average that included four extra base hits and eight RBI.  McLaughlin, an all-MASCAC selection as a sophomore, will provide balance on the left side at third base, as she is a career .300 hitter and a top threat in the lineup.  Junior Janelle Beaulieu (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Mount St. Charles), who earned all-MASCAC accolades in 2011, will rotate with sophomore Jennifer March (Pawtucket, R.I./Davies Tech) at shortstop, as Beaulieu batted .265 with a pair of doubles and three RBI a year ago.  Freshman Meghan Weir (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) takes over at second base for the Bucs, who will receive additional depth in a utility role from fellow freshman Megan O’Brien (Southampton, Mass./Holyoke Catholic).

OUTFIELD.  Sophomore Crystal Sherman (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) returns to her starting position in center after rapping out 10 hits (two for extra bases) in 20 contests as a rookie, while the trio of sophomore Amanda Tine (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) and freshmen Jamie Kerner (Medford, Mass./Mystic Valley Charter) and Rachel Simpson (Griswold, Conn./Griswold) will be vying for the other two starting spots for DeStefano.

BATTERY.  Johnson returns to backstop the Buccaneers after a solid sophomore season that saw her bat .288 with a team-best 17 hits, including five doubles, to go with six RBI.  Beaulieu and March will serve as the pitching tandem inside the circle for Massachusetts Maritime, as Beaulieu fanned 29 batters in 57 innings of work last spring.

The Buccaneers begin their second season under Lindsay DeStefano’s watch on Saturday, March 17^th when Massachusetts Maritime entertains Lyndon State in a non-league doubleheader at Alison Rollins Field beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT.