A fountain of youth will be bubbling over a sea of change for the Massachusetts Maritime softball program this spring, as the Buccaneers are set to take the field under first year Head Coach Megan Giammalvo with a roster comprised of four seniors, one sophomore and nine freshmen.  Giammalvo, who served for five years as an assistant coach at the Academy following a standout career at Salem State, will look to blend that mix of youth and experience into a successful recipe in her inaugural campaign.

Leadership for this very young squad will come from the four members of the Buccaneer Class of 2013, as Giammalvo has appointed seniors Rachel Johnson (South Chatham, Mass./Chatham), Meghan Thibeault (Scituate, Mass./Scituate), Janelle Beaulieu (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Mount St. Charles) and Erin Eastman (Harwich, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) as Massachusetts Maritime’s captains.  The first year mentor describes this quartet as “the heart, soul and core of our program.  Their commitment to make themselves, their teammates and our program compete at the highest level is infectious, and their leadership will be invaluable with a very young team.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2013 edition of Buccaneer Softball:

INFIELD.  Thibeault anchors the first base position after notching another solid season in 2012 with a .304 batting average that included 17 hits, four doubles, a homer and six RBI, while Johnson returns to the diamond after being limited to five outings a year ago due to injury and will prove to be versatile at several positions.  Sophomore Meghan Weir (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) ranked among the team leaders in on-base percentage while adding seven hits and four RBI as a rookie last spring, while freshmen Brittany Driscoll (Spencer, Mass./Holy Name), Cassie Sanderson (North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) and Alyssa Lebo (Oklahoma City, Okla./Mustang) will also be vying for infield spots during their inaugural collegiate campaigns.

OUTFIELD.  Eastman returns to anchor Massachusetts Maritime’s outfield after missing last season with a year of study abroad, as she ranked among the team leaders in five offensive and defensive categories during her first two seasons of play.  The remaining spots in the Buccaneer outfield will be filled by a freshman combination of Karina Pena-Seda (Hyde Park, Mass./O’Bryant), Ashley Michalski (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth), Asia Vernon (Dutch Harbor, Ak./Unalaska City), Emily Calnan (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) and Taylor Winkler (Staten Island, N.Y./Archbishop Williams).

PITCHER/CATCHER.  Beaulieu has been the top performer inside the circle for Massachusetts Maritime over the last three seasons, leading the Buccaneers in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts, and at the plate she led the squad with a .333 batting average in 2012 with 20 hits, three doubles and a triple.  Beaulieu and freshman Cassie Swanson (Quincy, Mass./Archbishop Williams) will alternate between throwing strikes and catching strikes as the year goes along by also handling the catching duties for Giammalvo, and they will be joined on the mound by freshman Marissa Boudreau (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford).

SCHEDULE.  Massachusetts Maritime will take on a 30-game schedule (15 doubleheaders) in regular season play, including home dates with Lyndon State, Maine-Presque Isle, Wentworth, Salem State, Emmanuel, Becker, Westfield State, Pine Manor, Bridgewater State and MCLA.