POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Five Marist softball players have been named Preseason All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: red-shirt senior infielder Claire Oberdorf, senior outfielder Ali Milam, junior infielder Caroline Baratta, sophomore catcher Kaley Coltrain, and sophomore pitcher Calista Phippen. The total was the highest of any team in the MAAC.
 
Oberdorf was named Second Team All-MAAC each of the last two seasons. In 2016, she was named to the NFCA Freshman Top 10, MAAC Rookie of the Year, and First Team All-MAAC. Last year, she hit .302 with six home runs, 31 runs batted in, and a team-high 18 stolen bases while primarily playing third base.
 
Milam was named First Team All-MAAC and Second Team NFCA All-Region each of the last two seasons. In 2019, she led the Red Foxes in homers, RBIs, total bases, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage while tying for the team lead in doubles and hitting .355. In her last two seasons, Milam has combined to hit .355 with 20 home runs and 101 RBIs in 115 games.
 
Baratta was one of two unanimous selections to the Preseason All-MAAC Team. She was named First Team All-MAAC in each of her first two seasons, and was the conference's Rookie of the Year in 2018. She has played in all 116 of the team's games the last two years. Last season, Baratta hit .324 while leading the team in runs scored, hits, and triples while tying for the team lead in doubles.
 
Last season, Coltrain was named Second Team All-MAAC, Third Team NFCA All-Region, and MAAC All-Rookie Team. She was named the conference's Player and Rookie of the Week in the final week of the regular season, and earned one other MAAC Rookie of the Week honor. Coltrain hit .314 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs last season.
 
Phippen is the reigning MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year who was also named NFCA Freshman Top 25, First Team All-MAAC, Second Team NFCA All-Region, and to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. She was named MAAC Rookie of the Week four times, and MAAC Pitcher of the Week twice. Phippen won 19 games last season, posted a 1.48 earned run average, and struck out 190 batters in 160.1 innings pitched.
 
As a team, Marist was picked to finish second in the Coaches' Preseason Poll, trailing only Monmouth. The Red Foxes received two first-place votes.
 
Marist is coming off a 35-win season and MAAC regular-season championship in 2019. The Red Foxes begin the 2020 season at the Bruin Challenge, hosted by Belmont, in Nashville, Tennessee. Marist's first game will be against Green Bay on Friday, Feb. 14.
 

Preseason Coaches' Poll

1-Monmouth (9), 119
2-Marist (2), 110
3-Iona, 9
4-Fairfield, 87
T5-Manhattan, 67
T5-Siena, 67
7-Quinnipiac, 51
8-Canisius, 49
9-Niagara, 47
10-Rider, 22
11-Saint Peter's, 15
First-place votes are in parentheses
 

Preseason All-MAAC Team

Catcher: Kaley Coltrain, So., Marist
Infielder: Caroline Baratta*, Jr., Marist; Claire Oberdorf, R-Sr., Marist; Kayla Rosado, Sr., Monmouth; Amber Wozniak, Sr., Monmouth
Outfield: Ali Milam, Sr., Marist; Amanda Ulzeimer, Sr., Fairfield; Lindsey Baron, So., Monmouth
Pitcher: Calista Phippen, So., Marist; Alyssa Irons, Jr., Monmouth
Designated Player: Annie Moore, So., Manhattan
Utility: Lauryn Rhinehart, Jr., Fairfield
*-Unanimous selection
 

Preseason Player of the Year

Lindsey Baron, Monmouth