University of Massachusets Athletics
Sortino Inks Four National Letters Of Intent
December 12, 2002 | Softball
Dec. 12, 2002
AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts softball head coach Elaine Sortino has announced that Candice Molinari (Glendora, Calif.), Amanda Acampora (Orange, Conn.), Jackie Teman (Downington, Pa.) and Amanda Morin (Worcester, Mass.) have all signed national letters of intent to play for the Minutewomen beginning in the 2004 season.
"Losing seniors like Brandi Cross and Kaila Holtz, I knew that we were going to have to bring in some power," said Sortino. "My goal was to bring in more lefties than righties and we have certainly done that. This is a good group of players who can keep with our game-plan to sustain quickness, steal bases and force opponents into mistakes. I feel good about the depth and quickness of future teams. We have a good stockpile of players in the program just waiting to step in and make their presence felt."
Molinari is a speed demon infielder/outfielder who is incredibly quick and demonstrates excellent bat speed. She has the ability to either slap the ball or hit away and will make an impact on the Minutewomen's short game.
"Candice is like a mosquito," said Sortino. "She will constantly bite you in the neck. She has a great instinct for the game and will fit in nicely to our system."
Acampora is a strong right-handed hitter. She is a very strong and aggressive player who is solid on the corners.
"Amanda is going to develop into a very formidable power hitter for us," said Sortino. "She is the type of player who will get in your face both offensively and defensiveley."
Teaman is a very talented short stop who was a teammate of current Minutewoman Kristi Stefanoni on the New Jersey Devils travel team.
"Jackie is going to help us maintain our short game," said Sortino. "She possesses good speed and is very solid on the defensive end. She is in the process of converting to a left-side hitter, which will make her even more dangerous."
The final NLI, Morin, is a true lefty. She is mostly a slapper, but has the capability to hit away.
"Our goal is to open up her power game," said Sortino. "She is currently working on that now in high school and has the ability to be a major threat offensively. She can really run and because of her speed plays the corners exceptionally."
