The Penn State New Kensington softball team opens its season at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 26, with a home doubleheader against St. Vincent College at Wolf Pack Park in Lower Burrell. The March 23 opener against Butler County Community College was postponed due to inclement weather. The combination of winter snow and spring rain has wreaked havoc on preseason practice. With the field unplayable and temperatures hovering in the 30s, coach Mike Marsilli’s team continues practicing indoors as it prepares for the 2011 campaign. Marsilli has the team doing its conditioning, fielding, and hitting in the Athletics Center. The squad is working out in the weight room, fielding grounders in the gymnasium, and getting its swings inside the batting cage. In addition, pitchers are throwing on the sidelines while position players are executing defensive drills. With a blend of savvy veterans and talented newcomers, Marsilli is expecting the team to make a run at the conference title. The third-year coach has been building toward the championship ever since he took over the program in 2009. His first team went 0-14 in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. He turned it around last year, guiding the New Kensington Lady Lions to 9-9 record and a berth in the PSUAC Final Four.
