C/IF  Germaine Fairchild

NUMBER: 27
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Boulder, CO
COLLEGE: Tulsa

Germaine Fairchild completed her third season with the Brakettes in impressive fashion as she led the ballclub in most offensive categories. Fairchild hit .395 last year and led the team in runs scored (66), hits (79), RBI (64), doubles (14) and home runs (7). She continues to be one of the most versatile team members, having played six different positions since joining the team. She was named second-team All-America at last year’s National Tournament in Stratford and the MVP in the Northeast Seaboard League Tournament. She recently completed her second year as head coach at Quinnipiac University where she led the team to its best record ever. A graduate of Tulsa University, Germaine later played professionally with the Virginia Roadsters. During Fairchild’s collegiate career, she was a member of the All Missouri Valley Conference Academic Team from 1993-95. She completed her college career in style, hitting .326 (42-129) with 14 doubles and 29 RBI during her senior season in 1995. Following an open tryout in 1998 with the Women’s Professional Softball League, Germaine signed with Virginia. Her most memorable softball event came with the Roadsters when she hit game-winning home runs in consecutive games to defeat the eventual champion Tampa Bay Firestix.

IB/P  Robyn King

NUMBER: 21
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Ashby, MA
COLLEGE: Boston University

Robyn King came to the Brakettes as a pitcher, but has since developed into one of their top hitters in the past four seasons. Her pinch-hit, two-out RBI single to center drove in the winning run in the 1-0 National Championship victory over the California Hurricanes. She finished runner-up for the team batting title, hitting a robust .411 with 12 extra base hits and 40 RBI as she divided her time between first base and designated hitter. In the National tournament King led the club with a .571 average. She was 2-0 on the mound last season to improve her career record to 23-4. The 2002 season was a rewarding one for King, who had suffered a season-ending broken ankle in late July 2001. The Ashby, MA, native is a graduate of Boston University, where she earned All-New England honors twice.

C  Keri (McCallum) Stratton

NUMBER: 10
BATS: Left
THROWS: Left
HOMETOWN: Port Orchard, WA
COLLEGE: Mississippi State

Keri (McCallum) Stratton begins her sixth season with the Stratford Brakettes. One month after celebrating the National Championship and another first-team All-America selection, Keri was married to John Stratton, son of Brakettes manager John. Her career with the Brakettes has been simply sensational. Keri hit a robust .409 last year and scored 50 runs. A native of Port Orchard, WA, and the batting champion in her rookie year in 1998 with a .391 mark, she is one of the top catchers in the nation. Owning the second highest career average on the team at .372, she is an outstanding receiver and exceptional baserunner. A graduate of Mississippi State University, where she hit .405 (90-222) in her senior year in 2000, Keri was part of the Team USA Softball program for two seasons. She recently completed her second year as head softball coach at the University of Bridgeport.

RF  Donna McLean

NUMBER: 14
BATS: Right
THROWS: Left
HOMETOWN: Westfield, MA
COLLEGE: Westfield State

Donna McLean has not missed a beat. Now beginning her 11th season in a Brakettes uniform, she is coming off one of her finest years as she hit .342 and enjoyed an outstanding defensive year in right field. She set an assist record with 15 last year. The veteran of the club, who appeared in 53 games last year, is a former standout at Westfield State College. Now residing in Bridgeport, CT, McLean is a former team batting champion, winning that honor in 1996 with a .414 average. Donna earned second team All-America status in the 2000 National Tournament. During her first tour of duty with the Brakettes (1987-89), McLean set the team record with 10 RBI in a game when she also hit for the cycle on June 28, 1987. She enters the season ranked among the leaders in several career categories: 11th in games played, 13th in hits, 12th in runs scored, 12th in home runs, 12th in doubles, 11th in triples and seventh in RBI.

OF/P  Alicia Smith

NUMBER: 16
BATS: Left
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Katonah, NY
COLLEGE: Hofstra

Alicia Smith had her finest offensive season with the Brakettes in 2002. The sixth-year Brakette had a career-high .379 batting average and she ranked among the team leaders in many categories with 64 hits, 52 runs scored and 39 RBI, all career highs. She also made several outstanding defensive players in center field during the championship season. While making only one pitching appearance last year, Smith is 15-1 in her career with a 0.20 ERA. A left-handed hitter, Smith was a first-team All-America in 2000. Owner of a .317 career average, Alicia possesses a keen eye at the plate and strikes out less than any other starter. The former Hofstra University standout recently completed her third year as an assistant softball coach at Northwestern University, which gained an NCAA tourney berth this year. During her collegiate career, she compiled a 68-23 pitching mark. Smith also hit .376 (265-704) during her Hofstra career.

LF/P  Jen Smith

NUMBER: 5
BATS: Left
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Gilbertsville, PA
COLLEGE: Hofstra

Starting her sixth year with the Brakettes, Jen Smith has been sensational, both on the mound and at the plate. She combines power and exceptional speed, giving the Brakettes a lethal offensive weapon. While hitting .347 last year, Jen had 58 hits, scored 48 runs and she drove in 46. Her power numbers read 12 doubles, three triples and six home runs. Always ready to pitch, Smith was 3-0 last year and she owns a 59-10 career record, which is good for 11th place on the all-time list. She has a 0.17 career ERA. In 2001 she compiled a 14-2 record and 0.35 ERA with three no-hitters. A career .344 hitter, Smith usually plays left field or is the designated hitter. Now an occasional starting pitcher, Jen was a first team All-America, turning in a 2-1 pitching record (0.00 ERA) and .250 batting mark in the 2000 Nationals. The Hofstra University graduate had a 77-43 collegiate pitching slate with a .348 batting average. She is an assistant coach at Fairfield University.

3B  Ellen “Frankie” Spruce

NUMBER: 11
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Binghamton, NY
COLLEGE: Adelphi

One of the smoothest fielding defensive players on the team, Ellen "Frankie" Spruce also enjoyed a superb 2002 season. Spruce worked extremely hard in the off-season and her efforts were rewarded with a .393 batting average, a boost of nearly 150 points. She drove in 31 runs and scored 33 runs in her sixth season with the ballclub. She moved to third base from shortstop for the 2001 season and she has been solid at the hot corner. One of her most memorable career hits was a two-run, seventh-inning suicide bunt single to give the Brakettes a 2-1 win over Bloomington, IL, in the opening game of the 2001 National tourney. Spruce spent three seasons with the North Tonowanda, NY, Shamrocks, where she was a three-time ASA All-America, before joining the Brakettes. A graduate of Adelphi University, she also was selected NCAA All-Northeast Region three times and participated in two College World Series.

CF/1B  Kellie Wilkerson

NUMBER: 26
BATS: Left
THROWS: Left
HOMETOWN: Jacksonville, FL
COLLEGE: Mississippi State

Kellie Wilkerson returned from an injury-plagued 2001 season to lead the Brakettes in hitting last year at .560. Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough at bats to qualify for the batting title, an award she won in her rookie campaign in 2000. Limited to 30 games because of her participation with Team USA, Wilkerson had 42 hits, scored 29 runs and drove in 30 runs with 20 extra base hits. Named first-team ASA All-America last year, Wilkerson was 5-for-9 in the national tournament. An assistant coach at Mississippi State University, Kellie completed a banner collegiate career in 2002 at MSU with her fourth straight All-America selection. The left-handed power-hitting designated hitter/utility player also joined a select group with her fourth All-SEC first team honor. In leading Kathy Arendsen’s squad to a NCAA berth, she hit .412 (70-for-170) with 17 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 29 RBI. When pitching, Wilkerson went 5-2 with a 1.72 ERA and she notched a NCAA record 14 saves. As a junior, she was 9-1 pitching with a NCAA leading 10 saves.

P  Kaci Clark

NUMBER: 9
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Brandon, FL
COLLEGE: UCLA

It didn’t take Kaci Clark long to make a lasting impression with the Brakettes fans. The 5-foot-4 Clark demonstrated why she is one of the nation’s top pitchers with her outstanding 2002 season, capped by a two-hit, 13-strikeout effort in a 1-0 championship win over the California Hurricanes. She led the Brakettes in virtually every pitching category as she compiled a 29-0 record and 0.12 ERA. She authored 11 no-hitters, including two perfect games, and she had 22 shutouts. Averaging over two strikeouts per inning, Kaci finished with 365. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she was unbeaten during the Bruins’ 1995 NCAA championship season. After signing to play in the Women’s Professional League in 1998, she has had quite a career. Selected Pitcher of the Year in the WPSL in 1998 and 1999, she also was named its Most Valuable Player in 1999. A member of the WPSL touring all-star team in 2001, Clark also pitched the first victory over the US Gold (Olympic Team). A two-time all-star, she left the pro circuit with the most wins (53) and is the leader in strikeouts and shutouts.

C/OF  Sara Jewett

NUMBER: 17
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Haverhill, MA
COLLEGE: Maine

Entering her third year with the Brakettes, Sara Jewett gives the team another versatile player who can deliver the key hit on any at bat. Coming off a .356 season in which she played in 61 games at a variety of positions, Jewett has power and is a great baserunner, evidenced by her five stolen bases last year. She tied for the lead in home runs with seven and she had 18 extra base hits. Her 2001 season was hampered by a broken wrist, which she sustained when she slid home with the winning run in a marathon game with the Phoenix Storm in early July. However, she came back in time for the ASA tourney in Phoenix and figured prominently in several victories as she earned second-team All-America in the outfield. Jewett enjoyed a star-studded career at the University of Maine, where she was the 2000 AmericaEast Conference’s Player of the Year. An all-league catcher for three years, she became the conference’s first player to hit for the triple crown, leading it in home runs (15), RBI (47) and average (.409).

P  Danielle Henderson

NUMBER: 44
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Commack, NY
COLLEGE: Massachusetts

After spending three years with Team USA, where she earned an Olympic Gold Medal in 2000, Danielle Henderson returned to the Brakettes last year. It took her a little time to get back in the groove. Once she did, it was bad news for the opponents as Danielle finished the year with a 22-1 record and 0.34 ERA. She struck out 233 batters in 143 innings. She hurled six no-hitters, one perfect game and posted 15 shutout victories. A member of the 2001 WPSL Gold team, Henderson is the holder of 25 University of Massachusetts pitching records. Currently the UMass assistant coach, she finished her career second on the NCAA career strikeout list with 1,343. Her career marks include a 108-35 record with a 0.70 ERA, 72 shutouts, 135 complete games, 14 no-hitters and three perfect games. Danielle was a four-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and four-time A-10 MVP, who also captured the Honda Award her senior year, which is presented to the nation’s top player.

SS  Lea Mishlan

NUMBER: 23
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Pearland, TX
COLLEGE: South Florida

Returning to anchor the infield is shortstop Lea Mishlan, who is beginning her third season with the Stratford Brakettes. In two seasons with the team, Mishlan has been spectacular, both in the field and at the plate. The University of South Florida (1997-2000) graduate improved on her first-year batting totals with a .348 mark in 2002. Included among her 55 hits were 11 doubles. She also had 39 runs scored and 36 RBI. She has been a magician in the field, making near impossible plays look routine. A first-team Conference USA selection in 2000, Mishlan finished her career as the USF leader in games played (259), at bats (819), runs scored (150), hits (284), total bases, stolen bases (68), doubles (53) and assists. She was third in career batting average (.347), second in home runs (14) and third in RBI (108). She was a NCAA All-Region selection in both 1998 and 1999. Mishlan played in the WPSL with the Tampa Bay Firestix.

INF/UT  Erica Sobel

NUMBER: 4
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Worcester, MA
COLLEGE: Maine

Erica Sobel’s career with the Stratford Brakettes began in 2001 when she was invited to "fill in" during a weekend. She impressed Manager John Stratton so much that she was asked to play the rest of the season. It was a good decision because Sobel had a breakout 2002 season where she helped the team with her glove and bat. Appearing in 59 games, Erica hit .321 and at the end of the season displayed some awesome power with four home runs in the final 15 games. She drove in 35 runs and scored 41, while playing solid defense at shortstop, second base or third base. During her Brakettes career, she has played every position except pitcher or catcher. The Worcester, MA, native had an oustanding career at the University of Maine. She is the assistant softball coach at Quinnipiac University.

INF/UT  Karrie Rider

NUMBER: 24
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Camas, WA
COLLEGE: Mississippi State

Manager John Stratton knew exactly what to expect when Karrie Rider joined the Stratford Brakettes in 2002. She had the reputation as a solid defensive player who would provide timely hitting. She surpassed those expectations last year with a .348 batting average and near flawless fielding. An assistant coach at the University of Missouri, Karrie came to the team after an impressive career at Mississippi State University where she played shortstop. Rider, a Vancouver, WA, native, was a two-time All-Southeast Conference and four-time Academic All-Conference player. She had a .259 career average with 37 extra-base hits and 92 RBI. She hit .306 her senior year in 2000 with a career-high 43 RBI. In 2000, she played for the Ohio Pride of the Women’s Professional League and led the circuit in fielding percentage.

P  Leigh Ann Ellis

NUMBER: 30
BATS: Right
THROWS: Left
HOMETOWN: Barboursville, WV
COLLEGE: South Florida

Leigh Ann Ellis is making her debut with the Brakettes. The talented left-handed pitcher recently completed a banner season at the University of South Florida, where she led the Bulls to a runner-up finish in Conference USA and an NCAA tournament berth. Transferring to USF from Tennessee, Ellis earned the No. 1 pitching role and she came through with a 34-11 record for the Bulls, who finished 54-19. Appearing in 58 games, the junior southpaw fashioned a 1.29 ERA with 320 strikeouts in 315 innings. A native of Barboursville, WV, Ellis has been clocked at 66-68 mph. Manager John Stratton plans to utilize Ellis in the outfield as well.

OF  Heather Wright

NUMBER: 6
BATS: Right
THROWS: Right
HOMETOWN: Tampa, FL
COLLEGE: Florida Atlantic

Heather Wright will be playing in her first year with the Brakettes, but she probably knows everything about the team and its history. Playing her collegiate career at Florida Atlantic University for Brakettes superstar pitcher and Hall of Famer Joan Joyce and coach John Stratton, it was difficult not to hear about the team. A 2002 FAU graduate, Wright was the center fielder on the Owls who earned a berth in the NCAA tournament, led by pitcher Nikki Myers. A three-year starter, who played in 211 games, Wright finished her career with a .362 average with 80 hits, 34 RBI and 51 runs scored in her senior campaign. A criminal justice major, she transferred to FAU after one season at Santa Fe Community College.