2018 Schedule  |  2018 Roster  |  2017 Stats  |  Season Preview Story
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team will open its 2018 season with five games this weekend at the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
 
The Rock will play two games Friday including a 10 a.m. contest against West Virginia State University and a 2 p.m. matchup against Saint Anselm College. During its second day of competition, SRU will take the field against Wilmington University at 10 a.m. and close out Saturday with a 2 p.m. game against Felician College. On Sunday, Slippery Rock squares off with the University of New Haven at 10 a.m. to end its opening weekend.

Full statistics and recaps will be posted when that information becomes available.
 

Snowbird Freeze Out: Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Date	Opponent	Time	Location
Feb. 16	W. Va. State	10 a.m.	Grand Park : Field 8
Feb. 16	Saint Anselm	2 p.m.	Grand Park: Field 9
Feb. 17	Wilmington	10 a.m.	Ned Donkle : Field F
Feb. 17	Felician	2 p.m.	Ned Donkle : Field B
Feb. 18	New Haven	10 a.m.	Grand Park: Field 9

SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Western Division
Last Season: 17-24 overall, 7-13 PSAC-West
Preseason Poll: Second in PSAC West
Head Coach: Stacey Rice  |  Fourth season at SRU (52-70)
 
ROCK NOTES
• TWICE AS NICE – For the second time in two years, Slippery Rock has been selected to finish second in the PSAC preseason poll. The last regular season second place finish for The Rock was in 2009.
• CAN'T FREEZE US OUT – This upcoming weekend will be the third consecutive season Slippery Rock will open its campaign in Myrtle Beach at the Snowbird Freeze Out. In two years, SRU has posted a combined 5-5 record.
• RETURNING PITCHERS – SRU will likely have Brooke Dawson, Andria Copelli and Paige Flore hurl quality innings in the circle in 2018.
• RETURNING POSITION PLAYERS – Slippery Rock returns seven starting position players from a year ago including four who started at least 40 games in Emily Nagle, Lauren Hawley, Megan Brown and Kailey Myers. Other key starters back are Allie Fischer, McKenzie Garland and Alexa Guglielmino.
• WELCOME TO THE ROCK – Coaches Rice and Ashley Carter brought in eight freshmen looking to make their first appearances this season including Lydia Baird (Greenford, Ohio), outfielders Julia Cepis (Parma, Ohio) and Cortney Claypoole (Hilliards, Pa.), first baseman Adeline Nicholson (Scottdale, Pa.), utility player Becca Roesch (Galloway, N.J.), pitcher Camie Shumaker (Lancaster, Ohio) along with catchers Leah Vith (Kennedy Township, Pa.) and Haley Wells (Erie, Pa.).
• DAWSON'S CIRCLE – Dawson will look to build off a 2017 season that she went 11-9 in 22 appearances (19 starts) and ranked fifth in the PSAC with a 1.89 ERA (35 ER in 129.2 IP), tallied four shutouts and 15 complete games.
• IT'S A HIT PARADE – Nagle, a 2017 All-PSAC selection will return to the lineup this season following a 2017 where she led the PSAC with a .444 (67-for-151) batting average. She also posted team-highs in on-base percentage (.458) total bases (75) and runs scored (26).
• HELPFUL HAWLEY – Hawley, who was also an All-PSAC selection, returns to The Rock after a 2017 season where she hit .299 (38-for-127) and was tied for the team-lead in home runs (four) and RBI (23).
 
WEST VIRGINIA STATE PRIMER
Conference: Mountain East Conference – South Division
Last Season: 25-29 overall, 11-21 MEC
Preseason Poll: Fifth in MEC South
Interim Head Coach: Mattie Best  |  First Season at WVSU (4-0)
 
YELLOW JACKET NOTES
• The Yellow Jackets were led offensively in 2017 by returner Brittany Allison. Allison hit .337 (55-for-163) with seven home runs, 45 RBI and 97 total bases.
• Brookelyn Hale also returns to WVSU this season after hitting .310 (48-for-155) and driving in 29 runs.
• Emily Thompson will garner most of the starts in the circle for West Virginia State after going 9-12 with a 2.08 ERA (31 ER in 104.1 IP).
• The Yellow Jackets are already 4-0 to start the season including two wins against PSAC opponents Kutztown and Shippensburg.
 
SAINT ANSELM PRIMER
Conference: Northeast 10 – Northeast Division
Last Season: 18-16 overall, 16-8 NE10
Preseason Poll: Third in NE10 Northeast
Head Coach: Jill Gagnon  |  Fifth season at SAC (81-71)
 
HAWKS NOTES
• Saint Anselm's Amanda Bickford returns for her senior season after leading the Hawks in hitting with a .395 (47-for-119) batting average.
• Megan Murrell also rejoins the Hawks after hitting .347 (35-for-101). She also led the team in home runs (5) and RBI (21).  
• Morgan Perry will return to the circle in 2018 after going 5-10 with a 3.66 ERA (52 ER in 99.1 IP) in 2017.
 
WILMINGTON PRIMER
Conference: Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
Last Season: 36-21 overall, 17-9 CACC (Lost in East 1 Regional Championship)
Preseason Poll: Second in CACC
Head Coach: Mike Shehorn  |  Fifth season at WU (128-88)
 
WILDCATS NOTES
• The Wildcats are led by National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American, Rosa'Lynn Burton who set single-season records for Wilmington in hits (88), runs (57), triples (7), total bases (117) and stolen bases (45).
• She also set a WU record in batting with a .463 (88-for-190) average and her 45 stolen bases led all of Division II in 2017.
• Wilmington also returns its top pitcher of 2017, Caitlyn Whiteside. Whiteside went 19-11 in 37 games (32 starts) and tallied a 1.64 ERA (42 ER in 179.2 IP).
 
FELICIAN PRIMER
Conference: Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
Last Season: 22-27 overall, 13-13 in CACC
Preseason Poll: Seventh in CACC
Head Coach: Alexis Durando  |  Second season at Felician (22-27)
 
GOLDEN FALCONS NOTES
• Felician returns three of its top hitters from a year ago including Nicole Spiegelberg, Mia Montoya and Steph Donah.
• Spiegelberg, an all-region selection recorded a .370/.485/.594 slash line while leading the team in home runs (8) and ranking second on the roster in RBI (31).
• Montoya led Felician in runs scored (35) and hits (56), while Donah roped seven home runs and led the team in RBI (35).
• Right-hander Ashley Owens returns following a season where she went 13-15 in 40 appearances (39 starts) with a 2.64 ERA (67 ER in 177.1 IP) while tallying 106 strikeouts.
 
NEW HAVEN PRIMER
Conference: Northeast 10 – Southwest Division
Last Season: 30-16 overall, 19-8 NE10 (First Round in East 1 Regional)
Preseason Poll: Second in NE10 Southwest
Head Coach: Jen Starek  |  12th season at UNH (329-182-2)
 
CHARGERS NOTES
• The Chargers will return three of their four top hitters from a year ago including Taylor Luzzi, Sierra Whitlock and Catherine Vaughan.
• The three combined to hit .314 (138-for-440) with 13 home runs and 92 RBI.
• New Haven also will send their two top pitchers back to the circle this year in Megan Butts and Kylie Stonebraker.
• Butts and Stonebraker combined for a 27-16 record in 54 appearances (44 starts) a 2.61 ERA (106 ER in 284.1 IP) and 163 strikeouts.
 
NEXT GAMES
Slippery Rock will travel to South Chesterfield, Virginia for two doubleheaders at Virginia State University Feb. 24-25. The first game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 12 p.m.




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