A new season come around the corner as the FGCU softball team prepares for their opening games. The Eagles open their season at the FGCU Softball Complex with the FGCU Softball Kickoff Classic sponsored by Four Points Sheraton. The Eagles welcome LIU-Brooklyn, Power 5 North Carolina State, Georgetown, Ball State and Memphis. The Eagles will not be playing Memphis in the tournament.
After going 30-30 last season, FGCU will lose eight players including former second baseman and team captain Jeanie Verderese and catcher Bree Tourtillott.
Coaching Staff Changes:
Head coach Dave Deiros enters his 16th season as head coach, but the rest of the coaching staff has changed as Erika Bennett and Lindsey Ubrun have departed. Bennett is now pitching coach for NJCAA Yavapai College, while Ubrun became head coach for Wagner College. Deiros managed to get Jamie Kertes and Jaime Edwards to join the coaching staff.
Kertes, a Bowling Green alum, last coached for Stony Brook University and will be working with the pitchers.
Edwards, a alum from Houston, last coached for NCAA DII West Texas A&M as a graduate assistant and will be working with fielding.
Returning Expectations:
Key returners for the Eagles include juniors Racquel Fournet and Riley Randolph and senior outfielder Kelsey Huff.
Fournet is returning to the outfield after playing her first two season as a first baseman at FGCU. The Windemere, Florida Native is coming off after being named to the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and the A-SUN All-Academic Team last season. Fournet started all 60 games batting .299 with 49 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 41 RBIs.
Randolph is coming off an 18-11 record with a 2.06 ERA, 194 innings, 19 complete games (four shutouts), two saves and 160 strikeouts from last year. The former A-SUN Freshman and Pitcher of the Year was named to last year's A-SUN All-Tournament Team.
Huff, a native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is coming off after starting and playing all 60 games with a .363 batting average, 77 hits, three doubles, six triples, 37 runs scored, 21 RBIs and 29 stolen bases while earning A-SUN All-Conference First Team honors.
Upcoming New Players:
With the eight players departures, including Verderese and pitcher Taylor Wade, Deiros managed to ink nine new players, four of which are college transfers, including junior catcher Bri Bennett from NJCAA Lake Sumter College and Brooke Clemens from Florida.
Scouting LIU-Brooklyn:
The Blackbirds return to face FGCU from last season. Last season, LIU was 20-32 with a 6-10 record in the Northeast Conference (NEC) and failing to make it to the postseason.
Four seniors have departed and five newcomers have committed to LIU.
Players to watch for prior to the season include junior catcher Samantha Offenback and senior pitcher Erynn Sobieski.
Offenback led the team offensively batting .319 with 29 hits, seven home runs and 24 RBIs last season.
Sobieski was 10-13 with a 4.32 ERA and 58 strikeouts.
Series History:
FGCU holds a 10-2 overall series record against LIU with their most recent wins being last year where the Eagles won 7-0, 8-0, 9-1 and 8-0. The Blackbirds last win over the Eagles was February 21, 2010 where they won 4-1.
During the 2016 season, FGCU and LIU were schedule to play during the FGCU/Four Points by Shearton Invitational, but the game was cancelled due to half of the team being sick.
Scouting NC State:
The Wolfpack are coming back after an 18-34 overall record with a 10-14 record in the ACC last season. They beat Louisville in the quarterfinals of the ACC Conference Tournament, but would fall to UNC in the semifinals.
The Wolfpack will lose three seniors, but have gained eight newcomers including transfer Angie Rizzi from LIU.
Sophomore pitcher Devin Wallace will be another player to look at. The transfer from Coastal Carolina is coming off a 6-4 record with a 3.57 ERA, 68.2 innings pitched and 63 strikeouts with the Chanticleers.
Offensively, junior catcher/infielder Cheyenne Balzer batted .267 with 43 hits, six home runs and 26 RBIs last season.
Sophomore outfielder Jade Caraway led the team with a .389 batting average and 72 hits. Caraway also added 12 stolen bases last season.
Series History:
This is the second meeting for both teams. The first meet was on February 11, 2011 where the Wolfpack were victorious, winning by a score of 8-2.
Scouting Georgetown:
The Hoyas are preparing for a new season after finishing 11-37 overall with a 4-16 record in the Big East Conference last season.
The Hoyas will lose four seniors, but gained seven newcomers including sophomore pitcher Isabelle Ortiz. Ortiz, a transfer out of St. Mary's College of California , made nine appearances for the Gaels and went 0-2 with a 3.29 ERA.
Offensively, sophomore Noelle Holiday batted .303 last season with with 40 hits, seven home runs, 26 RBIs and 11 runs scored.
Senior Theresa Kane batted .321 with 50 hits, 27 runs scored, 10 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
Pitching wise, sophomore Anna Brooks Pacha pitched an 8-18 record with a 4.51 ERA, 152 innings and 174 strikeouts.
Series History:
FGCU is 4-0 against the Hoyas. Last time both teams met was on February 7, 2014, where FGCU won 2-0.
Scouting Ball State:
The Cardinals finished 30-28 last season with a 14-10 record in MAC Conference before falling in their conference tournament to Kent St. and Central Michigan.
The Cardinals will lose three seniors including home run leader Rachel Houck, who now joins the coaching staff, but have gained 10 newcomers including transfer Annie Robinson.
Robinson, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, sat out last season, and prior to signing with Ball State, Robinson batted .312 with 43 hits, 22 runs scored, 13 home runs and 34 RBIs for Chanticleers.
Offensively, senior infielder Maddy Labarador batted .305 last season with 51 hits, 33 runs scored, seven home runs and 24 RBIs.
Sophomore catcher Janae Hogg batted .296 last season with 53 hits, 13 runs scored, fve home runs and 28 RBIs.
Pitching wise, senior Carolyn Wilmes and sophomore Darcie Huber lead the way. Wilmes was 13-12 with a 3.72 ERA. She threw 137.1 innings with 129 strikeouts while Huber pitched a 9-8 record with a 2.26 ERA, 108.1 innings and 70 strikeouts.
Series History:
In all four games, FGCU is 3-1 against Ball State. Last time both teams met was on March 7, 2017 where FGCU won 3-1.
Ball State's only win against FGCU was on March 5, 2016 where the Cardinals beat the Eagles 3-2 in the FGCU Four Points by Sheraton Spring Break Classic.
Scouting Memphis:
Last season, the Tigers finished 29-27 with a 7-11 record in the AAC. They would win the quarterfinals of their conference tournament against USF before falling to Tulsa in the semifinals.
The Tigers lost five players: Calli Irwin, Hannah Harrell, Lindsay Crowdus, Lindsey Stickrod have graduated and junior Tyler Johnson has parted ways.
The Tigers managed to sign six freshman and signed five transfers (three from NJCAA, one from NCAA DI, one from NCAA DII).
Junior Regan Hadley batted .268 last season with 44 hits, three home runs and 25 RBIs.
Senior Kyler Trosclair-Klatt will likely be there speedster on baserunning. Trosclair-Klatt, last season, batted .394 and stolen 32 bases.
Pitching wise, senior Molly Smith will likely be the Tigers' ace. Smith was 11-12 last season with a 2.24 ERA and in 143.2 innings, she gave up 147 hits, 60 runs (46 earned), walked 33 batters and struck out 106 batters.
Series History:
Although the Eagles and the Tigers will not play against each other in the tournament, Memphis is 2-0 against FGCU overall. The last time both teams played was on February 13, 2016 where the Tigers won 6-0.
Ball State's only win against FGCU was on March 5, 2016 where the Cardinals beat the Eagles 3-2 in the FGCU Four Points by Sheraton Spring Break Classic.
Scouting Memphis:
Last season, the Tigers finished 29-27 with a 7-11 record in the AAC. They would win the quarterfinals of their conference tournament against USF before falling to Tulsa in the semifinals.
The Tigers lost five players: Calli Irwin, Hannah Harrell, Lindsay Crowdus, Lindsey Stickrod have graduated and junior Tyler Johnson has parted ways.
The Tigers managed to sign six freshman and signed five transfers (three from NJCAA, one from NCAA DI, one from NCAA DII).
Junior Regan Hadley batted .268 last season with 44 hits, three home runs and 25 RBIs.
Senior Kyler Trosclair-Klatt will likely be there speedster on baserunning. Trosclair-Klatt, last season, batted .394 and stolen 32 bases.
Pitching wise, senior Molly Smith will likely be the Tigers' ace. Smith was 11-12 last season with a 2.24 ERA and in 143.2 innings, she gave up 147 hits, 60 runs (46 earned), walked 33 batters and struck out 106 batters.
Series History:
Although the Eagles and the Tigers will not play against each other in the tournament, Memphis is 2-0 against FGCU overall. The last time both teams played was on February 13, 2016 where the Tigers won 6-0.
FGCU opens their season Thursday, February 8, 2018 against LIU at 6 PM. They will then face NC State on Friday, February 9 at 7 PM, Georgetown on Saturday, February 10 at 4:45 PM before finishing the tournament against Ball State at 1:30 PM on Sunday, February 11.
The opening game against LIU-Brooklyn is dubbed a Blue Out, encouraging fans to wear blue to that game.
In the game against Georgetown, it is dubbed a White Out, encouraging fans to wear white to the game.
The opening game against LIU-Brooklyn is dubbed a Blue Out, encouraging fans to wear blue to that game.
In the game against Georgetown, it is dubbed a White Out, encouraging fans to wear white to the game.
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