University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
University of South Dakota
UConn set to take on opponents at Mercer Bears Classics
3/13/2019 12:52:00 PM | Softball
STORRS, Conn.—The UConn softball team will be traveling to Georgia to compete in the three-day Mercer Bears Classic. The Huskies will take on Rams of Fordham, Cardinals of Ball State, Vikings of Cleveland State, and host Bears of Mercer.
The tournament is made up of 14 total games including match ups with South Dakota, the only team UConn will not face. Live stats will be available for all of the Huskies' games this weekend.
The complete weekend schedule is below.
FRIDAY
UConn vs. Fordham, 11:15 p.m. | (Live Stats)
Ball State vs. UConn, 1:30 p.m. | (Live Stats)
SATURDAY
Cleveland State vs. UConn, 9:00 a.m. | (Live Stats)
Mercer vs. UConn, 1:30 p.m. | (Live Stats)
SUNDAY
Mercer vs. UConn, 12:30 p.m. | (Live Stats)
UConn is 4-12 after posting a split on the final day of the Judi Garman Classic against New Mexico and [then] No. 2/3 UCLA back on March 3rd in Fullerton, Calif. The Huskies have played a great brand of defense as of late, holding the ranked Bruins scoreless for four innings and going errorless in the match up versus New Mexico. As a team, UConn is tied for 87th for fielding percentage, .965. The Huskies have a pair of pitchers ranked nationally and in the American Athletic Conference. Junior Katie Koshes is 21st/3rd in the saves category as well as 92nd/4th for strikeouts per seven innings. Sophomore Marybeth Olson is also ranked for strikeouts per seven innings at 67th/3rd.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Fordham is 6-12 heading into the Mercer Bears Classic after their last two games were cancelled and postponed. The Rams have a pretty well-balanced roster with eight upperclassman, five newcomers and five sophomores. Head Coach Melissa Inouye is her first year at the helm after serving as an assistant in 2012. Fordham has been predicted to finish in a tie for second with Dayton in the annual preseason coaches poll. Sophomore Rachel Hubertus was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Wek back in February, the first of her career.
Ball State is on a six game winning streak with an overall record of 18-9. The Cardinals are a relatively younger team with only nine upperclassmen, 11 freshmen and five sophomores. Head Coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett enters her fourth season and is the ninth head coach in the program's history. Ball State was picked as the MAC regular season and tournament favorite in the 2019 preseason poll back in February. Junior closing pitcher Alyssa Rothwell became the Mid-American Conference's All-Time Saves leader on Feb. 15th and was picked as MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week a week later. Coach Ciolli Bartlett nabbed her 100th career victory on Feb. 24th in a 9-1 win over Montana. Most recently, the Cardinals tabbed a pair of MAC Weekly Honors with junior outfielder Haley Dominique as Mid-American Conference Player of the Week and freshman Sarah Venker as MAC Co-Pitcher of the Week.
Cleveland State is currently 5-13 and on a two game winning streak. The Vikings are hitting .251, with an on base percentage of .324, slugging .365, in addition to eight home runs. Head Coach Amy Kyler is in her first season and is a former standout pitcher as well as 2008 CSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. The Vikings have 10 freshmen and six sophomores leading their roster in addition to eight upperclassmen. In the Horizon League, Cleveland State was selected to finish ninth with 11 total points. To begin the month of March, the Vikings posted a season high 14 hits in 9-4 win over La Salle. Kelly Hysong was named Player of the Week on Mar. 12th.
Mercer heads into their single game at Georgia Tech tonight with an overall record of 10-15. The nine upperclassmen are outnumbered by the 11 underclassmen, mainly the seven freshmen. Head Coach Stephanie DeFeo joined the softball staff as the co-head coach in 2013. She was officially named the head coach in 2016. At the end of January, there were a trio of Bears named to the preseason All-SoCon First Team while the team was selected to finish second in the SoCon.
