Syracuse University
Virginia
Tournament Preview: UVA Spring Break Invitational
3/10/2011 3:27:49 PM | Softball
| UVA Spring Break Invitational | |||
| Syracuse | Virginia | Fordham | Princeton |
| 16-3 | 12-9 | 9-10 | 2-1 |
| Game Info |
Mar. 12 vs. Virginia | 11:30 a.m. |
||
| Location | Charlottesville, Va. | The Park | ||
| Online | Live Stats: Sat. 11:30 a.m. |Sat. 4:30 p.m. | Sun. 9 a.m. | Sun. 2 p.m. | Mon. 12 p.m. | ||
After cracking the national rankings for the first time in school history, the No. 25 Syracuse University softball team returns to the diamond this weekend at the University of Virginia Spring Break Invitational. In what will be the squad's last early season tournament, the Orange will face Virginia, Fordham and Princeton through three days of competition beginning Saturday, March 12 at 11:30 a.m.
Syracuse Notes
• The Orange is ranked 25th in this week's USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll. This marks the first time in program history that SU has been nationally ranked. Syracuse is currently the only BIG EAST team appearing in the Top 25.
• Syracuse is off to the best start in school history with a 16-3 record. The squad has won nine of its last 10 games, including the last four.
• Junior Jenna Caira earned her fifth career weekly award, as she was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week. Caira, who improved to 10-3 on the season, notched a total of 26 strikeouts and held the opposition scoreless through her last 17.0 innings of work for a 0.78 ERA on the weekend.
• Junior catcher Lacey Kohl hit her fourth homerun of the season to achieve a new career best in an Orange 3-0 victory against North Dakota State on March 5. Kohl leads all Orange starters with a .365 batting average.
• SU outhit Gardner-Webb, 15-1, marking the fifth time this season that the team has logged 10 or more hits in a game. With 15 runs in the contest, the Orange topped a single-game program best. The previous record of 14 runs was set in 2006 against Seton Hall.
A Look at the Opponents
Virginia
• The Cavaliers have lost their last three games to head into this weekend's tournament with an overall record of 12-9. Virginia is coming off a doubleheader loss to Longwood in its home opener on March 8.
• Virginia is 2-2 against nationally ranked opponents so far this season.
• Stephanie Harris leads the Virginia offensive effort with a .344 batting average, including 22 hits and 12 RBI
• Pitcher Melanie Mitchell boasts a 3.19 ERA and a 7-7 record in 2011, with four of those victories coming by way of a shutout.
Fordham
• The Rams enter the UVA Tournament with a 9-10 record, having lost three of their last four contests.
• Fordham's junior, All-American Jen Mineau, was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week on Monday, March 7, marking her first award of this kind in 2011. Mineau went 2-1 at the Citrus Classic, including a three-hit shutout against North Carolina.
• Nicole Callahan boasts a team-best .311 batting average, having recorded 14 hits and five RBI on the season
Princeton
• Princeton, who just opened its 2011 season last weekend, heads to Virginia with a 1-2 record, after defeating Iona and falling to Siena and Liberty at a Maryland-Baltimore County tournament.
• Tory Roberts and Nikki Chu were each 3-for-9 at the plate last weekend to lead the Tigers with a .333 batting average.
• In 2011, the Tigers are returning all nine starters from last season.
Series Notes
• Syracuse is 2-1 against the tournament field, having never previously played Virginia or Princeton
• SU has faced Fordham three times in program history. While the Orange took the first two meetings, Fordham defeated Syracuse, 1-0, in the squads' last outing on April 17, 2005
