Softball Set To Open 2019 Season

Syracuse at Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament \| Notes
Feb. 8 vs. SDSU	9:30 a.m. (PST) \| 11:30 a.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| @CuseSB
Feb. 8 vs. #4 Oklahoma	2:30 p.m. (PST) \| 4:30 p.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| @CuseSB
Feb. 9 vs. #4 Oklahoma	2 p.m. (PST) \| 4 p.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| @CuseSB
Feb. 9 vs. Grand Canyon	6:30 p.m. (PST) \| 8:30 p.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| Watch \| @CuseSB

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – A new era of Syracuse softball begins this weekend as the Orange kick off their 2019 season under first year head coach, Shannon Doepking. Syracuse opens its season at the GCU Kickoff Tournament Friday with a 9:30 a.m. PST matchup against San Diego State before taking on No. 4 Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. 'Cuse has a second look at the Sooners Saturday at 2 p.m. before closing out the weekend against Grand Canyon at 6:30 p.m.

Syracuse finished its 2018 campaign with a 30-20 record, including a 9-12 mark in ACC play. The Orange return 12 players, including preseason All-ACC selections Alexa Romero and Bryce Holmgren, but also boast the addition of nine newcomers including transfers Sophie Dandola and Alex Acevedo. Romero led the nation last season in strikeouts per seven innings (10.9) with a 1.76 earned run average. Holmgren, who has started every game in her career at Syracuse, led the Orange last season batting .413 and tallying 56 hits.

San Diego State looks to build upon a 20-31 season a year ago. The Aztecs roster returns senior Molly Sturvidant and redshirt senior Katie Byrd, who both started every game in 2018. Sturvidant ranks fifth in career home runs (19) and seventh in runs batted in (103) at SDSU while Byrd led the Aztecs last season in most offensive categories, including batting average (.305). San Diego State holds a 3-0 record against 'Cuse as the two teams last met in 2013.

Seven-time defending Big 12 champion, Oklahoma, enters the 2019 season ranked fourth in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Top-25 polls. The Sooners finished the 2018 season 57-5 and 18-0 in the Big 12. Despite graduating its two leading pitchers, the Sooners return five All-Big 12 selections including 2018 NFCA and Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Jocelyn Alo. Alo tied the NCAA Division 1 freshman single-season home run record last season with 30. The Sooners will also look to seniors Sydney Romero and Shay Knighten who batted .395 and .353 last year, respectively. The Sooners are 4-0 all-time against Syracuse.

Picked to finish second in the preseason WAC poll, Grand Canyon is poised to pick up right where its 2018 season left off. Last season, the Lopes made their first appearance in the WAC Championship title game narrowly losing 9-7 to New Mexico State. They return three NFCA All-Region honorees including Sierra Smith who notched a .392 batting average last season and led the team with 43 runs and 21 walks drawn. GCU and Syracuse met for the first time last season where the Orange won the 10-inning contest, 9-8.

Following its opening weekend, Syracuse returns to the east coast for the ACC/Big 10 Challenge Feb. 15-17. The Orange will face off against Indiana and Penn State in Durham, N.C.

Syracuse at Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament \| Notes
Feb. 8 vs. SDSU	9:30 a.m. (PST) \| 11:30 a.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| @CuseSB
Feb. 8 vs. #4 Oklahoma	2:30 p.m. (PST) \| 4:30 p.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| @CuseSB
Feb. 9 vs. #4 Oklahoma	2 p.m. (PST) \| 4 p.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| @CuseSB
Feb. 9 vs. Grand Canyon	6:30 p.m. (PST) \| 8:30 p.m. (EST) \| Live Stats \| Watch \| @CuseSB

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Players Mentioned

Alex Acevedo

Sophie Dandola

Bryce Holmgren

Alexa Romero

Syracuse University Athletics