Friday, February 7
Miami, FL
9:30 AM
Syracuse University
vs
Cal
Softball Season Delayed One Day, Now Set to Begin Saturday
2/7/2020 12:17:00 PM | Softball
MIAMI, FL – The 21st season for Syracuse softball will now begin Saturday, February 8, at the Felsberg Invitational in Miami. The Orange were set to kick off the 2020 season on Friday, but weather interfering with air travel has postponed Friday's contests. More updates on the schedule for the tournament will be made available as they are received. The Orange come in at #9 in the ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll to begin the 2020 campaign. Live stats for this weekend can be found here.
Syracuse concluded 2019 with a 21-32 record, including an 8-16 record in the ACC and a trip to the conference tournament in Tallahassee. The Orange welcome back nine players, notably senior pitcher Alexa Romero, junior infielder Gabby Teran and sophomore catcher Alexis Kaiser.
THE RETURNERS
Romero ranks second all-time with 595 strikeouts and has the most punch-outs per 7 IP in Orange history (9.07). Forty two wins in three seasons tie the hard throwing lefthander for third-most in program history. The Aurora, Colo. native needs six wins to tie Stacy Kuwik for second most in Syracuse history. Romero has held her opponents to a .194 batting average in her first three seasons and pitched 16 complete games in 2019.
Teran has started all 102 games of her college career and ranks 10th all-time at Syracuse with a .320 career batting average and 25 career stolen bases. Her .321 batting average and 53 hits in her sophomore season are both bests among returning Orange hitters
As a freshman, Kaiser participated in 38 games and blasted a team-leading seven home runs.
THE NEWCOMERS
The Orange also welcome eight newcomers, including a freshman class of five and three transfers. Among the transfers are Hoover, Alabama native Jamie Gregg. Gregg appeared in 30 of 35 games for Mississippi State, primarily as a pinch runner and outfielder. In high school, Gregg set the state record for stolen bases in a season (58) and was named to the All-State First Team.
Junior Paris Woods joins the Orange after two seasons at Florida Southwestern State where she hit .402 in 104 career games. Her numbers earned her the title of 2019 Suncoast Conference Student Athlete of the Year and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America honors.
Syracuse welcomes five freshman to the fold for 2020. Pitchers Kaia Oliver and Catie Dobbs, infielders Mia Cunnings and Rebecca Clyde, and catcher Jude Padilla. Padilla joins the Orange following her senior season at Incarnate Word High School where she hit .458 with nine homeruns and 50 RBIs. The New Braunfels, Texas native earned First Team All-Texas Honors in 2018 and 2019.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS
California finished its 2019 season at 28-27 with a 5-18 record in the PAC 12. They enter the 2020 season with more newcomers than they have returners, as ten true freshman and one transfer make up the 21 players on the roster. Last time the Golden Bears had newcomers outnumber the returners, their season ended with a national championship in 2002. Sophomore Makena Smith was Cal's leader with 37 RBI last year as a freshman, while Lindsay Rood led the squad with a .396 batting average, 16 doubles and a .594 slugging percentage, appearing in all 55 games.
In the circle, Kamalani Dung paces the Golden Bears with a 2.32 ERA in 36 appearances, pitching in 157 innings. The Orange are 1-4 all-time against Cal, their victory coming in the teams' last meeting in 2013, an 8-1 triumph for Syracuse when the Golden Bears were ranked #4/5.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Michigan State adds six new players to the roster after finishing 16-34 overall record in 2019. Redshirt senior Katelyn Hendershott, who had a perfect fielding percentage in the 2019 season, is the only senior on the 17-person roster made up of six freshman, four sophomores and six juniors.
Junior Katie Quinlan led the returning players in batting average (.304) and classmate Caitie Ladd smacked nine home runs to provide the power for the Spartans. Junior Alli Walker tossed 108.1 innings for Michigan State, the most of any returning member of the pitching staff. This weekend marks the first meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State went 24-32 overall with a 7-16 mark in the Big Ten in 2019. It was the best record for the Nittany Lions since 2016, when they achieved a 30-24 clip. They hit a program record 49 home runs, 13 of which came from current sophomore Chelsea Bisi. Bisi also topped Penn State in runs batted-in (37) and doubles (10).
Freshman lefty Bailey Parshall completed her first season with a 3.20 ERA, 11 wins and 184 strikeouts, which is tied for eighth all-time in Nittany Lion program history. Senior Kylee Lingenfelter posted the lowest ERA on the Penn State staff (2.90) in 37 appearances.
Syracuse and Penn State split two games in 2019, each team picking up a win at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Durham, N.C. The Orange hold a 4-8 record against the Nittany Lions, but have emerged victorious in three of the last four matchups dating back to 2010.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
The tournament host, Florida International, posted a 26-25 record in 2019, going 7-16 in Conference USA games. The Panthers will look to sophomore Alexis Johns in the batters box, as she completed the 2019 season with a .297 batting average, the most productive of any FIU hitter, and a team-leading .388 on-base percentage.
Junior Allison Muraskin will shoulder the load in the circle for the Panthers after leading the squad in ERA (3.73), wins (11), strikeouts (95), innings (132.2) and complete games (11) in her sophomore season.
The Orange are winless in three contests with Florida International. The teams have not met since 2009.
UP NEXT
Following its opening weekend, Syracuse returns to the east coast for the ACC/Big 10 Challenge Feb. 14-16. The Orange will face off against Rutgers and Indiana in Durham, NC.
Syracuse concluded 2019 with a 21-32 record, including an 8-16 record in the ACC and a trip to the conference tournament in Tallahassee. The Orange welcome back nine players, notably senior pitcher Alexa Romero, junior infielder Gabby Teran and sophomore catcher Alexis Kaiser.
THE RETURNERS
Romero ranks second all-time with 595 strikeouts and has the most punch-outs per 7 IP in Orange history (9.07). Forty two wins in three seasons tie the hard throwing lefthander for third-most in program history. The Aurora, Colo. native needs six wins to tie Stacy Kuwik for second most in Syracuse history. Romero has held her opponents to a .194 batting average in her first three seasons and pitched 16 complete games in 2019.
Teran has started all 102 games of her college career and ranks 10th all-time at Syracuse with a .320 career batting average and 25 career stolen bases. Her .321 batting average and 53 hits in her sophomore season are both bests among returning Orange hitters
As a freshman, Kaiser participated in 38 games and blasted a team-leading seven home runs.
THE NEWCOMERS
The Orange also welcome eight newcomers, including a freshman class of five and three transfers. Among the transfers are Hoover, Alabama native Jamie Gregg. Gregg appeared in 30 of 35 games for Mississippi State, primarily as a pinch runner and outfielder. In high school, Gregg set the state record for stolen bases in a season (58) and was named to the All-State First Team.
Junior Paris Woods joins the Orange after two seasons at Florida Southwestern State where she hit .402 in 104 career games. Her numbers earned her the title of 2019 Suncoast Conference Student Athlete of the Year and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America honors.
Syracuse welcomes five freshman to the fold for 2020. Pitchers Kaia Oliver and Catie Dobbs, infielders Mia Cunnings and Rebecca Clyde, and catcher Jude Padilla. Padilla joins the Orange following her senior season at Incarnate Word High School where she hit .458 with nine homeruns and 50 RBIs. The New Braunfels, Texas native earned First Team All-Texas Honors in 2018 and 2019.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS
California finished its 2019 season at 28-27 with a 5-18 record in the PAC 12. They enter the 2020 season with more newcomers than they have returners, as ten true freshman and one transfer make up the 21 players on the roster. Last time the Golden Bears had newcomers outnumber the returners, their season ended with a national championship in 2002. Sophomore Makena Smith was Cal's leader with 37 RBI last year as a freshman, while Lindsay Rood led the squad with a .396 batting average, 16 doubles and a .594 slugging percentage, appearing in all 55 games.
In the circle, Kamalani Dung paces the Golden Bears with a 2.32 ERA in 36 appearances, pitching in 157 innings. The Orange are 1-4 all-time against Cal, their victory coming in the teams' last meeting in 2013, an 8-1 triumph for Syracuse when the Golden Bears were ranked #4/5.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Michigan State adds six new players to the roster after finishing 16-34 overall record in 2019. Redshirt senior Katelyn Hendershott, who had a perfect fielding percentage in the 2019 season, is the only senior on the 17-person roster made up of six freshman, four sophomores and six juniors.
Junior Katie Quinlan led the returning players in batting average (.304) and classmate Caitie Ladd smacked nine home runs to provide the power for the Spartans. Junior Alli Walker tossed 108.1 innings for Michigan State, the most of any returning member of the pitching staff. This weekend marks the first meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State went 24-32 overall with a 7-16 mark in the Big Ten in 2019. It was the best record for the Nittany Lions since 2016, when they achieved a 30-24 clip. They hit a program record 49 home runs, 13 of which came from current sophomore Chelsea Bisi. Bisi also topped Penn State in runs batted-in (37) and doubles (10).
Freshman lefty Bailey Parshall completed her first season with a 3.20 ERA, 11 wins and 184 strikeouts, which is tied for eighth all-time in Nittany Lion program history. Senior Kylee Lingenfelter posted the lowest ERA on the Penn State staff (2.90) in 37 appearances.
Syracuse and Penn State split two games in 2019, each team picking up a win at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Durham, N.C. The Orange hold a 4-8 record against the Nittany Lions, but have emerged victorious in three of the last four matchups dating back to 2010.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
The tournament host, Florida International, posted a 26-25 record in 2019, going 7-16 in Conference USA games. The Panthers will look to sophomore Alexis Johns in the batters box, as she completed the 2019 season with a .297 batting average, the most productive of any FIU hitter, and a team-leading .388 on-base percentage.
Junior Allison Muraskin will shoulder the load in the circle for the Panthers after leading the squad in ERA (3.73), wins (11), strikeouts (95), innings (132.2) and complete games (11) in her sophomore season.
The Orange are winless in three contests with Florida International. The teams have not met since 2009.
UP NEXT
Following its opening weekend, Syracuse returns to the east coast for the ACC/Big 10 Challenge Feb. 14-16. The Orange will face off against Rutgers and Indiana in Durham, NC.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballSyracuse Softball
Sunday, May 04
Highlights | Syracuse vs. Boston College Game Three
Sunday, April 27
Highlights | Syracuse vs. Boston College Game Two
Saturday, April 26
Highlights | Syracuse vs. BC Game One
Saturday, April 26
