Softball Begins 2016 at Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament in Myrtle Beach
Links: Follow @MerrimackSB
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – After over a month of indoor practices and preparation, the Merrimack College softball team kicks off it 2016 campaign this weekend as they take part in the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the Grand Park Recreational Complex.
The Basics
Date/Time: February 19-21, 2016 | Full Schedule
Opponents: Shippensburg (2/19) | Slippery Rock (2/19) | New Haven (2/20) | Wilmington (Del.) (2/20) | Lock Haven (2/21) | Felician (2/21)
Location: Grand Park Recreational Complex | Myrtle Beach, S.C.
A Look Back at 2014:
Despite a late-season outburst from the Warriors in a fight to make the postseason, Merrimack fell one win short of an appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship, missing out on what would have been their second straight appearance in the playoffs last spring.
The Warriors finished 2015 with a 19-24 record, including a 12-13 record in conference. Merrimack also picked up its first win over a ranked opponent last year since the 2011 season, beating #18 Southern New Hampshire 3-2 in mid-April.
Merrimack still came out of 2015 with accolades to be proud of as returning juniors Haley Currie (Burlington, Mass.) and Kaleigh Finigan (Medford, Mass.) both earned all-conference honors, as Currie landed on the second team while Finigan earned third team recognition.
Meet the 2015 Warriors:
Currie enters her second year as a captain and is joined by senior Alexis Perry (Westford, Vt.) and junior Samantha Waskowitz (Killingworth, Conn.) in serving as tri-captains to lead a team that finished 2015 has one of the best in the NE-10, winning seven of their final 11 games of the season.
Merrimack will look to replace six contributing seniors who graduated from the lineup last year, but bring back some of their top performers from the 2015 season, including the return of their entire pitching rotation.
On the mound, Currie, Perry and sophomore Courtney Zambello (Sharon, Mass.) all return to the Warriors looking to become one of the strongest pitching staffs in the conference. While the Warriors' infield depth did take a hit with the loss of three senior infielders, there will be plenty of familiar faces manning the 3-6 positions as Waskowitz and fellow junior Mariah Tenney (Winchendon, Mass.) highlight the returning infielders after being the only two players to play in at least 40 games last season. The outfield returns with sufficient experience in the outfield despite the loss of their starting center and right fielders, as senior Brittany Razo (Anaheim, Calif.) returns to man left field and junior Morgan Phipps (Melrose, Mass.) will look to take over in right field after starting 19 games there last season. Finally, freshmen will be battling for the catching position after the loss of three senior catchers last spring.
Click here for the full season preview!
The Opponents:
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Team
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Game
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Shippensburg
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2/19 (10:00am)
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Slippery Rock
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2/19 (12:00pm)
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New Haven
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2/20
(10:00 am)
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Wilmington (Del.)
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2/20 (12:00pm)
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Lock Haven
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2/21 (10:00am)
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Felician
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2/21 (12:00pm)
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Up Next
The Warriors have a couple weeks off before heading to Adelphi for their NE-10 opener on Sunday, March 13.
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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
