Softball (0-0) at FAU First-Pitch Classic
Date	Friday, Feb. 9 – Sunday, Feb. 11
Location	Boca Raton, Fla. – FAU Softball Stadium
Live Stats	Schedule
Twitter	@BUGameDay | @TerrierSoftball

BOSTON – Selected to finish second in the Patriot League preseason poll, the Boston University softball team will open the 2018 season against five opponents during the three-day FAU First-Pitch Classic starting Friday morning.

The Terriers finished runner-up in the PL tournament last season and will face three other conference tourney runner-ups, starting with Northern Illinois on Friday at 11:15 am. One day later, they will then face first-year program Duke (9 a.m.) and MEAC runner-up Bethune-Cookman (11:15 a.m.) before concluding the competition Sunday against Michigan State (9 a.m.) and Big 10 runner-up Ohio State (11:15 a.m.).

TERRIER TIDBITS

• Head coach Ashley Waters returns for her third year at the helm, having led BU to a pair of Patriot League championship round appearances with a title in 2016 ... The Terriers went 25-27 last season, highlighted by a 14-3 mark in conference action.
• The Terriers batted .274 and held opponents to .277 ... They return Patriot League Player of the Year and senior outfielder Jilee Schanda (.343 avg., 4 HRs, 25 RBIs) but did lose All-PL members Moriah Connolly (.339 avg., 41 SBs, 51 runs) and Gabi Martinez (.337 avg., 5 HRs, 36 RBIs, 11 2Bs) to graduation.
• Schanda was joined on the 2018 Preseason All-PL team by junior catcher Alex Heinen (.294 avg., 7 HRs, 42 RBIs, 12 2Bs) and fifth-year senior Brittany Younan (career .369 avg., 90 RBIs), who missed all of last season due to injury.
• The Terriers also return junior Alexa Ponce (.248 avg., 17 RBIs), senior Kaitlin Sahlinger (.242 avg., 18 RBIs), junior Emily Morow (.229 avg., 11 RBIs) and senior Emma Wong (.224 avg., 14 RBIs), who hit over .310 each of her first two seasons.
• In the circle, BU returns sophomores Kali Magane (13-11, 3.03 ERA) and Lizzie Annerino (0-3, 7.91 ERA) following the graduation of Makinna Akers (12-10, 2.08 ERA) ... Magane tallied 74 strikeouts in 145.0 innings of work.
• The Terriers welcome six newcomers, including freshman Maya Kipfmiller who claimed MaxPreps 2016 Underclass All-America Softball Team honors after posting a 25-5 record and 0.68 ERA while batting .664 with 23 doubles.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Northern Illinois (Friday, 11:15 a.m.)

• The Huskies went 33-21 last season and finished runner-up in the Mid-American Conference tournament.
• NIU batted .282 last season with six homers while holding opponents to .264 and 14 homers.
• Outfielder Jessica Rio is the top returning hitter at .335 with 35 runs scored and 10 RBIs ... Fellow junior outfielder Jenny Van Geertry batted .287 with 11 doubles, two triples, five homers and 25 RBIs.
• Tara Thacker (10-11, 2.36 ERA) held opponents to .212 batting average and combined with Alex Frenz (14-7, 3.63 ERA) for 10 saves last season.
• BU won the last meeting back in 2004 (5-1) at South Florida's tournament.

Duke (Saturday, 9 a.m.)

• The Blue Devils are competing in their inaugural season as a varsity program and become the ACC's 12th team.
• Duke is led by former Big Ten Player of the Year Marissa Young (Michigan '03), who spent two years as an assistant at North Carolina before becoming the Blue Devils' first head coach.
• Of Duke's 17 players, five are transfers ... Sophomore outfielder Haley Wymbs batted .286 at Seattle University in 2016, while junior utility player Reilly Metzger batted .268 at Columbia.

Bethune-Cookman (Saturday, 11:15 a.m.)

• The Wildcats went 24-33 last season and finished runner-up in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
• BCU batted .300 last season while holding opponents to .303 and posted a 37-31 advantage in homers.
• Sophomore Ryan Jackson hit a stellar .412 last season with 14 homers, 47 RBIs, nine doubles and 38 runs scored ... She's joined by the returning Mariah Davis (.365 avg., seven 3Bs, 45 runs) and Kailey RIchard (.325 avg. four HRs, 23 RBIs, nine 2Bs).
• Mariah Estrada (7-7, 4.02 ERA) is the top returning pitcher after tallying 39 strikeouts in 95.2 innings.
• BCU beat the Terriers last season at the FAU Kick-Off Classic, 5-1.

Michigan State (Sunday, 9 a.m.)

• The Spartans went 34-24 last season and were eliminated by Ohio State in the Big Ten semifinals.
• Returning all but one starter, MSU established program records last season with 345 runs, .313 batting average, HRs (66) and RBIs (320) while ranking sixth nationally in slugging percentage (.524).
• Junior third baseman Kaitlyn Eveland batted .403 last season with 10 homers, 58 RBIs and 14 doubles, while senior All-American outfielder Lea Foerster hit .398 with 14 homers, 26 doubles, 49 RBIs and 70 runs scored.
• MSU returns top two pitchers, Kristina Zalewski (8-9, 3.45 ERA) and Bridgette Rainey (16-8, 3.84 ERA), who combined for 261 strikeouts in 269.2 innings.
• The Spartans edged BU, 4-3, at FAU back in 2016, after the Terriers claimed an 11-4 win in 2014 at South Carolina.

Ohio State (Sunday, 11:15 a.m.)

• The Buckeyes mark the Terriers' first opponent to be coming off an NCAA appearance ... They went 35-18 last season and finished runner-up in the Big 10 tournament before going 0-2 at the Tennessee Regional.
• Ohio State received 34 votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll after hitting .289 last season and holding opponents to .235 with a 63-14 advantage in homers.
• All-America infielder Lilli Piper hit .421 with 18 homers, 53 RBIs, seven doubles and 47 runs scored, while catcher Emily Clark hit .333 with 45 RBIs, 10 homers and nine doubles.
• The Buckeyes return Morgan Ray (6-5, 2.35 ERA) and Shelby McCombs (6-3, 2.62 ERA) in the circle ... They both had two saves apiece.
• OSU won the previous meeting, 13-10, in 2005 in Marietta, Georgia.