2019 BU Softball Team Huddle

Softball Set to Open Season at Coastal Carolina Tournament

February 7, 2019

Softball (0-0) at Coastal Carolina's Kickin' Chicken Classic
Schedule Friday, Feb. 8
vs. Illinois-Chicago, 11:45 a.m.
vs. Rider, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 9
at Coastal Carolina, 2 p.m.
vs. #8 Tennessee, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 10
vs. Rider, 9:15 a.m.
Location Conway, S.C. – St. John Stadium
Live Stats GoCCUSports.com
Twitter @BUGameDay | @TerrierSoftball

BOSTON – Selected to repeat as Patriot League tournament champions, the Boston University softball team will open the 2019 campaign against four opponents during the three-day Coastal Carolina Kickin' Chicken Classic starting Friday morning.

The Terriers will start off with two-time defending Horizon League champion Illinois-Chicago on Friday at 11:45 a.m. and then compete in the first of two games against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member Rider at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Terriers will meet the host Chanticleers at 2 p.m. and then No. 8-nationally ranked Tennessee at 6 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday against the Broncs at 9:15 a.m.

TERRIER TIDBITS
  • Named both 2018 PL and ECAC Coach of the Year, Ashley Waters returns for her fourth year at the helm, having led BU to a pair of NCAA regional berths and three PL championship round appearances ... The Terriers went 39-20 last season for the third most wins in program history, highlighted by a 15-3 mark in conference action.
  • The Terriers batted .291 and held opponents to .245 while posting a 73-37 advantage in stolen bases and leading the NCAA with 32 triples. 
  • BU lost four starters from the historic campaign that featured an upset win over then-No. 1 Oklahoma ... Emma Wong (.351, 52 R, 28 RBIs, 19 SBs), Brittany Younan (.315, 10 3Bs, 51 RBIs, 21 SBs), Jilee Schanda (.299, 11 2Bs, 8 3Bs, 34 RBIs) and Kaitlin Sahlinger (.278, 5 HRs, 27 RBIs) all graduated.
  • Reigning PL Player of the Year Alex Heinen is the top returner after batting .355 with 12 doubles, three triples, three homers and 50 RBIs ... She caught every pitch during the season as well.
  • Named to the All-PL Preseason Team alongside Heinen, 2018 PL Tournament MVP Madi Killebrew batted .310 with 15 doubles, four homers and 34 RBIs ... Seniors Emily Morrow (.287, 5 3Bs, 31 R) and Alexa Ponce (.223, 3 HRs, 31 RBIs) are two key returning starters in the lineup.
  • Reigning PL Pitcher and ECAC Rookie of the Year Ali DuBois was named a Preseason All-American after posting a 28-8 record last year with 192 strikeouts in 225.2 innings ... She tossed 11 solo shutouts, including an eight-inning no-hitter, and held opponents to .209 batting average.
  • Juniors Lizzie Annerino (3-3, 2.70 ERA) and Kali Magane (3-1, 3.67 ERA) both had six starts apiece last season in the circle.
  • BU welcomes six freshmen this season, including NFCA Second Team All-American Emily Gant, who batted .488 while posting a 0.52 ERA with 316 strikeouts at Central Crossing H.S. in Ohio.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Illinois-Chicago (Friday, 11:45 a.m.)
  • The two-time defending Horizon League champion Flames went 33-21 last season and finished 0-2 at the NCAA regionals with losses to Kentucky and Michigan.
  • IUC led the Horizon last year in batting average (.289), runs (246), RBIs (217), steals (104) and fielding percentage (.968) while also posting a conference low 3.31 ERA and opposing batting average of .262.
  • Reigning HL Player of the Year Lexi Watts batted .445 with 16 RBIs and 32 SBs ... Fellow All-League First Team honorees Kayla Wedl (.345 avg. 9 2Bs, 36 R) and Skylee James (.303 avg., 15 2Bs, 24 R) combined for 14 homers and 85 RBIs.
  • UIC returns its entire pitching staff, starting with Allie Trudeau (14-8, 2.85 ERA), who tallied 97 strikeouts against 80 walks in 137.2 innings … Karissa Frazier (11-5, 3.50 ERA) held opponents to a .246 average with 88 strikeouts in 122.0 innings.
  • UIC won the only meeting between the two schools, 3-0, in 2002 at a tournament in Columbus, Georgia.
Rider (Friday, 6:30 p.m. | Sunday, 9:15 a.m.)
  • The Broncs had a major turnaround last season, posting a 17-33 overall record and 8-12 MAAC record following a 6-44 (1-19 MAAC) performance in 2017.
  • Rider batted .273 with 91 extra-base hits, including 60 doubles, while holding opponents to .294 and 81 extra-base hits.
  • Maddy Chain batted a team-high .371 with 15 RBIs, and Elyse Cuttic (.310 avg.) recorded six homers and 33 RBIs.
  • Cuttic was also the team's top pitcher with an 8-16 record and 3.08 ERA … She finished with 53 strikeouts in 141.0 innings, while Emily Oltman (5-12, 4.88 ERA) had 91 strikeouts in 103.1 innings.
  • The teams are playing for the first time since 1997 when the Broncs defeated BU in a best-of-three NCAA play-in series (4-3, 0-9, 3-0).
Coastal Carolina (Saturday, 2:00 p.m.)
  • The Chanticleers claimed a 26-28 record last season and 9-17 mark in the Sun Belt Conference.
  • CCU batted .240 with 54 doubles and a staggering 75 homers while holding opponents to .251 and 39 homers total.
  • Courtney Dean was the lone Chanticleer to bat above .300 at .345 while tallying 15 homers and 39 RBIs … Kassidy Smith (.273) contributed 11 homers and 26 RBIs, while Natalie David (.237 avg.) and Alexis Alvino (.225 avg.) recorded eight homers apiece.
  • Ashley Guillette (14-13, 3.68 ERA) and Kaitlyn Beasley-Polko (12-14, 3.70 ERA) combined for all 54 starts with 24 complete-game performances … They totaled 267 strikeouts in 319.2 innings.
  • BU won the lone meeting, 7-1, in Clearwater, Florida, in 2012.
#8 Tennessee (Saturday, 6:30 p.m.)
  • The Volunteers went 48-14 (14-10 SEC) with a perfect 3-0 record in the NCAA regionals and 0-2 mark at Georgia in the super regionals.
  • Tennessee batted .306 as a team with 71 doubles and 52 homers while holding opponents to .212, 71 doubles and 44 homers.
  • A First Team All-American, Aubrey Leach led the SEC in both batting average (.447) and runs scored (79) while adding 25 RBIs … Chelsea Seggern (.330) is the top returning RBI leader with 66  after totaling 17 doubles, seven homers and three triples.
  • UT returns its top two pitchers, Caylan Arnold (26-6, 2.19 ERA) and Matty Moss (18-6, 2.36 ERA) … Arnold tallied 227 strikeouts in 217.0 innings, while Moss had 123 strikeouts in 151.0 innings.
  • The Vols beat BU, 9-0, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 2004, which is the site of where the Terriers defeated then-No. 1 Oklahoma last season.
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