SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team hits the road for the first time for the 2022 season this weekend. The Irish are slated to play five games in Charlotte, N.C. as part of the Green and Gold Classic, hosted by Charlotte at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium.
The season begins early Friday morning with a 10 a.m. first pitch against the Bucknell Bison. Following that matchup, the Irish will take on the Boston University Terriers. Saturday’s contests will see the Irish take on the same two squads beginning at 10 a.m. with the Terriers, and ending the day with a 5:30 p.m. matchup with the Bison. The weekend closes with a noon first pitch against the host 49ers. Live stats will be available for all five games, with an audio broadcast available for the matchup with Charlotte.
The Irish return seven of nine position players from last year’s NCAA Regional Final squad. The Pitching is highlighted by graduate student and two-time team captain Alexis Holloway and senior Payton Tidd. Freshman Shannon Becker had a highly decorated prep career as she looks to transition that game to the college level.
The outfield is solidified with the trio of Abby Sweet, Emma Clark and Leea Hanks. These were the top three hitters for an Irish team that led the ACC with a .299 team batting average in 2021 and combined to steal 57 bases. Macie Eck and Emily Tran also provide depth for this elite unit.
The infield sees the biggest turnover as half the starters from the 2021 squad have graduated. Karina Gaskins made an impact as a freshman, leading the team with 10 home runs in her first season as she earned second team All-ACC honors and was on the ACC All-Freshman team. Sarah Genz was a captain on last year’s team and is a consistent defender and regularly produces quality at bats. Bryn Boznanski is a sophomore who had limited playing time a year ago but put together a consistent fall.
The middle infield will see a combination of players over the first weekend. Expected contributors are senior Quinn Biggio, juniors Brook Marquez and Miranda Johnson, sophomore Mac Vasquez, freshmen Anna Holloway and Jane Kronenberger.
Cassidy Grimm and Joley Mitchell will see time at third base. Grimm is a quality defender with a solid offensive approach. Mitchell is dependable in the field and brings an extra level of pop to the plate.
Behind the plate, Shelby Grimm has been a constant in the lineup with her superb defensive prowess. Carlli Kloss, also a part time outfielder, is slated to be the secondary catcher after starting 15 games last year. Rachel Allen and Mikayla LaPlaca add depth to the catching corps.
Bucknell finished 2021 with a 12-18-1 record. The teams were scheduled to meet in 2021, but the tournament was canceled. This will be the first meeting between the two programs. Senior infielder Nicol Rivait is a player to watch for Bucknell. Rivait is a preseason All-Patriot League honoree after hitting for a .387 average in 21 games last season. She added four home runs and drove in 19.
The Terriers are the top dog in the Patriot League’s Preseason poll, led by Preseason Player of the Year Caitlin Coker. Coker, a junior infielder, hit for a .403 average starting all 40 of BU’s games in 2021. She added eight doubles, three triples and a homer while stealing a team-best 17 bases. Emily Gant earned preseason All-Patriot League honors as well. Gant is a utility player that hit for a .387 average with a pair of home runs and 23 RBI. In the circle, she made 15 appearances and eight starts, earning a 1.18 ERA in 47.1 innings of work.
Charlotte was picked to take Conference USA in the league’s preseason poll after finishing 2021 31-19. The 49er’s Bailey Vannoy was picked as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year and was named to the Preseason All-Conference team for the third-straight season. Vannoy led the team with a .387 average, 23 doubles and 13 home runs while driving in 36. Joining Vannoy on the preseason all-conference team are Kourtney Gremillion and Cori Henderson. Henderson played all 50 games at shortstop in her first season in 2021, hitting for a .333 average. Gremillion hit for a .294 average with six home runs and 43 RBI.
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