SOFTBALL HEADS TO FORT MYERS FOR FLORIDA GULF COAST TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND
February 26, 2009
SOFTBALL HEADS TO FORT MYERS FOR FLORIDA GULF COAST TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University softball team heads back down south for their second tournament of the year, as they will be participating in the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida this weekend. The Bulldogs will be looking for their first Division I victory after going 0-5 at the Centenary Tournament in Shreveport, Louisiana back on February 6-8 in their first action of the year.
There will be five games on the table for Bryant, as the squad takes on Dartmouth, Colgate twice, Saint Francis (PA) and the host team, Florida Gulf Coast. The Big Green of Dartmouth have finished second to Harvard in the Ivy League the past two seasons, finishing with a 13-25 record last year while going 9-11 in league contests. Fifteen players will be returning for head coach Christine Vogt along with four newcomers.
The Raiders of Colgate have been picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League after finishing last season with a 7-13 record in the conference and 10-23 overall, after winning the Patriot League title back in 2007. Head coach Jim Flowers has led the Raiders to 15 Patriot League tournament appearances, including four-straight losses in the championship from 2003-2006.
Saint Francis (PA), a future Northeast Conference foe for the Bulldogs, has been picked to finish fourth in the NEC and has started the season with one win and four losses, grabbing its first win of the year last time out against Seton Hall. The Red Flash were 24-33 last year while posting an 11-6 record in the conference. Sabrina Lane enters her third year as head coach and was the 2008 NEC Coach of the Year.
Having already played 15 games this season, the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast University have won 11 games in 2009 and were picked to finish second Atlantic Sun Conference behind USC-Upstate. The Eagles boast preseason conference Player of the Year, Cheyenne Jenks who hit .398 in 2008 with 16 homeruns and an Atlantic Sun Conference record 73 RBI. This season, Jenks has started off by hitting .488 with five dingers and 21 RBI, helping Florida Gulf Coast to some impressive wins including beating number 13 DePaul.
The Bulldogs will look to continue to make strides both in the field and at the plate after hitting .073 in their first five games with 11 errors. Kim Breton (Leominster, Mass.) leads the team with a .250 average while Kate Thomas (Bedford, N.H.) and Ashley Coon (Levittown, Pa.) each have two hits. Coon has driven in the lone run with a homerun against Nicholls State. Samantha Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) has started all five games on the mound, striking out 17 batters in 27 innings of work.
Bryant will play one last tournament after the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament, as they will participate in the Rebel Games taking place during spring break from March 8 through March 13.
