Bucs to take part in Bash in the Boro
STATESBORO, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2022) – The Belinda Hendrix era has begun! ETSU Softball is set to square off in the Bash in the Boro in Statesboro, Ga. to kick start the 2022 campaign. The season-opening tournament will run from Friday, Feb. 11 – Sunday, Feb. 13 and will feature five games for the Buccaneers.
TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, Feb. 11 – Sunday, Feb. 13
Location: Statesboro, Ga. | Eagle Field
Teams: ETSU (0-0), Binghamton (0-0), Georgia Southern (0-0), Radford (0-0)
Weather: Friday (High 70; Low 41 – Sunny); Saturday (High 71; Low 46 – Sunny); Sunday (High 60; Low 32 – Sunny)
Live Stats: gseagles.com (live stats found on Tournament Central page)
Live Video: ESPN+ (vs. Georgia Southern ONLY)
Twitter Updates: @ETSUSoftball
New Faces
Not only are the Bucs under new guidance from within the dugout, ETSU also features nine new faces on the roster. ETSU welcomed transfers: Whitley Arnott (China Grove, N.C.), Amber Atkins (South Pittsburg, Tenn.), Sara Muir (Sequatchie, Tenn.) and Riley Tucker (Mount Pleasant, N.C.). In addition, the Bucs added five freshman: Emily Glasscock (Danville, Ky.), Riley Nayadley (Ooltewah, Tenn.), Kendall Pitts (Maryville, Tenn.), Savannah Ricketts (Hixon, Tenn.), and Cameron Young (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Preseason All-SoCon
The Bucs were highlighted in the preseason by Kelly Warren (Mechanicsville, Va.) and Andrea Sarhatt (Knoxville, Tenn.). Warren is the leading returner in batting average, hitting .244 last spring with 22 hits in 90 appearances. Warren was tabbed to the Preseason All-SoCon First Team for the third consecutive season. Meanwhile, Sarhatt made her second consecutive appearance on the Preseason All-SoCon Second Team. Sarhatt batted .226 in the spring with 19 hits and 11 runs scored.
Series History
First on the docket for the Bucs will be Radford on Friday at 1:30 p.m. ETSU is 14-20 all-time against the Highlanders, including 0-5 when squaring off on neutral grounds. Despite the overall mark, ETSU has claimed three of the last four meetings with Radford, including earning a doubleheader split on March 16, 2021. The Bucs dominated the Highlanders in game one by the final of 9-1, before pulling off a come-from-behind win in game two. Kasidy Dunn (Friendsville, Tenn.) blasted a game-tying homer in the bottom of the 7th inning to send the game into extra innings. Julia Fritz then ended the game with a two-run, walk-off blast in the bottom of the 10th.
ETSU and Binghamton will square off for the first time in program history on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. before battling it out again on Sunday at 9 a.m.
The Bucs’ final contest will be against Georgia Southern on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ETSU is 8-11 all-time against the Eagles, including 2-6 when playing at Eagle Field. Georgia Southern claimed the last battle by the final of 9-3 on Feb. 8, 2020 in Statesboro, Ga. The Eagles have won four of the last five against the Bucs.
Rallying against Radford
Radford enters the season under new guidance as Alisa Tasler took over as head coach. The Highlanders were slated to finish fifth in the Big South this season and will lean on veterans: Jessie Marvin, Lindsay Hunter and Hannah Morris. Marvin returns as the leader in the circle with an 11-16 overall record in 2021 with a 3.65 ERA in 31 appearances. Marvin pitched 168.2 innings of work and struck out 95 batters. Hunter batted. 164 in the spring season, while Morris tallied a .143 average.
Battling Binghamton
The Bearcats are led by Jess Bump who begins her first year as head coach. Binghamton returns Marissa Braito, Makayla Alvarez and Sophia Pappas who each earned America East All-Conference honors last season. Alvarez led Binghamton last season with a .350 batting average, while adding three long balls and 11 RBIs. The Bearcats were picked to finish fourth in the America East this spring.
Getting to Know Georgia Southern
The Eagles enter the season having been picked eighth in the preseason Sun Belt standings. Faith Shirley earned preseason All-Sun Belt Conference honors after hitting .304 with 13 doubles, nine homers and 25 RBIs last season. Kyleigh Richardson returns as the top performer in the circle with a 3.59 ERA in 66.1 innings of work.
Keeping up with the Bucs
For complete information on ETSU softball, follow the program via social media on Twitter (@ETSUSoftball), Instagram (@etsubucssoftball) and Facebook (@BucSoftball). For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the softball link.
