STANDISH, Maine – The Saint Joseph's College softball team, led by co-head coaches Jamie Smyth '92 and Dick Bailey, will kick off the 2017 season with 10 games in the Citrus Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida next week.

OVERVIEW:

The Monks are slated to play 38 games this spring, including 22 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contests and 14 tilts at Richard W. Bailey Field

SEASON OPENER: vs. #2 St. John Fisher – Sunday, March 5th @ 1:15 PM

NEW ENGLAND OPENER: @ University of New England (DH) – Wednesday, March 22nd @ 3:00 PM

HOME @ GNAC OPENER: vs. Simmons College (DH) – Sunday, March 26th @ 12:00 PM

REGULAR SEASON FINALE: vs. Lasell College (DH) – Saturday, April 29th @ 12:00 PM

NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS: 

• #2 St. John Fisher (3/5, 1:15 PM) – 2016 NCAA DIII Championship Runner-up
• #12 WPI (3/6, 11:00 AM & 3/10, 1:15 PM)
• #16 Coe College (3/8, 3:30 PM)

KEY GNAC MATCHUP: @ Johnson & Wales University (DH) – Saturday, April 22nd @ 12:00 PM – 2015 & 2016 GNAC Champion

OTHER NOTABLE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES:

• @ University of Southern Maine (DH) – Monday, April 10th @ 3:30 PM
• vs. Bowdoin College (DH) – Tuesday, April 18th @ 5:30 PM

COVERAGE: All games played in Florida and at home – and most if not all away games - will feature live online stats (check schedule for links) and all home contests will be streamed live – free and in HD – at www.gomonks.tv

OUTLOOK:

CAPTAINS: SeniorsCasidee Couture, Mariah Harrison, Kylie McFadden, Jennifer Murphy, and Carla Tripp

RETURNING STARTERS (6):

• CF Carla Tripp '17 (.397, 19 runs, 5 SB)
• C/DH Jennifer Murphy '17 (.394, 7 2B, 26 RBI)
• 3B Mariah Harrison '17 (.328, 23 runs, 24 2B, 2 HR, 22 RBI)
• 1B/OF Melodie Bailey '19 (.328, 18 runs, 9 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBI)
• SS Meghan Elliott '19 (.295, 31 runs, 7 2B, 14 RBI, 9 SB)
• DP Kristal Smith '19 (.247, 3 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI)
• OF/2B Katie Chadbourne '19 (.164, 10 runs, 3 SB)

STARTERS LOST (2):

• LF Megen Pollini '16 (.298, 14 runs, 8 2B, 14 RBI, 5 SB)
• 1B Melissa Mayhew '16 (.279, 11 runs, 2 HR, 17 RBI)

RETURNING PITCHERS (2):

• Kristal Smith '19 (9-7, 1.70 ERA, 102.2 IP, 75 K, 24 BB)
• Kylie McFadden '17 (8-5, 2.49 ERA, 90 IP, 49K, 15 BB)

PITCHERS LOST (1):

• Erica Boulanger '16 (4-5, 5.16 ERA, 58.1 IP, 45 K, 12 BB)

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:

• 2B Libby Pomerleau '20 (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy)
• P Kate Whitney '20 (Jonesboro, Maine/Ellsworth)
• 3B/OF Kaylee Burns '20 (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy)
• C Laurel Grigalunas-Mahon '20 (Hingham, Mass./Hingham)

#GOMONKS 

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.