The College of Staten Island softball team is getting set to introduce their 2019 campaign today, playing the first two games of an eight-game set under the sunny Florida skies as part of The Spring Games. Today, CSI takes on Nebraska-Wesleyan at 9:30am, and then after a break, take on Bowdoin College at 2:00pm. It will be the official intro for the team as they embark on a trek that will lead to the pursuit of their seventh-straight CUNYAC title by early May.
CSI vs. NEBRASKA-WESLEYAN / BOWDOIN
Matchup: College of Staten Island (0-0) vs. NE-Wesleyan (3-3) / Bowdoin (0-0)
Where: The Spring Games –
Live Video: FloSoftball (Subscription)
Live Stats: https://csidolphins.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary (link is the same for all games)
All-Time Series: First Meeting against either team
Players to Watch (CSI): The Dolphins will be looking to junior Patricia Riches to add to her incredible resume this season. She batted a team-best .473 last year, also leading the Dolphins in hits (53), doubles (18), walks (10), and stolen bases (7). The Dolphins also return big hitter Antoinette Galbo, who batted a healthy .361 a season ago. Christina Cerverizzo batted a career-best .323 last year as well and will look to build on a quality campaign in the outfield. The Dolphins are hoping for a few of their first-year faces to make an impact. Look for players like Sierra Kaplanek, Samantha MacPherson, Claudia Porcaro, and pitcher Jaclyn Kateridge to have a healthy impact on the team this season.
Players to Watch (NEW): Through six games, the Wolves have a set of players doing a host of damage at the plate. Morgan Shipley is batting a whopping .524, scattering 11 hits in 21 at-bats, while Payton Swanson is right behind her, batting an even .500 with eight hits in 16 at-bats. Alicia Perrirn has smacked a pair of doubles, batting .462, while both Rachel Mundt and Danelle Snyder lead the team with three extra-bases apiece. In the circle, look for Kailey Meyer to showcase, as she is 2-2 so far with a team-best 2.69 ERA.
Players to Watch (BOW): Senior catcher Claire McCarthy was named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-NESCAC accolades. Classmate Lauren O’Shea was also named First Team All-NESCAC. Junior Caroline Rice earned Second Team honors. McCarthy and O’Shea were both named All-Region selections. Look for all of their players to make significant contributions as they look to recapture their great 2018 form when they kick off their season today.
News & Notes: Both the Dolphins and Bears are debuting today while Nebraska – Wesleyan already has eight games under their belt. The NEW softball team was picked to finish 4th in the 2019 preseason American Rivers Conference Coaches’ poll and are looking to build on a 22-18 overall season a year ago. They boast five upperclassmen on their roster of 21 players, with seven new faces donning their roster. For Bowdoin, the Bears enjoyed another successful season, making the NESCAC tournament for the sixth time in seven years and the championship game for the third time in program history. The Polar Bears owned a 9-3 conference record after opening the season with a 13-3 spring break mark. They boast three seniors on their roster of 13 with three new faces as well.
