C of C Cougar Classic
Feb. 22-24
Patriots Point Athletics Complex - Mt. Pleasant, SC
Live Stats
Video Stream - Friday 2:00 pm game vs. College of Charleston
Audio Stream - Saturday 10:00 am game vs. South Carolina
Mt. Pleasant, SC - The Wagner College softball team opens the 2013 season this weekend in the Palmetto State, playing six games in three days at the C of C Cougar Classic, hosted by the College of Charleston.
The Seahawks will play the host Cougars on Friday at 2:00 pm, followed by a 4:00 game against Charleston Southern. On Saturday, Wagner faces South Carolina of the SEC at 10:00 am before facing C of C at 12:00 pm. The weekend concludes with two more games on Sunday, as the Green & White face Radford at 10:00 am before another matchup with Charleston Southern at 12:00 pm.
Friday's games have been moved up due to impending weather in the Charleston area. The 2:00 pm Friday game vs. C of C will be streamed via the Cougars' website. Saturday's 10:00 am game vs. South Carolina will have a live audio stream.
Below is a season outlook on the 2013 Seahawks:
The Wagner College softball team returns to the diamond for the 2013 season under the direction of
Glen Payne, the winningest coach in program history. Payne returns to the helm for an 18th season, joined by two new assistant coaches:
John Pisano and
Ashley Olsen. Olsen joins the coaching staff after a standout career as a two-sport athlete at Wagner, as the former Seahawk softball and basketball player will be a part of Payne's staff on her native Staten Island.
Schedule
The Seahawks open a 51-game slate on Feb. 22, as the Green & White embark on a schedule with the first 21 games in the Southeastern United States. After mid-March, however, Wagner will enjoy the comfort of the Grymes Hill campus, with 20 of the Seahawks' remaining 30 games being played at home.
Wagner plays six games in the month of February at the C of C Cougar Classic from Feb. 22-24, hosted by the College of Charleston. The Seahawks will play the host Cougars in their first game on Feb. 22 before a contest later in the day against Charleston Southern. The second day features games against South Carolina of the SEC and College of Charleston, before the Seahawks take on Radford and Charleston Southern on the third day.
The Seahawks return to the South for 15 games in the Sunshine State from Mar. 8-16. The first three days will be played in the Tampa area at the USF Under Armour Showcase, hosted by Big East competitor South Florida. The first day features games against Central Michigan and Chattanooga, and will be followed the next day by games against Boston University and the host Bulls of USF. On Mar. 10, the Seahawks have one game, playing Toledo to conclude the invitational.
Following the three-day USF games, Wagner travels east on Interstate 4 to Kissimmee, FL, for the Rebel Spring Games. The Seahawks play 10 games over six days, beginning with two contests on Mar. 11, when the Green & White face Army and Saint Peter's. Following an off day, Wagner returns to action on Mar. 13 with games against Youngstown State and Utah Valley. The following day's doubleheader consists of games vs. Butler and Lehigh, before a pair of Friday morning games on Mar. 15 against New York City foe Columbia and Rider. The final day of the Rebel Games features contests against Green Bay and North Dakota.
Northeast Conference play begins the following week, with the first two of 20 home games taking place in a doubleheader against Central Connecticut on Mar. 23. The Seahawks will play Friday and Saturday the following weekend, in games on Mar. 29 and 30 at Sacred Heart and Bryant.
A pair of home, non-conference doubleheaders follow the Bryant game, as Wagner will see Saint Peter's again on Apr. 3, before hosting Temple the following afternoon. That weekend, Mount St. Mary's (Apr. 6) and Monmouth (Apr. 7) visit Staten Island.
Yale will come to town Apr. 10 for a doubleheader, leading up to a doubleheader against another Nutmeg State opponent in Quinnipiac on Apr. 13. The following day, the Seahawks travel to LIU Brooklyn.
Wagner will host Lafayette for a doubleheader on Apr. 18 before the Seahawks head west, playing at Saint Francis U (Apr. 20) and Robert Morris (Apr. 21). Wagner returns home for its final four games of the season, hosting Manhattan for a doubleheader on Apr. 24 and concluding NEC regular season play on Apr. 28 with two games against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Pitchers
Wagner returns its top three pitchers in appearances from year ago, who combined to start 47 of the Seahawks' 52 contests. Sophomore
Samantha Bedker (Phoenix, AZ/ Sandra Day O'Connor), who led the Green & White in appearances and starts in her first year on Grymes Hill, will look to further her game with a year of collegiate experience under her belt. Fellow second-year Seahawk
Olivia Zwick (Surrey, British Columbia/ Earl Marriott), who led Wagner in ERA a season ago, will also contribute to the pitching staff, along with senior
Judy Betz (Ashburn, VA/ Broad Run), who continues to climb the Seahawks' all-time record lists.
Catchers/Infielders
The Seahawks placed two infielders on the All-Northeast Conference Second Team a season ago, as senior
Brittany Huss (Anthem, AZ/ Boulder Creek) and junior
Kristen Matteoni (Reno, NV/ Galena) look to use their veteran experience to help guide the Seahawk offense. Huss hit .340 in 2012 and posted a .434 OBP, both marks good for first on the team. Matteoni (.306 AVG, .399 OBP) was second on the Seahawks in both categories, and was tied for the team lead with seven home runs.
Junior
MacKenzie Alfaro (Riverside, CA/ Riverside) will join Huss and Matteoni in the Seahawk lineup once again after hitting .305 as a sophomore, while posting a .388 OBP. Sophomore
Kelsey Parker (Lynnwood, WA/ Lynnwood) impressed in her first year on Grymes Hill, posting a .297 AVG while tying for the team lead with seven home runs, driving in a team-best 35 RBI and recording a team-high 14 doubles. Sophomore
Jessica Albarran (Corona, CA/ Eleanor Roosevelt) was also a solid contributor to the Seahawk lineup in her first season, hitting .291 with 11 doubles and 20 RBI.
A sophomore and three freshmen will also look to contend for increased roles in the Seahawk lineup, as sophomore
Beth Lewis (Ashburn, VA/ Stone Bridge), along with first-year Seahawks
Hailee Renkers (Surrey, British Columbia/ Earl Marriott),
Brenda Bott (Fountain Valley, CA/ Fountain Valley) and
Megan Moore (Pottstown, PA/ Owen J. Roberts) will look to contribute for Wagner in 2013.
Outfielders
Wagner will look to replace two starting outfielders from a year ago in
Ashley Olsen and
Vanessa Lenart. The pair of now-graduated Seahawks led Wagner in games played and at-bats from outfielders in 2012. The Seahawks return two players who saw regular time in the outfield a year ago, as senior
Carley Nicoletti (Plainville, NY/ C.W. Baker) and junior
Taylor Rauscher (Peoria, AZ/ Sunrise Mountain) will look for additional at-bats in 2013.
Sophomore
Cara Donovan (Centreville, VA/ Centreville), freshman
Abigail Beasley (Peoria, AZ/ Centennial) and Renkers will also contend for time in the Seahawk outfield.
