Softball | 2/7/2019 4:46:00 PM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – After taking one-out-of-two from No. 6-ranked Angelo State last week at the Florida Tech Invite, the Buccaneers look to start off their 2019 home campaign on the right foot. Barry (1-3) also played No. 18 Palm Beach Atlantic last week in Melbourne, who won the Sunshine State Conference in 2018. On Friday, the East Stroudsburg Warriors head south from Pennsylvania and play two games against the Bucs. Then, on Saturday, the Emporia State Hornets come to town for a pair starting at 2:00 PM on Buccaneer field.
All games can be seen on the SSC Digital Network and live stats are available as well.
WARRIORS, COME OUT AND PLAYYYYYYY
ESU returns five starting position players and its entire rotation from a team which finished two games out of a PSAC postseason spot last spring. The Warriors closed out the year strong, winning three of their final four conference matchups, and they will enter this season looking to make their first playoff appearance since 2015. ESU was projected to finish fifth in the East standings in the preseason coaches' poll released last week. The Warriors will need to beat that prediction by two spots to make their return to the PSAC tournament.
"I think we have a very talented team this season," Warriors fourth year head coach Jaime Wohlbach said. "We're young, but this could be the most athletic group that I've coached here. I like what I've seen in practice so far."
HORNETS NEST
Emporia State's season came to an end on May 13, 2018 in the NCAA Division II Central Region Championship. ESU comes off their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth MIAA tournament title in 2018. The Hornets had a historic run during the conference tournament after becoming the first #8 seed to win the first three games of the tournament. They are the only #8 seed to win the MIAA Tournament Championship. The Hornets were slated for eighth in the MIAA Preseason Poll with on first place vote. They return two All-MIAA players in Destiny Ojigoh, a utility/pitcher and Kenzie Garvin, an outfielder.
