After missing out last weekend due to field conditions, the George Mason softball team officially kicks off its 2010 campaign this Saturday at the two-day George Mason Invitational. Mason will play host to Bucknell, Cornell and Marist on Saturday and Sunday, with each team playing four games. A full tournament schedule and Gametracker links for each game can be found at the link above.

Admission to all of the games at George Mason Softball Complex is free.

The 2010 season presents a number of challenges and opportunities for the George Mason softball team, but one of the key factors that has been absent in recent years is the Patriots' depth across the roster. With 11 newcomers joining head coach Joe Verbanic's squad this year, the sixth-year skipper believes his team will be in position to challenge for a spot among the Colonial Athletic Association's top teams.

"If we can get in to that conference tournament, there is no doubt that it will be an excellent season," said Verbanic. "Without a doubt, it starts in the circle. We've got to get good pitching. No team has ever made it into the conference tournament or any postseason play without pitching."

Along with the exciting crop of newcomers, a strong veteran corps anchored by Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidate Becky Anderson will be relied upon heavily. Anderson, who ranks among the top pitchers in the CAA, will begin her fourth year in the circle as the team's ace.

"Becky has, in the three years that she's been here, has set a standard pitching-wise that we can come to expect. When she is out there in the circle, we can compete with anybody in America."

Joining Anderson in the pitcher's circle with experience under her belt is sophomore Miranda Cranford. Cranford, who is also one of the team's more potent long-ball hitters, was an All-CAA Second Team selection in 2009 with 19 stars and a 7-8 record while compiling a 3.21 ERA.

"She's got better control of her pitches, has more pitches she now feels more comfortable with and has grown up a lot from her freshman to sophomore year, which you need to do to compete at a higher level," said Verbanic.

In the infield, Verbanic has the luxury of three returning starters who are versatile to play any number of positions. Alyssa See will begin the season at second base after starting every game last season, the only Patriot to do so. The left side of the infield is composed of sophomores Tori Dudley and Rachael Davies, both of whom can play either position in addition to their prowess at the plate. With the experience, though, Verbanic knows he has a talented crop of newcomers who will challenge for playing time.

"Both Tori and Rachael have been playing very, very well," he explained. "They both have grown tremendously as players, but again, they both have a little different strengths when it comes to playing the [shortstop] position. We've got more infielders, too, than we've had in my whole time being here. This is the best infield depth I've ever had."

Behind the plate, junior Kara Weiner is the Patriots' most experienced backstop and with the crucial nature of her position, she along with sophomore Morgan Davis and freshman Emily Lafferty will comprise the catching corps.

"Catching is a position that you can never have enough quality backstops," Verbanic said. "The position is just so critical in helping your pitchers be successful and the defense of your team run smoothly. Those kids that end up in that spot can have a huge impact on your season and your team."

After losing two starters in the outfield following last season, veterans Kate Bustin, Stephanie Strother and Caitlin Stauffer will battle with a number of first-year players to crack the lineup on a day-to-day basis.

"It's going to be a challenging decision-making process because we do have a lot of young talented individuals that we're going to want to see to try and put that best lineup on the field in a couple of different ways," Verbanic said.

Dudley and Davis, two of Mason's top three returning hitters, will anchor the Patriots' offense while the incoming freshman will be looked upon to fill out the lineup and provide offensive production across the order.

"I think we've got kids now who can come in and have good at-bats against good pitching, against the kind of Division I pitching we see," Verbanic explained. "And, for the first time we've got depth. We're not trying to use seven or eight hitters and try and make it stretch out into nine. We're going to have 12-14 kids who can consistently swing the bat to choose from to put in to this lineup."

Although Mason's schedule has already been affected by the cancellation of the Patriot Classic last weekend, Verbanic believes that this year's March slate of games will help prepare for the grueling CAA portion of the schedule. Mason will not leave the friendly confines of its home field until April, and will look to build towards a run at the CAA Championship, which the top four teams advance to following the regular season.

"The key for us has always been: what kind of defensive team are we going to be? Are we going to be to not be able to give the other team extra outs which leads to cheap runs?" Verbanic said. "If we can be a defensive team that can control the game and limit runs, I don't think there is any limit to what this team can be."