With the 2014 George Mason softball season less than a week away, head coach Joe Verbanic and the team are eager to get the season underway. “We are excited to get out and start playing,” said Verbanic. “We are better than we've ever been.”
Switching conferences to the A-10 presents a new challenge for the team, but it is a challenge the team looks forward to. “I am very excited to be joining the A-10,” stated senior outfielder, Tiffany Webb. “I am excited to have new competition” and “to face new challenges.”
Webb believes that George Mason is “coming in as the underdog” and that “the other A-10 softball teams could be nervous.” And for good reason; the Patriots only lost three players from last year, and have a total of 18 returning. “We have the majority of our starters returning” and have “high expectations” because of it, says Verbanic. “We are better at every phase of the game.”
Sophomore Christina Gabriele has simple goals that could be reiterated for most of the team, “play well and win.” Gabriel is also excited about the new conference, stating that “starting fresh in a new conference is going to be a positive experience for the team.”
The Patriots begin their season on the road when they travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina for the USC Upstate Tournament on Saturday, February 15. The Green and Gold will open against Presbyterian, followed by: USC Upstate, and Appalachian State. Mason's first home game will be on Tuesday, February 18, when they face UMBC at 2:30 p.m. The Patriots will open A-10 play when they travel to Saint Joseph's for a double header on March 22.
Pitching: The Patriots will have their entire pitching staff returning for the 2014 season. Anna Blessing, who led Mason last season with a 1.74 ERA, will return to the mound. Casey Herring, Christina Gabriele, Sarah Kleinfelter, and Stephanie Maher also will be back, forming a very strong pitching staff. Maher, a senior, brings a lot of experience to the mound, pitching in 18 games last season. Kleinfelter and Gabriele, both just sophomores, look to build on their great freshmen seasons, playing in combined 32 games. Herring, a junior, had a low 2.84 ERA and added four wins.
Infield: After receiving All-CAA first-team honors in 2012, and 2013, Brooke Blankenship will anchor this year's infield. Blankenship led the Patriots with a .307 batting average, 5 homeruns, and 35 RBI. At catcher, Angela Maioran returns after playing in 41 games last season. Pushing Maioran at catcher will be sophomore, Katie Kitts, who played in eight games last season. Senior, Lauren McColgan started in 47 games in the 2013 season, and posted a .953 fielding percentage. Shortstop Mary O'Connor also returns for the Green and Gold. O'Connor has appeared in a combined 81 games the last two seasons. Sophomore, Breanna Boyd adds some versatility to the Patriot squad. Boyd is able to play second base, catcher or in the outfield. Sophomore Casey Price started in 45 games last season for the Patriots and is making the move to first base for the Patriots.
George Mason also has some very talented freshman coming into the team this year, including: Karinne Kelly, Heather Ferguson, Marisa Wakely, McKenzie Jones, and Katherine Marsh.
Outfield: The Patriots have six very talented outfielders returning from the 2013 season. Julia Czarnecki, just a sophomore, led the team with 21 runs last season. Also returning is junior, Cori Prince. Prince played in 37 games for the Green and Gold in the 2013 season. Emily Simon returns and appeared in 11 games last season for George Mason as well. Lindsay Merriken, making the switch from infield to outfield, only played in 22 games last season, but finished with a .375 batting average on eight attempts. Sarah Solano played in 14 games in the 2013 season and finished with a .241 batting average. Senior, Tiffany Webb rounds out the outfielders for the Patriots. Webb was second on the team with a .255 batting average, and was tied for a team-high eight stolen bases.
