Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason University softball team will begin their 2016 campaign in Madeira Beach, Fla., where it will participate in the Madeira Beach Spring Invitational hosted by Eastern Michigan.
The Patriots will begin play Friday, Feb. 19 against Siena at 11:00 a.m. and then face assistant coach Caitlyn de la Haba's alma mater Villanova at 1:30 p.m. On Saturday, Mason will take the field against Manhattan at 11 a.m. before a late-afternoon game against Providence at 4 p.m. The Patriots will finish the invitational when they play the hosts, Eastern Michigan, at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Mason finished last season 21-27 overall and 11-12 in Atlantic 10 play. The Patriots entered the 2015 A-10 Championship as the fifth seed and fell just one win short of advancing to the Championship round against eventual champion Fordham.
Key contributors returning for the Patriots this season include sophomore second baseman Liz Seymour, senior outfielder Casey Price, and senior pitcher Sarah Kleinfelter.
Seymour led the Patriots with a .387 batting average (minimum 10 games played) and had a slash line of .387/.434/.601. The sophomore figures to be a vital part of Mason's offensive output this season.
While Seymour tries to transition from second base to shortstop this season, the rest of the Patriot infield is still in-flux. What the Patriots may lack in experience, they make up for with talent and depth. The invitational will allow head coach Joe Verbanic an opportunity to tweak his batting lineup as well as tinker with where the players will line-up in the field.
One newcomer to pay attention to is freshman Samantha Zaccari. Zaccari has impressed the coaching staff in the off-season with her hitting and if she can get acclimated quick enough to the college game, she has a chance to start meaningful games for the Patriots at first base this season.
Another important player to watch is junior utility infielder McKenzie Jones. Jones will need to be ready and able to play several different positions in the infield due to different matchups or if unforeseen injuries occur. The junior was third on the team last year with 68 assists and her versatility should earn her valuable playing time.
Anchoring the team's defense will be two catchers, senior Katie Kitts and sophomore Brooke Sullivan who split time behind the plate last season. Considering both catchers have experience working with the staff's ace in Kleinfelter, there shouldn't be as steep of a learning curve going into the new season.
As for the pitching staff, Mason will look to Kleinfelter to set the tone from the first game going forward. Mason's staff will include two talented incoming freshman in Marina Vitalich and freshman Gabriella Lopez. Kleinfelter led the team a season ago with a 3.51 ERA and finished the year with an overall win/loss record of 5-6.
The senior from Warrenton, Va. will look to lead by example and lend a helping hand to her new bullpen mates.
Mason's outfield should be the strength of the squad with three seniors slated to start the season. Mason will roll out two four-year starters in Price and Julia Czarnecki, along with senior Sarah Solano, who is looking to continue to perfect her offensive prowess.
Last year Czarnecki and Price started and played in each of the team's 52 games. Both Patriots being able to replicate that durability will be paramount to the club's overall success.
After a cold winter, the Patriots are ready to take to the field in sunny Florida and show everyone the skills that they've been harnessing all off-season. With five games in three days, Mason will look to get hot early and carry that momentum, and heat, back to Fairfax for the Patriot Classic in early March.
