MASON (0-0, 0-0 A-10) at Jacksonville (0-0, 0-0 ASUN) @ River City Leadoff
WHEN:  7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10 AND 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11 
WHERE: Debbie and Fred Pruitt Softball Complex, Jacksonville, Fla.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Series tied 1-1
LIVE STATS: Friday – JUDolphins.com; Saturday – JUDolphins.com

MASON (0-0, 0-0 A-10) vs College of Charleston (0-0, 0-0 CAA) @ River City Leadoff
WHEN:  9:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 11 AND 9:30 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 12 
WHERE: Debbie and Fred Pruitt Softball Complex, Jacksonville, Fla.
ALL-TIME SERIES: College of Charleston leads 5-2
LIVE STATS: Saturday – JUDolphins.com; Sunday – JUDolphins.com

MASON (0-0, 0-0 A-10) vs Appalachian State (0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) @ River City Leadoff
WHEN:  12 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12 
WHERE: Debbie and Fred Pruitt Softball Complex, Jacksonville, Fla.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mason leads 1-0
LIVE STATS: JUDolphins.com FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University's softball team escaped cold and snowy northern Virginia just in time and headed to Florida to begin the 2017 season at the River City Leadoff hosted by Jacksonville University.

Mason returns to the Debbie and Fred Pruitt Softball Complex after splitting a doubleheader there last season for its only meetings with the Dolphins so far. In addition to two games against the host, head coach Joe Verbanic's team will square off with the College of Charleston twice and complete the three-day opening weekend with a contest against Appalachian State.

The Patriots begin the new campaign as one of the youngest squads in the nation with only three upperclassmen on the 23-player roster. After losing seven players from last season's squad, Verbanic and second-season assistant Caitlyn de la Haba welcomed 12 newcomers in the offseason to add to the team's youth. In 2016 the Patriots proved that youth can make immediate impact as two freshmen – pitcher Marina Vitalich and first baseman Samantha Zaccari – earned All-Rookie Team honors. In addition, Vitalich made Second Team All-Conference after pitching 148 innings with 1.75 ERA and 174 strikeouts in her first season. Recently, the San Pedro, Calif. was named among Fast Pitch News' preseason top 50 pitchers in the nation.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Jacksonville enters 2017 after a 28-30 campaign in 2016. The Dolphins advanced to the Atlantic Sun Championship, in which they posted a 1-2 record including a dramatic 11-inning victory over Stetson. Second Team All-ASUN selection Danielle Baker and fellow junior Allie McCourt will likely lead the team's offense after the graduation of Victoria Brown, who recorded team-high four hits, two RBI, and three runs in the doubleheader against Mason last year. Baker and McCourt combined for 79 hits and 39 RBI in 2016 with the former also leading the Dolphins with 13 home runs.

The College of Charleston (35-23 overall) won seven of its last eight regular season games to complete conference play with an 11-9 record, which earned the Cougars the No. 3 seed in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. The team's run to the CAA title was ended by second-seeded Towson, which defeated the Cougars twice in the tournament, including a 12-1 blowout in the semifinal game. Charleston returns two of its 2016 NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region selections in junior Taylor DuPree and senior Samantha Martin. Among the first names on the lineup card, DuPree had a phenomenal sophomore season as a result of which she earned top-six spots in three all-time stat categories; batting average (.378), hits (73), and runs (46). Martin also earned her second All-Region honor after 14 wins in 30 appearances in the circle, an ERA of 2.64, and 114 strikeouts in 164.2 innings of work.

Appalachian State finished the 2016 season on a two-game winning streak but had a difficult campaign overall which materialized into an 11-45 overall record. Five of those losses came in the hands of top-10 teams Louisiana-Lafayette and Auburn. The Mountaineers won only two of 24 Sun Belt contests to finish the season in the last ninth place. App State returns three players who started all 56 games last season – senior Cara Parker, sophomore Jenny Dodd, and junior Tiffany Taynor. Parker had a team-best .346 average and led the Mountaineers with 12 home runs and 45 RBI. She and sophomore Natalie Orcutt (.335) co-led the team with 54 hits apiece. Dodd hit .314 for 43 RBI, including 10 home runs.