Tournament:  FGCU Kickoff Classic
When: Friday, February 10 - Sunday, February 12
Where: Fort Myers, Fla. | FGCU Softball Complex
Tickets: Purchase tickets here

Friday, Feb. 10
Game 1: LIU vs. UNCG  | 10 am | Live Stats
Game 2: UNCG vs. Binghamton | 12:15 pm | Live Stats 
 
Saturday, Feb. 11
Game 3: UNCG vs. FGCU | 5 pm | Live stats | WATCH
Game 4: SIU vs. UNCG | 7:30 pm | Live stats
 
Sunday, Feb. 12
Game 5: UNCG vs. Binghamton | 10 am | Live stats

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team breaks open the 2023 season with the FGCU Kickoff Classic, hosted by Florida Golf Coast University from Friday, February 10 to Sunday, February 12.

The Spartans will face four different opponents this weekend during the tournament, including Long Island University (LIU) and Binghamton on Friday to begin the tournament, and FGCU, and Southern Illinois (SIU).
 
PRESEASON PRESENTS
UNCG was chosen to finish second in the SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll.

Fifth year Delaney Cumbie was selected to the Preseason All-SoCon first team. Cumbie was named to the All-SoCon first team and SoCon All-Tournament Team. She earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
 
Senior Maycin Brown was voted to the Preseason All-SoCon first team. Brown was named to the All-SoCon first team. She was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week, SoCon Player of the Week, and SoCon Player of the Month last season.
 
Sophomore Grace Loftin was tabbed to the Preseason All-SoCon first team. Loftin was on the All-SoCon first team and freshman team. She was also voted to the NFCA Extra Inning Softball All-Freshman Team and All-Mideast second team. She was also selected as a Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 finalist.
 
Fifth year Samantha Lagrama was named to the Preseason All-SoCon second team. Lagrama was named to the All-SoCon second team.

FRESH FACES
Head Coach Janelle Breneman welcomed seven additions to the 2023 roster, including freshmen Rylie Williams, Salem Ward, Rhyann Jones, and Kiley McQuillan.
 
She also added redshirt sophomore Maddie Spell, who transferred from George Washington, junior Jaden Cheek who transferred from Clemson, and sophomore Jorde Chartrand who transferred from Central Arkansas.
 
DEPTH IN RETURNERS
Thirteen Spartans are listed on the roster from last year's team, including seven that started in 20 or more of the 57 games played in 2022.
 
Last season the Spartans saw three players bat above .300. Two of the three are returning, including offensive leader Brown who led the team with a .329 batting average. Cumbie was second on the team with a .303 batting average.  

Cumbie and Brooklynn Maxwell return, as two of UNCG's five that were ranked in the top 100 in individual stat categories. Cumbie was fourth in hit-by-pitch per game (0.42), 40th in home runs (16), 47th in home runs per game (0.30), 63rd in runs per game (0.91), 82nd in on-base percentage (0.473). Maxwell was 21st in toughest-to-strikeout (23.3).
 
SCOUTING LIU

• LIU was picked to finish second in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Coaches Poll, behind reigning tournament champion, Saint Francis University.
• Each of the last five seasons, LIU has made the NEC Tournament Championship game.
• Camryn Lyman and Kristen Blanchard, the top two hitters from last year's squad, will return for their final season.
• Lyman led the conference with 74 hits.
• Lyman and Blanchard were the lone Sharks on the NFCA All-Northeast Region third team at the end of the 2022 season.
• Lyman earned All-NEC first team honors and Blanchard was named to the second team.
• In the circle, Alyssa O'Donnell returns after winning 11 games in 33 appearances and 137.1 innings. She posted a 4.03 ERA and struck out 66 batters.
• The Sharks finished the 2022 season with a 26-31 overall mark and a 13-11 NEC record, finishing fourth in the conference.

HISTORY VS. LIU

• This will be the first time playing the LIU Sharks.
• The Spartans and LIU Brooklyn are tied 1-1.
• UNCG defeated LIU, 8-0 on March 6, 1999 in Ocoee, Fla.
• LIU defeated UNCG, 5-4 on March 7, 1998 in Ocoee, Fla.

SCOUTING BINGHAMTON

• Binghamton begins its 22nd season as a NCAA Division I program and member of the America East Conference.
• Last season, the Bearcats finished the slate 22-23 overall.
• They were picked to finish fourth in the Preseason Conference Coaches' Poll.
• The Bearcats return three All-Conference selections from their 2022 squad.
• Alli Richmond earned first team honors at second base after batting .303 with six home runs and 27 RBI.
• Outfielder Sarah Rende had six home runs and 23 RBI, while Sophia Pappas earned second team accolades.

HISTORY VS. BINGHAMTON

• This will be the second matchup between the two teams.
• UNCG defeated Binghamton 6-1 on March 1, 2002 in Greensboro. It was the first-ever game as a NCAA program for the Bearcats.

 
SCOUTING FGCU

• FGCU was picked to finish seventh in the preseason ASUN Conference Coaches Poll.
• The Eagles return nine players from the 2022 campaign and welcomes 13 newcomers to the roster (six freshmen, four D-1 and three JUCO transfers)
• FGCU went 18-33 overall last year and 9-15 in conference action.
• Head Coach David Deiros enters his 21st season at the helm of the Eagles, last year recording win No. 700 against Jacksonville State.
• Eagles ace and senior Ally Hulme returns to the circle after tallying 108 strikeouts and tossed a complete game.
• Senior Riley Oakes also returns as one of only three Eagles from last season to hit .300 or better. She led the Eagles in stolen bases with seven.
• Tayli Filla was one of the three to hit over .300 last season. She ranked second in hits (36) and home runs (4).

 
HISTORY VS. FGCU

• FGCU leads the series 1-0.
• The Eagles defeated the Spartans 8-5 on February 7, 2009 at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament in Tampa, Fla.

 
SCOUTING SIU

• The Southern Illinois Salukis were selected third in the Missouri Valley Preseason Poll.
• The Salukis finished the 2022 season in third place with a 16-10 conference record and 27-19-1 overall.
• During the 2022 campaign, the Salukis finished the year leading the Valley in batting average (.290), runs scored (283), RBI (256), and on-base percentage (.407) – which broke program record and also marked the 10th highest on-base percentage in the country.
• Defensively, the Salukis had a .956 fielding percentage which was third in the MVC.
• The pitching staff for SIU had a 3.20 ERA, which was the third-lowest ERA in the conference.
• SIU returns All-MVC Preseason honorees Rylie Hamilton and Elizabeth Warwick.
• The Salukis are led by a senior class of three – Aubree DePron, Kerrigan Gamm, and Tori Schullian.
• Junior Madi Eberle leads a staff of pitchers with over 120 innings thrown and a 3.02 ERA.

 
HISTORY VS. SIU

• The Spartans are 1-2 against the Salukis.
• UNCG last played SIU on February 8, 2008, in the JU/Best Western Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla., falling 0-5.
• The Spartans split the series with SIU the previous year, winning 9-0 in five innings on February 9, 2007 and then losing 6-2 on February 10 also in Jacksonville.