Softball | February 20, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – Despite the frigid weather in Philadelphia, the La Salle softball team will begin its 2020 season at the Wings ETC Classic on Friday and Saturday in Spartanburg, S.C. The Explorers will compete in a pair of games on both Friday and Saturday, starting with Maine (11 a.m.) and Tennessee Tech (5 p.m.) on Friday and USC – Upstate (3 p.m.) and Virginia (5 p.m.) on Saturday.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle is led by third-year head coach Brooke Darreff.
• The Blue & Gold return 12 players from a season ago and welcome seven freshmen and a sophomore transfer.
• A 53-game schedule is on hand for the Explorers, including four early season tournaments.

IN THE FIELD:

• La Salle has seven starters that will be back on the field this season in seniors Emily Conaway, Courtney Shupp, junior Ashley Mendenhall, sophomores Natalie Rios, Audrey LaBouliere, Mackenzie Vogler, and Kaylee Piven.
• All seven freshmen are expected to see time in the field for the Blue & Gold.

AT THE PLATE:

• Sophomore Cailey Joyce, who led the Explorers at the plate and in the circle, will miss the season due to injury.
• Conaway is the top returning batter in the La Salle lineup. Conaway slashed .275 during her junior campaign with 39 hits, 25 runs, 12 doubles, and six homers. The Berwyn, Pa. native knocked in a team high 28 runs. Conaway is seven doubles shy of breaking the all-time program record.
• Rios and Mendenhall return with the second and third highest batting averages at .252 and .250, respectively.

INSIDE THE CIRCLE:

• With Joyce being out for the season, returners Morgan Orlowski and Aubrey Seal are on the pitching staff, with the edition of sophomore transfer Kelly Toomey and rookies Lauren Begg and Jenna Khantzian.
• Seal missed all of last season with an injury and could make her debut this year.