Friday, February 14
Kissimmee, Fla.
3:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Georgia Southern
Mountain Hawks to open 2020 campaign Friday at Citrus Blossom
2/13/2020 5:01:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh softball team is ready to head south, get outside, hit the dirt and open the 2020 season. The season-opening destination for the Mountain Hawks will be the Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom Tournament, beginning Friday at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. Lehigh will play five games over three days against challenging mid-major competition to kick off the 2020 campaign.
The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 27-28 campaign a season ago as Lehigh overcame a tough start to reach the championship round of the Patriot League Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Fourteen players return from last year's team, led by the Preseason All-Patriot League trio of seniors Mary-Hannah Smith and Parker Boyd, and sophomore Jaelynn Chesson. Smith was also named Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year. She is a three-time All-Patriot League honoree, who hit .368 and led the league with 67 hits last season. Chesson enjoyed a tremendous freshman campaign, where she hit .359 and led the Mountain Hawks with 17 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBIs.
Boyd was an All-Patriot League honoree two seasons ago and is the senior member of a pitching staff that also features sophomore Gabriella Nori and junior Lainey Stephenson. Nori came on towards the tail end of last season as both she and Boyd finished the year with 137 strikeouts.
The graduation of two starters leaves opportunity for emerging players at first base, where sophomores Addie Kittel and Melissa Fedorka and freshman Emily Cimino will vie for time, and in center field, where freshman Lexington Poole is expected to start the year.
On Friday, Lehigh will open its season against Georgia Southern (3:30 p.m.) and Bethune-Cookman (6 p.m.).
Georgia Southern, members of the Sun Belt Conference, went 23-28 a season ago. The Eagles hosted a tournament last weekend and went 3-1 with wins over Hartford, East Tennessee State and Rutgers, while the lone loss came against Patriot League member Army West Point. Lehigh won the only previous meeting against Georgia Southern 9-4 in 2017.
Bethune-Cookman, the defending MEAC champions, went 1-4 last weekend opening its season at the FAU Invitational. The Wildcats beat Indiana State and lost games to Northern Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin. Friday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Bethune-Cookman.
Saturday's second day has the Mountain Hawks facing off against Charleston Southern (12 p.m.) and Appalachian State (2:30 p.m.)
Charleston Southern is coming off an 18-37 season in 2019 that featured a 12-12 Big South record. The Buccaneers are also opening their 2020 campaign at the Citrus Blossom. Lehigh and Charleston Southern have met twice previously, with the Mountain Hawks claiming victories in 1994 and 2008.
Appalachian State will be the second Sun Belt foe that Lehigh will face in its opening weekend. The Mountaineers went 2-2 last week at the Charlotte Invitational, splitting games against Virginia and Charlotte. Appalachian State was 31-25 last season. Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between Lehigh and Appalachian State.
Lehigh will close out the Citrus Blossom against a more familiar foe, Saint Joseph's, Sunday at 9 a.m. It will mark the first of three games between the Mountain Hawks and Hawks this season. The teams will play a Wednesday doubleheader at Saint Joseph's in late March. Saint Joseph's will open its season in Florida after a 28-25 campaign in 2019. Saint Joseph's holds a 25-19 edge in the all-time series. Last year, the teams split a doubleheader at Leadership Park, with Lehigh taking the opener 6-1 and Saint Joseph's rallying for a 6-5 win in the nightcap. Chesson had four doubles in the twin bill, while Kittel had four hits and three RBIs. Fedorka hit her first career home run in game one.
Following the Citrus Blossom, Lehigh will be off the weekend of Feb. 22-23 and will return to action at the NC State Invitational, Feb. 28-Mar. 1 in Raleigh, N.C. The Mountain Hawks will face nationally-ranked James Madison, plus North Carolina A&T and NC State for five more games over three days.
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 27-28 campaign a season ago as Lehigh overcame a tough start to reach the championship round of the Patriot League Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Fourteen players return from last year's team, led by the Preseason All-Patriot League trio of seniors Mary-Hannah Smith and Parker Boyd, and sophomore Jaelynn Chesson. Smith was also named Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year. She is a three-time All-Patriot League honoree, who hit .368 and led the league with 67 hits last season. Chesson enjoyed a tremendous freshman campaign, where she hit .359 and led the Mountain Hawks with 17 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBIs.
Boyd was an All-Patriot League honoree two seasons ago and is the senior member of a pitching staff that also features sophomore Gabriella Nori and junior Lainey Stephenson. Nori came on towards the tail end of last season as both she and Boyd finished the year with 137 strikeouts.
The graduation of two starters leaves opportunity for emerging players at first base, where sophomores Addie Kittel and Melissa Fedorka and freshman Emily Cimino will vie for time, and in center field, where freshman Lexington Poole is expected to start the year.
On Friday, Lehigh will open its season against Georgia Southern (3:30 p.m.) and Bethune-Cookman (6 p.m.).
Georgia Southern, members of the Sun Belt Conference, went 23-28 a season ago. The Eagles hosted a tournament last weekend and went 3-1 with wins over Hartford, East Tennessee State and Rutgers, while the lone loss came against Patriot League member Army West Point. Lehigh won the only previous meeting against Georgia Southern 9-4 in 2017.
Bethune-Cookman, the defending MEAC champions, went 1-4 last weekend opening its season at the FAU Invitational. The Wildcats beat Indiana State and lost games to Northern Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin. Friday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Bethune-Cookman.
Saturday's second day has the Mountain Hawks facing off against Charleston Southern (12 p.m.) and Appalachian State (2:30 p.m.)
Charleston Southern is coming off an 18-37 season in 2019 that featured a 12-12 Big South record. The Buccaneers are also opening their 2020 campaign at the Citrus Blossom. Lehigh and Charleston Southern have met twice previously, with the Mountain Hawks claiming victories in 1994 and 2008.
Appalachian State will be the second Sun Belt foe that Lehigh will face in its opening weekend. The Mountaineers went 2-2 last week at the Charlotte Invitational, splitting games against Virginia and Charlotte. Appalachian State was 31-25 last season. Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between Lehigh and Appalachian State.
Lehigh will close out the Citrus Blossom against a more familiar foe, Saint Joseph's, Sunday at 9 a.m. It will mark the first of three games between the Mountain Hawks and Hawks this season. The teams will play a Wednesday doubleheader at Saint Joseph's in late March. Saint Joseph's will open its season in Florida after a 28-25 campaign in 2019. Saint Joseph's holds a 25-19 edge in the all-time series. Last year, the teams split a doubleheader at Leadership Park, with Lehigh taking the opener 6-1 and Saint Joseph's rallying for a 6-5 win in the nightcap. Chesson had four doubles in the twin bill, while Kittel had four hits and three RBIs. Fedorka hit her first career home run in game one.
Following the Citrus Blossom, Lehigh will be off the weekend of Feb. 22-23 and will return to action at the NC State Invitational, Feb. 28-Mar. 1 in Raleigh, N.C. The Mountain Hawks will face nationally-ranked James Madison, plus North Carolina A&T and NC State for five more games over three days.
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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