LAKEWOOD, NJ (Feb. 16, 2023) - Fresh off an appearance in the 2022 NCAA Regional Championship, Georgian Court Softball returns to start the 2023 season with an eye on getting back to the national tournament. 

Opponents (2022 Record)
Mercyhurst Lakers (32-16, 10-6 PSAC)
Simon Fraser Red Leafs (18-22, 9-15 GNAC)
Western Oregon Wolves (24-26, 9-15 GNAC)
Franklin Pierce Ravens (30-12, 17-9 NE10)
Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles (15-40, 6-24 NSIC)

Where
Tucson, Ariz. - Lincoln Park 

When
Friday-Sunday, Feb. 17-19
Friday, Feb. 17 vs. Mercyhurst - 4 p.m. ET
Friday, Feb. 17 vs. Simon Fraser - 6 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Western Oregon - 2 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Franklin Pierce - 4 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 19 vs. Minnesota-Crookston - 1 p.m. ET

How to Watch
• Video and live stats will be unavailable during the duration of the tournament. 

Previously vs. This Weekend's Opponents
• The teams that Georgian Court has played previously have been Mercyhurst and Franklin Pierce.
• All-time the Lions are 2-1 against Mercyhurst. They last met in 2018, a 9-7 win in Clermont, Fla. 
• Georgian Court is 1-0 all-time against Franklin Pierce with the lone meeting coming at last year's NCAA Regional Championship tournament, a 9-1 win in six innings.
• The Lions broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fifth then exploded for eight in the sixth inning. Taylor Barraza, Kiara Meikle and Jadalynn Rodriguez all had two hits and two RBI. 
• This is the Lions first ever meeting with Minnesota-Crookston, Simon Fraser and Western Oregon. 

Last Time Out
• Georgian Court advanced all the way to the NCAA Regional Championship. They went 2-2 as the number two seed and one of the site hosts. 
• The deciding game saw the Lions take a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a Jayda Jones RBI double. Wilmington responded tying the game in the bottom of the inning.
• The Wildcats added three runs in the sixth for the 4-1 win. 

Individual Milestones
• Alyssa Herrera will reach 100 games played the next time she takes the field. She's also two at bats away from 300 in her career and her next home run will be the 10th.
• Taylor Lipkins needs three runs and three hits to reach 25.
• Four more RBI and three more stolen bases will get Jadalynn Rodriguez to 25.
• Kiara Meikle is closing in on 50 runs scored needing just four more. She's also 14 stolen bases away from the GCU all-time top-five.
• Adriana Mungo will reach 300 at bats with five more. She also needs one more walk to get to 30 and seven RBI to reach 75.
• With 6.1 innings pitched, Haley Korsak will reach 50.
• Jayda Jones needs just six more RBI to get to 50. 
• Taylor Barraza is three runs and two doubles shy of 25. 

Who's Back
• Georgian Court returns plenty of firepower to their lineup. The team is bringing back 81% of their at bats from a year ago. That includes seven of the eight who finished 2022 with at least 100 at bats.
• Adriana Mungo, Kaitlyn Stufft, Alyssa Herrera and Kiara Meikle all made at least 140 at bats and return this season. As do Taylor Barraza and Jadalynn Rodriguez.
• Stufft led the Lions last year in the power department with 19 home runs, 68 RBI and a .793 slugging percentage. 
• Stufft, Mungo Herrera, Barraza and Jones all have earned All-Region accolades in their careers.
• The pitching staff is not as flush with returners as the lineup. Mikayla Gilgert, who pitched 199 of 343 innings graduated leaving Sarah Clancy (100.1 innings) and Haley Korsak (43.2) as the only pitchers who threw from the circle last season.

New Faces
• The Lions brought in 10 true freshman to round out the 2023 roster. They come from across the US representing four states.
• Four of the 10 are from the Garden State itself, Lia DeMaio, Arianna Loftus, Kayla Ryan and Janelle Blaszka.
• There are three freshman from the state of Hawaii: Savannah Simmons, Kili Makanani, and Maddie Rabe.
• Also from out west are Trinity Moreno and Sam Hildebrandt from Arizona.
• Coco Dunham comes from Pennsylvania to join her sister Camille Dunham. 

The Schedule
• Georgian Court starts the year at a pair of preseason tournaments the D2 Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz. and the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.
• From there, GCU will play three doubleheaders in the Carolinas at UNC Pembroke, Francis Marion and Barton. 
• GCU's first home games come March 11 against Southern New Hampshire.
• CACC action starts up March 18 at Felician. 
• The schedule feature eight home doubleheaders. The CACC semifinals and finals will once again be held in Lakewood May 4-6. 

Preseason Rankings
• Georgian Court was picked to finish third in this year's CACC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• The Lions were 40-15 overall and 21-3 in the league winning the regular season and postseason tournament.
• GCU garnered 134 total points in the poll and two first-place votes.
• Wilmington was picked to finish first with six first-place votes. Caldwell slid into second in the poll. 

About the Opponents
Mercyhurst Lakers
• Mercyhurst finished 2022 32-16 and 10-6 in the PSAC. The qualified for their first ever NCAA regional tournament where they went 0-2. 
• In the PSAC West, Mercyhurst was picked to finish first in the preseason coaches poll with four first-place votes.
• Leanne Baker was the PSAC West Coach of the Year in 2022.
• The Lakers return four All-PSAC First Team selections in Marisa Cartellone, Allison Dejidas, Madison Fry and Morgan Hilty. 

Simon Fraser Red Leafs
• Simon Fraser has already gotten their 2023 season underway. They went 2-4 last weekend at the South Central Regional Challenge.
• The Red Leafs first three games all went into extra innings where they went 1-2.
• A year ago Simon Fraser was 18-22 overall and 9-15 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. 
• Simon Fraser just introduced their interim head coach, Stacy Fournier, Feb. 1
• The Red Leafs were picked to finish seventh in the GNAC preseason poll. 

Western Oregon Wolves
• The Wolves have already played 12 games in their 2023 season, starting the year 5-7, however they have dropped six straight, the last three against No. 3 ranked Texas at Tyler.
• Last season, Western Oregon finished 24-26 overall, going 9-15 in the GNAC. 
• Western Oregon was picked to finish fifth in the GNAC coaches poll. 
• So far this season, Natalie Willoughby leads the offense hitting .320. Kirah McGlothan has a team-best 13 hits and three doubles.
• The Wolves have a 2.30 team ERA led by Chelsea Smith who's 2-3 with a 1.85 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.

Franklin Pierce Ravens
• Franklin Pierce joined Georgian Court in the NCAA East Region Championship. They finished 2022 30-12 and 17-9 in the Northeast-10, bowing out in the NE10 Second Round.
• The Ravens are picked to finish second in the NE10 preseason coaches poll totaling 125 points and two first-place votes.
• Two of the three Ravens who earned All-Region accolades return this season. Ashley Cagniano hit .425 with 54 hits and 41 RBI.
• Lita Vorseth, led the team with 16 doubles hitting .371 as a freshman. Both were NE10 First Team Selections and Vorseth also made the All-Rookie Team.

Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles
• Minnesota-Crookston had a down year in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference going 15-40 overall and 6-24 in conference play.
• Alina Avalos returns for her senior year after leading the team in 2022 hitting .355 with six home runs.
• Fellow senior Dana Zarn hit five long balls last year with 33 runs batted in. 
• Evie Stuck led the Golden Eagles throwing 140.2 innings and she's back again in the circle in 2023. She sported a 4.93 ERA while picking up seven wins. 
• MSU-Crookston was picked to finish 14th out of 15 NSIC teams in the 2023 preseason coaches poll.