University of Massachusets Athletics
Softball Heads to Sunshine State for FAU Tournament
March 09, 2016 | Softball
AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts softball will play in the Sunshine State at the Florida Atlantic University’s Parents’ Weekend Tournament March 11-13. UMass is one of seven teams competing.
The Minutewomen are coming off of a 2-5 weekend that saw sophomore pitcher Meg Colleran and freshman outfielder Erin Stacevicz take home Atlantic 10 weekly awards. Colleran had a 1.96 ERA and threw two shutouts on her way to earning Pitcher of the Week. Stacevicz batted .533 and scored five runs and was named Rookie of the Week, the first laurel of her career.
Senior Taylor Carbone is riding a hot streak for head coach Kristi Stefanoni’s team. Carbone has a team-leading 12 RBIs, which ranks 12th in the Atlantic 10. She also threw a six-inning start against Ole Miss, where she allowed a career-low one earned run and struck out three.
The Minutewomen take on Robert Morris in their first game of the tournament. The Colonials enter with a 3-14 record but won their last time out vs. Monmouth in extra innings. Junior Jordan Gurganus leads RMU with a .431 average, having 25 hits so far in 2016. In the circle, Freshman Kaitlin Ellzy has earned all three wins and has a 3.32 ERA. In 57 innings, Ellzy has racked up 34 strikeouts.
Massachusetts faces nationally-ranked Minnesota, 13-5 on the season, to close Friday play. Junior Sam Macken leads the Gophers with a .400 average and 16 RBIs. Macken also has three home runs, tied for second on the team. Classmate Sara Groenewegen leads the team in most pitching categories and comes into the tournament with an 8-3 record with a 2.16 ERA. She has struck out 105 batters in just 71.1 innings pitched.
The Minutewomen battle LIU Brooklyn on Saturday. The Blackbirds come to Florida with a 6-14 record. Sophomore Victoria Zamora has a .404 average with 10 RBIs, each team highs for LIU Brooklyn. Sophomore Erynn Sobieski has seen the most time in the circle for the Blackbirds with a 3-8 record in 16 appearances.
Pegged with the early game on Sunday, Mercer and UMass meet for the first time ever at 9 a.m. The Bears have a 7-14 record. Senior Natalie Shiver has seen success for Mercer, batting .271 with a team-high four home runs and 13 RBIs. Junior pitcher Anna O’Neill has a 3-3 record with a 3.83 ERA this season.
The tournament concludes later on Sunday when the Minutewomen battle former conference foe Rutgers at 11:15 a.m. The Scarlet Knights have a 6-12 record in 2016. Junior Shayla Sweeney has a 3-2 record pitching with a 3.29 ERA. Senior Stephanie Huang has provided a spark offensively, batting .328 with a home run and two doubles.
