Softball Returns Home For Senior Day Against George Mason

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts softball team will celebrate seniors Meg Colleran and Jena Cozza as they return to Sortino Field for the regular-season finale against George Mason on Saturday and Sunday. The MInutewomen (31-12 Overall, 19-0 Atlantic 10) head into the weekend as winners of nine straight games after sweeping Fordham last weekend to clinch the A-10 Regular-Season title for the first time since 2012.

UMass swept the A-10 Weekly Awards on Monday as Cozza earned her fourth Player of the Week award this season while Kiara Oliver was named Pitcher of the Week for the second consecutive weekend to go along with a Co-Rookie of the Week honor. The pair of Minutewomen paced both the offense and defense as Cozza finished the series against Fordham by homering in all three games, including one to leadoff the fifth inning that sparked a five-run frame that helped seal the sweep and the regular-season crown. Oliver appeared in all three games in the circle, entering in game one to pick up her sixth save before going on to tie her career-high with 11 strikeouts in a game two in which she held a no-hitter through two outs in the sixth inning.

The Minutewomen will honor their two seniors before the first game on Saturday morning with the Senior Day ceremony at 11:40 a.m. Both Cozza and Colleran have made their marks all over the UMass record book during their careers, posting multiple top-10 program marks at the plate and in the circle. For Cozza, the fifth-year third-basemen owns the top program mark in career on-base percentage while ranking in the top-10 in program-history in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, home runs and total bases. This season, Cozza broke the program records in four offensive categories, including slugging percentage and runs scored.

Colleran has tossed over 634 innings during her four years in the circle for the Mintuewomen, starting 101 career contests while ranking in the top-10 in eight different pitching categories including wins with 57, appearances, games stared, innings pitched and strikeouts. The two-time NFCA All-Region selection became the 10th UMass pitcher to earn 20 wins in a season in her sophomore season before accomplishing the feat once again in her junior campaign, becoming just the fifth to reach the 20-win mark in multiple seasons in program-history.

George Mason (22-24 Overall, 12-8 Atlantic 10) comes into the final weekend of regular-season league play on a winning-streak of their own, having won sixth straight after sweeping La Salle and Dayton in their last two series. The Patriots are led offensively by Jess Curbeira with a .319 batting average at the plate to go along with team-leading numbers in total bases, hits and RBI. In the circle, George Mason has a pair of hurlers that have logged over 100 innings this season in Bekah Ansbro and Haellie Gordon.

All three games between the Minutewomen and the Patriots will be streamed live on the A-10 Digital Network with live stats available here.

UMass will head back to the Bronx, N.Y. for the Atlantic 10 Championships next weekend with their first game of the tournament scheduled for Thursday at a time to be determined.

For complete coverage of the UMass softball team, follow the Minutewomen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassSoftball and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.

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Players Mentioned

Meg Colleran

Jena Cozza

Kiara Oliver

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University of Massachusets Athletics