HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky softball lifts the lid on the 2020 campaign this weekend, heading to Nashville for the Bruin Challenge. The Norse will start the season against Western Michigan on Friday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. ET before facing the Broncos once more at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 15. Sunday will consist of a 12:30 p.m. ET game against Marist before the Norse face host Belmont at 5:30 p.m. ET.
2019 IN REVIEW: NKU had its best Horizon League record in 2019, going 12-11 for the fourth seed in the Horizon League Championship. The Norse advanced to the semifinals, falling to eventual champion Detroit Mercy, 4-1.
Ava Lawson earned All-Horizon League First-Team honors for the second-straight year, while
Taylor Ginther and
Josie Frazier were named to the second team.
PRESEASON POLL: NKU continued to move up in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, tying for third with 56 points and one first-place vote. UIC topped the list with 79 points and seven first-place votes, while Detroit Mercy was picked second with 61 points and a first-place vote.
2020 NORSE: The Norse graduated two student-athletes from the 2019 squad and return a wealth of experience at every position. Lawson returns to anchor NKU's defense in the outfield, while
Isabell Alexander,
Alexis McDaniel and
Kailey Rossiter are all seasoned veterans in right and left field. Behind the plate, the Norse could see
Taylor Hoover or
Madi Mulder, the latter of which spent much of last season at third base. Frazier and
Toree Stalter are expected to hold down second base and shortstop, respectively, while
Hailey Whitmer and
Jordan Jenkins both have ample experience at first. In the circle, Ginther returns for her senior campaign already established as the winningest Norse pitcher in the Division I era, and she is backed up by
Faith Howard and transfer
Caitlin Karo. Complementing the veterans are eight freshmen who can contribute in the infield, outfield and circle.
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos have started out the season with a 1-3 mark, but have not shied away from staunch competition with three opponents ranked in the top-25. Western Michigan's win on the year came by way of a 9-7 victory over No. 22 Arizona State. The Broncos also faced No. 5 Arizona, falling in five innings, 12-0, as well as No. 12 Tennessee. The contest against the Vols was ruled an exhibition following a hard-stop time after four innings, in which the Broncos trailed 13-6. Western Michigan returns a pair of All-Mid-American Conference honorees in Kaylen Glenfield and Sydney Stefanick, who are both leading the Broncos at the plate early in the season. Stephanick is batting .455 with a home run and two RI, while Glenfield adds a .300 batting average and two runs scored. Additionally, Stefanick is the team's top pitcher and led the Broncos to the win over Arizona State. This weekend will mark the first-ever meetings between the two programs.
SCOUTING MARIST: The Red Foxes are opening up their season this weekend, following a 35-22 campaign in 2019. Marist returns three players who landed on an NFCA All-Region Team. Calista Phippen, who was also named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Co-Rookie of the Year and All-MAAC First Team, finished the 2019 season ranked 28
th nationally with a 1.49 earned run average, 40
th with 190 strikeouts, and 49
th with 19 wins. Kailey Coltrain, who earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors alongside Phippen, recorded a .314 batting average with seven home runs and 35 RBI. Ali Milam rounds out the NFCA honorees, and was the team's top slugger, batting .355 with 61 hits, 47 RBI, 38 runs scored, 15 doubles and nine home runs. The Red Foxes had six players batting above .300 last year. Northern Kentucky has played Marist once in program history, with the Red Foxes claiming a 6-1 win on March 16, 2001.
SCOUTING BELMONT: The Bruins are also starting the 2020 campaign this weekend after going 31-23 in the 2019 season. Belmont graduated its top three batters, but return Cheynne Cavanaugh and Alicia Veltri, who also posted batting averages above .300. Cavanaugh hit .322 last season, clubbing 46 hits with 38 runs scored and 16 driven in. Veltri added 45 hits off a .308 batting average with 39 RBI and 28 runs scored while also picking up 15 wins in the circle with a 2.98 ERA. The Bruins also return the other half of their primary pitching tandem with Brooklin Lee, who recorded 13 wins with a 2.52 ERA. NKU and Belmont met for the first time in 2019, when the Bruins narrowly edged the Norse in eight innings, 6-5.
