Bulldogs travel to Sunshine State to open 2016 season at Citrus Classic

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University softball team opens its 2016 season with five games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. The Black and Gold open against North Florida, East Carolina, Morgan St., Notre Dame and Syracuse over the weekend.

ON THE AIR
The Bulldogs will appear on ESPN3 in their first two games of the season, Friday, Feb. 26 against North Florida at 1:15 p.m. and the same day against East Carolina at 5:45 p.m. Fans can follow along with live stats at BryantBulldogs.com for coverage of all games.

SCOUTING NORTH FLORIDA, EAST CAROLINA, MORGAN ST., #23 NOTRE DAME AND SYRACUSE
The Bulldogs begin their season in Orlando, Fla., at the Citrus Classic, opening against North Florida. The Ospreys come into the contest at 2-8. North Florida began its season with a 3-0 loss to UConn on February 12 in Baton Rouge, La., and most recently fell to Marist, 4-3, on Sunday, February 21 in Madeira Beach, Fla. The Ospreys finished last season 31-28, qualifying for the Atlantic Sun Tournament, where they finished 1-2. 

East Carolina played at both the Kajikawa and Pirate Classic to open the 2016 season, finishing 7-5 over the course of both tournaments. The Pirates enter the Citrus Classic on a two-game winning streak, defeating Bucknell, 1-0, and Saint Francis U., 8-5, on February 21. After finishing 16-37 overall and 7-11 in the conference last season, the Pirates made it to the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament, where they were trumped, 5-0, by Southern Florida.

Morgan State kicked off the season at the Dot Richardson Tournament in Clermont, Fla., recording its only win of the series against Akron, 4-2, on February 14. Prior to the win over Akron, the Bears lost four straight, including an 11-1 defeat by Liberty on February 13. The Bears finished 8-30 last year and 7-10 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference which was not enough to qualify for the postseason. 

Nationally ranked Notre Dame sits 7-3, beginning the season at the Kajikawa Classic (3-2), before winning 4-of-5 games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. Washington handed the Fighting Irish their only loss of the tournament, 5-4, on February 19, but since then Notre Dame has won three straight. Most recently, the Fighting Irish shut out George Washington, 5-0, in five innings. Last season, Notre Dame finished 42-15 and 17-6, solidifying a place in the ACC Tournament, where they were taken down by Pittsburgh, 8-1. 

Syracuse has started this season with a 4-4 mark, beginning play at the Sportco Kick Off Classic and the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Orange found their only win of the Sportco Kick Off Classic against Long Beach State, edging the Beach out, 1-0, on February 12 in Las Vegas. Syracuse gathered three wins at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, defeating Purdue, 11-3, and Ohio State in both matchups, 1-0 and 3-2. The Orange finished 20-16 overall and 4-13 in the ACC last year, but did not qualify for postseason play.

WRAPPING UP THE 2015 SEASON
The Bulldogs finished last season with a 17-32 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the Northeast Conference, missing the league tournament in May. The Black and Gold finished the season on a three-game losing streak, including their most recent conference loss to Saint Francis U., 5-2, on April 26. The Bulldogs return 15 players, including one major award winner and four all-conference selections. The squad welcomes six new Bulldogs, who are all looking to have an impact on the season and contend for another NEC title.

MAD SKILL
Senior Elle Madsen is back on the mound for the Bulldogs and looking to make even more of a mark on the program than she has, in the last three years. The pitcher has donned the Black and Gold in 93 games in her career. Madsen led the Bulldogs pitching staff with 11 wins, 96 strikeouts and 3.11 ERA last season. The senior totals a 46-36 career record, having pitched 497.1 innings entering her final season. Madsen sits fourth in the record books in career strikeouts (296), while posting a 3.17 ERA. The pitcher was also a force at the plate, recording team highs in home runs (12), RBI (36) and triples (2) last season. Madsen also managed 23 runs, four doubles and 42 hits.

NEW KIDS IN TOWN
New to the Bulldog roster are six freshmen sure to make an impact for the Black and Gold. Head coach Shayne Lotito has brought in three infielders, an outfielder, a pitcher and a catcher/outfielder. Also returning to the bullpen is redshirt freshman Brandi Burgin, who did not appear in any games in the 2015 season due to injury. True freshman Colby Norris earned a First Team All-Region nod as a junior on the mound at Warhill High School (Va.). Jill Staley, a Section 9 All-Star as a junior (2014), is also forecasted by Lotito to have an impact in the outfield, along with Kaleigh Goulart and Jessica Gradillas in the infield.

BEHIND THE MASK
Sophomore Robyn Ukegawa returns behind home plate after starting the majority of last season at the catcher's position (41 games). Ukegawa led the team with 98 total chances, including 85 putouts. The sophomore recorded 13 assists and a pair of double plays. Ukegawa caught runners stealing on six occasions, three of which occurred in conference play. The California native hit four home runs in her 22 at-bats.
KEAST THE BEASTSophomore Lauren Keast will get her shot in the outfield after helping out in the infield last season, where she posted 29 assists and a .943 fielding percentage. Keast sent three of her 13 hits out of the park last year, while recording eight RBI and 11 runs.

IN-AND-OUT(FIELD) BURGER
Returning in the outfield is reigning Northeast Conference Most Improved Player and First Teamer Taylor Burger. Burger had a standout sophomore season, where she led the team with a .350 batting average, along with 35 hits, 11 home runs, seven doubles, two triples, 23 runs scored and 30 RBI. The junior homered in each of the final six games of 2015, while posting a .947 fielding percentage. Burger was the only Bulldog to be named to the All-NEC First Team last season.

YOUNG INFIELD
Amongst those returning to the Bulldog dugout is a group of young, yet extremely talented infielders, including All-Northeast Conference Second Teamer Hayley Bottino. The senior collected 38 hits, 29 runs, six home runs and 27 RBI in 49 games. Bottino handled 80 chances and posted a .900 fielding percentage. Joining Bottino in the lineup is sophomore shortstop Rachel Monroe. Monroe's 2015 season was cut short due to injury, but last year's opening day starter homered in her first-career game and finished with five RBI in 27 games. New to the squad's infield this year are freshmen Kaleigh Goulart and Jessica Gradillas. The Bulldogs also return senior Liana Ogata, who appeared in 42 games at second base last season, posting a .941 fielding percentage. The 2015 Second Team All-NEC selection recorded 43 hits, 31 runs and 11 RBI. The Black and Gold graduated Jessica Benacquista, who started 39 games at first base, with-now sophomore Maritza Martinez playing the remaining 10. In just 45 at-bats, six of Martinez's 11 hits went for extra bases, including four home runs and a pair of doubles.

HEAD COACH SHAYNE LOTITO
Third-year head coach Shayne Lotito is back at the helm, posting a 49-54 overall record and 21-11 mark in Northeast Conference play. The Boston University grad led the Bulldogs to their winningest season in her first year as head coach (32 overall wins, 13 conference wins), guiding her team to the program's first-ever Division I league title in 2014. As a player, Lotito was a four time All-America East selection in the outfield and 2009 NFCA All-Northeast Region First Teamer. She holds many places in the program's record book, including third all-time in career runs scored (150), first in career at-bats (715) and second in career stolen bases (95).

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Aubrey Mable, a not-so new face, returned to Smithfield as an assistant coach in the fall of 2015 after serving as a graduate assistant at Providence College. Mable was a 2014 Bryant grad and part of Lotito's title-winning team. The Colorado native was a stud at shortstop, earning All-NEC First Team for three-straight years and Bryant University's NCAA Woman of the Year as a senior. The senior captain posted an impressive career for the Black and Gold, graduating as a four-time Academic All-American, 2014 NCAA Senior CLASS Award nominee and 2-14 NEC All-Tournament Team pick. Mable enjoyed one of the best careers in program history, graduating as the all-time leader in RBI (125), runs scored (141), doubles (56), total bases (363) and slugging percentage (.671). As a freshman, the shortstop led the team and NEC with a .419 average, earning the fourth-best single-season mark in program history.