University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Softball Team Opens 2014 Season This Week at Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic
2/5/2014 2:57:00 PM | Softball
HONOLULU, O'ahu -- The University of Delaware softball team will open its 2014 season this week as the Blue Hens will play five game at the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Blue Hens kick off the campaign on Thursday with a 9 p.m. ET contest with 13-ranked and 11-time national champion UCLA, Delaware's first ever meeting with the Bruins. UD will then take on Hampton Friday at 7 p.m. ET before facing host Hawai'i, which is receiving votes in both preseason national polls, at 11 p.m. ET. The Blue Hens will play two additional games on Saturday during the tournament's playoff round.
The Blue Hens' opener vs. UCLA can be heard online at www.uclabruins.com, while Delaware's contest vs. the Rainbow Wahine will be broadcast in Hawai'i on OC Sports Television and can be viewed online at BigWest.tv. Live stats for all games will be available at HawaiiAthletics.com.
Delaware is coming off a 2013 campaign when the Blue Hens won 35 games, the second most in a UD single season, and also finished second in program history with 12 conference victories. The Blue Hens, led by fourth-year head coach Jaime Wohlbach, set UD single season records with 236 runs scored, 427 hits, and 72 doubles, while their 20 home runs tied for second most in a single year.
Delaware will be led offensively by junior rightfielder Jessica Grisler, a second team All-CAA selection a year ago after batting .365 on the campaign. Grisler, the team's leadoff hitter, set a UD single season record by scoring 39 runs, while her 69 hits ranked second in a single season and were the second most in the league. Grisler will be joined in the outfield by a pair of sophomores in leftfielder Shelby Jones and centerfielder Hannah George.
Sophomore Lisa Stacevicz, a CAA All-Rookie Team honoree who started games at five different positions for the Blue Hens a year ago, will also be a major force in the middle of the Blue Hen lineup. Stacevicz led the Blue Hens with 13 doubles and tied for the team lead with 28 RBI while posting a .313 batting average during her impressive freshman campaign. Michelle McKinnon, one of just two seniors on the squad and a career .308 hitter, is expected to start again in the middle of the Delaware infield.
The Delaware pitching staff will be led by freshman Carolyn Szymanski, a local product from nearby Caravel Academy who was a four-time first team All-State selection. Sophomore Kelly Lupton, a transfer from UNC Greensboro, is also expected to see significant action in the circle for the Blue Hens, while returning sophomores Kiersten Coffman and Taylor Curran will provide depth.
UCLA is coming off a 40-20 campaign in 2013, when the Bruins tied for fifth place with a 10-14 Pac-12 record. The Bruins qualified for the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the final day of the NCAA Tournament's Louisville Regional, before falling to UAB. UCLA will be led by juniors Ally Carda and Stephany LaRosa, who were each named to the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. Carda was a first team All-Region and All-Pac 12 selection last season when she posted a .339 batting average, 18 home runs and 50 RBI at the plate, while compiling a 23-10 record and a 2.30 ERA in the circle. LaRosa earned second team All-Region and All-Conference honors after ranking second on the Bruins with a .370 batting average and 52 runs batted in.
Hawai'i went 45-13 a year ago and tied for first place in the Big West Conference with a 20-4 league mark, before winning two games in the Seattle Regional. Second baseman Jazmine Zamora returns to lead the Rainbow Wahine after earning first team All-Region and All-Big West honors last season, when she hit a team-best .337 at the plate including .422 in conference games. Keiki Carlos, who hit .320 with 32 RBI, and Kayla Wartner, who batted .314 with 11 homers, also return to lead the Hawai'i lineup.
Last season Hampton finished 34-26, winning the MEAC Tournament championship before advancing to the Gainesville Regional. Pitcher Jailynn Jackson returns to the circle after earning second team All-Region and MEAC Pitcher of the Year honors last year, when she led the conference in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Taylor McCoy paced the Hampton offense by hitting a team-high .398 at the plate and leading the Lady Pirates in hits, doubles, total bases, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.
Delaware will be facing UCLA and Hawai'i for the first time in school history, and will be playing the first games in Hawai'i in program history. The Blue Hens have won all four of their previous meetings with Hampton, including a 2-1 victory last season.
