CHARLESTON, S.C. - After only getting in one game to open the season last week, the Charleston Southern softball team is back in action this weekend as they host the CSU Buc Up Tournament at the CSU Softball Complex. The tournament will feature three other teams; North Dakota, Providence and UMass.
Last Time Out
The Bucs only got one game in last weekend, but they came out victorious, shutting out Merrimack 3-0.
Annah Junge was magnificent, throwing a complete-game, three-hit shutout and allowing no walks and striking out eight.
Harper Schoeneweis also had a very good first game as well. In her collegiate debut, the freshman from Scottsdale, AZ went 1/2 with an RBI and a run scored. Charleston Southern (1-0) only picked up three hits in the game, but it was enough to get the victory.
UMass
The Minutewomen opened up the 2023 season in Orlando last weekend, participating in the Black and Gold Classic hosted by UCF. They went 0-5 on the weekend, facing two ranked teams and three power-five teams. Led by Head Coach Danielle Henderson, who is in her second year at the helm, the Minutewomen return 17 players and add three newcomers to a team that went 19-32 a year ago.
Bella Pantoja is a player to watch going in to the weekend. She hit a team-best .306 last year and is primed for a big season this year. Julianne Bolton also returns for the Minutewomen to pitch. In her freshman season, she recorded 97 strikouts in 25 appearances, earning a spot on the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie team.
North Dakota
The Fighting Hawks of North Dakota has started their season on a five-game losing streak, dropping all five games in their opening-weekend Central Coast Classic in San Luis Obsipo, CA. They lost each game by an average of over seven runs. Jordan Stevens has returned for a ninth season at North Dakota. His team is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 14-39 record a year ago.
Providence
The Bucs will round out the tournament with a showdown against the Providence Friars. They participated in the Frank Griffin Classic, hosted by Stetson University last weekend and went 1-4 overall. The Friars, a member of the Big East, finished the 2022 season with a 25-31 record (11-13 in conference).
Providence welcomes nine newcomers to the 2023 team. Junior Tori Grifone returns to the mound for the Friars. She posted a 2.56 ERA last year over 134.0 innings last season and posted a team-high 176 strikeouts.
Tournament Schedule
- Friday, February 17th
- 10 a.m est: Providence vs UMass
- 12:30 p.m. est: Providence vs North Dakota
- 3 p.m est: UMass vs Charleston Southern *
- 5:30 p.m est: North Dakota vs Charleston Southern *
- Saturday, February 18th
- 10 a.m. est: North Dakota vs UMass
- 12:30 p.m. est: UMass vs Providence
- 3 p.m. est: UMass vs Charleston Southern
- 5:30 p.m est: Providence vs Charleston Southern
- Sunday, February 19th
- 10 a.m. est: UMass vs North Dakota
- 12:30 p.m. est: Providence vs Charleston Southern *
*Streamed on ESPN+
