Feb. 17, 2011
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University softball team will open its 2011 season this weekend in Fort Myers, Fla., at the Homewood Suites/Hilton Garden Inn Tournament hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). The Hoyas will play five games over three days, including doubleheaders on both Friday, February 18 and Saturday, February 19, before concluding the tournament with a morning game on Sunday, February 20. This marks the program's sixth season of play in Division I, its third as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, and the second time the Hoyas have opened the season at a tournament in the Sunshine State (2009 - Florida International Tournament).
The Hoyas open up their season on Friday with contests against South Carolina and FGCU. First pitch against the Gamecocks is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. with the game against the host Eagles set for 6 p.m. Another doubleheader follows on Saturday with games against Saint Louis (9 a.m.) and Michigan State (11:15 a.m.). Georgetown wraps up its season-opening trip on Sunday with a second game against the Billikens at 9 a.m. Live stats for all games can be found here.
Georgetown returns four starters to a squad that finished the year with an 18-33 overall record and a 7-15 mark in conference play in 2010. Junior Mackensey Carter (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) earned BIG EAST honors for the second-consecutive season, earning recognition as a member of the All-BIG EAST Second Team after batting .344 with four home runs and 24 RBI to go along with a 2.75 ERA in 28 appearances at pitcher.
The Blue & Gray also welcome back sophomore catcher Shikara Lowe (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit), junior first baseman Cara Savarese (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) and senior second baseman Kristi Preuss (LaPlata, Md./LaPlata). Lowe led the team in on-base percentage in her first collegiate season (.416) and will be counted on to guide the Hoyas' pitching staff. Savarese, who led the team in fielding percentage (.987) a season ago, and Preuss will form the right side of Georgetown's infield. Preuss returns to the infield, where she mainly played before patrolling the outfield for the Hoyas last year.
South Carolina: This will be the Hoyas' first-ever game against South Carolina. The Gamecocks enter the tournament on a two-game losing streak, having dropped contests to USC Upstate and Winthrop, and carry a 3-2 record overall. Samie Garcia, who is batting .500, with four runs and three RBI, leads the team on offense.
FGCU: This will be the teams' second meeting all-time, with the Hoyas dropping a 5-4 contest against the Eagles on February 13, 2009. FGCU welcomes its tournament participants to Fort Myers with a 2-3 overall record. The team won its last game against Long Island (8-2) on February 13. Kayla Gabel has started all five of the team's games and leads the Eagles with a .500 batting average.
Saint Louis: The Billikens arrive in Florida with a 3-2 overall record and have lost two in a row to Southeastern Louisiana (10-8) and Tennessee-Martin (11-3). Jessica Buschjost is one of only two players to start all five games and enters the tournament batting .364.
Michigan State: Georgetown is 0-2 all-time against Michigan State, losing twice to the Spartans in 2009 (10-2 and 7-2). This season, Michigan State has a 3-2 record, with both losses coming to No. 4 Tennessee. Jessica Bracamonte paces the team with a .533 batting average, including two doubles and three RBI.
