Marshall University Athletics
Ramada Marshall Softball Spring Classic Kicks Off Friday
3/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Ramada Marshall Softball Spring Classic Kicks Off Friday
3/3/2004
- Complete Schedule
MU will play at home for the first time this season. |
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ? The Marshall University softball team will play at home for the first time this season as they play host to the Ramada Marshall Softball Spring Classic, March 5-7.
MU (6-8) will take on fellow Mid-American Conference member Eastern Michigan, Pittsburgh and Cleveland State at Dot Hicks Field this weekend.
The Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh are led this season by Francesca DiMaria at the plate, who has already tallied a trio of triples while batting .429. Pitt (3-7) has picked up wins over Rhode Island and Mississippi State, but has also seen three games cut short due to the mercy rule, including a 10-0 trouncing by South Florida. The match up will pin current MU assistant coach Gina Bessolo against her alma mater as Bessolo was a four-year starter on the Panther mound from 1998-2002.
Cleveland State has yet to play a game this season and was picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League in 2004. The Vikings, who went 23-30-1 a year ago, return thirteen letterwinners from a speedy 2003 squad that racked up a school-record 115 steals and boasted the top four base stealers in the conference.
Eastern Michigan (2-5) last went to battle with Marshall on their home turf on March 26, 2003 as MU came up with a pair of wins over the Eagles in Ypsilanti. EMU has beat Rutgers and Long Island this year and will not play MU in the conference regular season. The Eagles are paced by Michelle Lloyd, who gathered both triumphs on the mound while swanking a 1.89 ERA. Deanna Wisnieski is batting .409 with four multi-base hits in 2004.
MU grabbed the tournament championship last season, going undefeated against Morehead State, Dayton and Cleveland State. The Herd is riding a four-game losing skid after tough losses last weekend against Tennessee Tech, #9 Alabama, Wisconsin and UT-Chattanooga. Three of the four losses came at the hands of 2003 conference champions as Tennessee Tech (Ohio Valley), Alabama (Southeastern) and UT-Chattanooga (Southern) all represented their leagues in the big show a year ago.
Marshall makes their first appearance in the 2004 Ramada Marshall Softball Spring Classic on Friday at 2 p.m. against Cleveland State.
