Marshall University Athletics
Herd Heads to Sunshine State for Citrus Classic
2/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 23, 2012
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall Softball will travel to Orlando, Fla. for a five game slate this weekend in the Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on the campus of Walt Disney World.
The Herd will play two games Friday and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. and a single game Sunday at 10 a.m. Their opponents will include two teams that are currently receiving votes in the NFCA pole in Florida State and Maryland. St. John's and Southern Illinois will also await the Herd.
Marshall is coming off a split during last weekend's College of Charleston Cougar Classic. MU was victorious over Akron and Morehead State last Saturday after dropping two during Friday action.
Andi Williamson was one of the top performers for the Herd with 19 total strike outs and a 0.91 earned run average during weekend action. The junior posted 13 strike outs against Charleston Southern Friday. It was her career high and the most for a Herd pitcher since 2004. Her performance earned Conference USA pitcher of the week.
At the dish Bri Anna Hope had the big bat for MU. In the four games of action she posted a .500 batting average with five runs batted in thanks to three doubles. Preseason all-conference team member Rebecca Gamby continues her strong career as she leads MU in batting average with a .423 clip and slugging percentage at a .731 mark.
Shonda Stanton's squad continues to excel in its area of strength with a mark of 33-for-37 in stolen bases on the year. 10 different members of the Herd have swiped a bag with Jessica Hughes and Taylor Thompson tops at seven each.
One of the teams that are receiving votes, Maryland, is whom Marshall will face first and the only opponent they will face twice. The Terps have two victories over top 25 teams Michigan and Kentucky. Fellow vote getter Florida State is undefeated at 10-0 thanks to a walk off grand slam Wednesday over fellow C-USA member UCF in nine innings. St. Johns (1-6) and the Herd will tangle for only the second time ever while Southern Illinois enters the weekend at 4-2.
Each game of the Citrus Classic is scheduled to feature GameTracker from www.HerdZone.com. Live chats will be held on select games while the twitter accounts @Herd_Zone and @MUHerd_Softball will provide updates throughout the action.
Marshall Game Schedule
Friday vs. Maryland 2:30 p.m.
Friday vs. St. John's 4:45 p.m.
Saturday vs. Southern Illinois 2:30 p.m.
Saturday vs. Florida State 4:45 p.m.
Sunday vs. Maryland 10:00 a.m.
