Marshall University Athletics
@HerdSB To Open Season Friday
2/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Marshall University Thundering Herd softball team is set to start its season Friday in Charleston as it will take on five teams in the Charleston Challenge, hosted by the University of Charleston in Charleston, S.C.
The Herd will be facing the hosts along with Army, UMass-Lowell, Bethune-Cookman and UNC Greensboro. Herd coach Shonda Stanton played for UNCG, winning back to back Big South championships and finished her senior season with 66 runs, eighth-best in the nation that season. She was also recognized as an All-Big South student athlete for her performances.
HAVE YOU HERD?
This season, the Herd will be looking to reach the Conference USA championship game for the fourth consecutive year. The team defeated Houston for the 2013 Conference USA championship. Four total appearances in the C-USA championship game is a record for any team at Marshall and three straight is also a school record.
Last season, Stanton became the winningest head coach in Marshall athletics history, with her 453 wins surpassing Herd legend Cam Henderson. Stanton has 480 total wins as a head coach.
STANTON'S STATEMENTS
Head Coach Shonda Stanton on the Weekend:
"We're prepared. This is as confident as I've felt in a group in terms of our preseason training. I like and our staff likes how much we're competing. We are winning every day and every practice and each rep. I've got to give credits to our student-athletes and their focus and our mindset right now."
On Staying Loose:
"When we get out here, we say practice time is the time for coaches and game time and road trips are for the players. It's a wonderful experience and it's just about them being thankful about what we get to do. Now we go out and it's show time. We know we'll make some mistakes, but I know this group will do a lot more positives than it will negatives this year."
On Coaching Against UNC Greensboro:
"I think any time you've played the game and you've been in the game for 15 or 16 years, you build relationships with these coaches and I think you look at all these teams, it's the same thing, and it's just another game. I loved my experience as a student-athlete, being a Spartan and I have a lot of Spartan pride and that's what I want to convey to my girls here, which is I want them to enjoy their time as much as I did.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Three Marshall players (juniors Shaelynn Braxton and Kaelynn Greene and sophomore Morgan Zerkle) were named to the 2015 preseason Conference USA All-Conference team. Braxton and Greene were named to the list for 2014 as well, making this their second selection to the team. Marshall and Florida Atlantic had the most players named to the team, with three each. College Sports Madness named Braxton, Greene, Zerkle and RHP Jordan Dixon to its preseason Conference USA team.
LET'S GET SOCIAL
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WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday:
Army (1:30 p.m.)
College of Charleston (3:30 p.m.)
Saturday:
Bethune-Cookman (11 a.m.)
UMass-Lowell (1 p.m.)
Sunday:
UNC Greensboro (9 a.m.)
