Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Butler
Marshall Softball Set to Embark on 2023 Season
2/6/2023 1:55:00 PM | Softball
Herd picked sixth in Sun Belt Preseason Poll
HUNTINGTON, W.Va – The Marshall softball team opens the 2023 season at the Florida Spring Games this weekend in Leesburg, Fla.
The three-day tournament begins Friday with a 1:30 p.m. first pitch with Portland State. The Thundering Herd will also meet Colgate while facing Butler twice in its opening weekend. The Bulldogs are coming off a 31-win season in 2022.
Tournament Details
Friday: vs. Portland State -1:30 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Butler - 11 a.m.
vs. Colgate - 4 p.m.
Sunday: vs. Butler - 9:00 a.m.
The Herd has been picked sixth in the Sun Belt preseason poll. Louisiana, the three-time defending SBC champion, was unanimously selected as the preseason favorite for the Sun Belt.
The Herd returns 10 players from a 35-win team in 2022 while adding five transfers and three incoming freshmen to the 2023 roster.
One of those returning players is Sydney Nester, the reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Year. The Hillsville, Va. native recorded 26 wins with a 2.35 ERA last season. Nester was also inducted into her high school's Hall of Fame last month.
Offensively, infielder/catcher Autumn Owen returns, coming off a season where she hit eight home runs with a .354 average. The 2022 All-Conference Second Team member had 51 hits and 23 RBIs in her first season with the Herd.
The incoming class consists of three freshmen - Aaliyah Crews, Abby Darnley, and Bri Godfrey.
Other newcomers include Parkersburg native Emily Allen, Sydney Bickel, Erica Holt, Savannah Rice, and Kasey Wilhoit.
Head coach Megan Smith Lyon and her staff enter their fifth season in Huntington. Smith Lyon owns a 115-60 record at Marshall and has 508 wins overall in her collegiate coaching career.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall Softball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdSB, Facebook at Marshall University Softball and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
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