HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team begins the 2020 campaign this weekend with five games at the Cardinal Invitational hosted by the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.
GAME SCHEDULE (home team listed second)
Friday, February 16
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Grambling State – 2 p.m. CT, H-E-B Field
Fairleigh Dickinson at Incarnate Word – 6 p.m. CT, H-E-B Field
Saturday, February 17
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Cleveland State – 12 p.m. CT, H-E-B Field
Delaware vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – 6 p.m. CT, H-E-B Field
Sunday, February 18
Grambling State vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – 10:30 a.m. CT, H-E-B Field
Live stats for all games:
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Live video stream for all games:
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ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
FDU enters the new season with a roster of 18 players, including 10 returners and eight newcomers that features seven freshmen and one sophomore transfer. The Knights will be replacing four starters in the field, while the Knights pitching staff returns three key players that finished with a 4.06 ERA and was second in the NEC with 225 total strikeouts last year. Junior
Abby England sported a 3.34 ERA in 58.2 innings to lead FDU last season, with opponents hitting only .249 against her.
Senior
Madison Emerson is FDU's leading returner in hitting, finishing last season with a .320 batting average, and her career. 296 batting average is currently eighth in FDU history. Emerson's .358 on-base percentage in her career is also tied for seventh-best in program history.
Junior
Rylie Schmeh and sophomore
Courtney Mahoney each recorded five doubles and 10 RBI last season to lead all returners. Schmeh also set the program record last season for triples, hitting four last season to enter this year with six in her career. Among returning starters in the lineup as well are senior
Summer Mendoza, junior
Logan Kolehmainen and sophomore
Riley De Laval.
The Knights ended last season with a 14-35 overall record and a 4-10 conference mark in the NEC.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
Four of the five teams in the Cardinal Invitational will be first-time opponents for FDU softball, having only previously faced Cleveland State. Delaware enters the tournament with a 4-1 record, starting its season last weekend with wins over Georgetown, UConn, Boston College and NEC rival LIU at the Florida Gulf Coast Kickoff Classic. Host Incarnate Word went 2-3 last weekend in its own H-E-B Classic tournament, and Grambling State lost all four games in the SLI Classic. Cleveland State will also be opening its season this weekend.
TEXAS TWO-TIMING
The Knights will also make a return trip to Texas later in the season, going to Lubbock to play in the Jeannine McHaney Classic hosted by Texas Tech.
UP NEXT
FDU takes a 12-day break after this weekend's games before going down to the Tidewater region of Virginia to play at Norfolk State and Hampton, featuring a doubleheader at Norfolk State along with two games against Delaware State and a game vs. Hampton.
