Saturday, February 11
Ruston, LA
4:00 PM
Louisiana Tech University
vs
Southeast Missouri
Photo by: Darrell James
LA Tech Opens 2023 Season Against SEMO This Weekend
2/10/2023 9:53:00 AM | Softball
RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech Softball team opens up the 2023 season Saturday at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field when they start a three-game series with SEMO at 4 p.m., before finishing the series with a doubleheader slated to start at Noon on Sunday.
SERIES INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, Feb. 11 | 4 p.m. CT | Saturday, Feb. 12 | Noon CT (DH)
Location: Dr. Billy Bundrick Field (Ruston, La.)
TV/Stream: CUSA.tv
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Tickets: Purchase
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (0-0)
The Lady Techsters are coming off a historic 2022 season which saw them win the Conference USA Regular Season title with an 18-6 conference mark while posting a 39-20 overall record.
2022 Conference USA Coach of the Year Josh Taylor enters his second season at the helm with 18 returnees and eight newcomers on his roster, highlighted by 2022 Conference USA Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American Sierra Sacco in center field.
Sacco leads all active NCAA DI players in career batting average (.441) and set a single-season program record with 83 hits in the leadoff spot last season. Sacco garnered Preseason All-CUSA honors and was named a Top-100 player by DI Softball and Extra Innings Softball in its preseason player rankings. Sacco enters the 2023 season, having reached base in 31 consecutive games.
Shortstop Amanda Gonzalez also garnered Preseason All-CUSA honors. The senior has made 91 consecutive starts for Tech and is coming off a breakout season in which she batted .370 with 61 hits, eight home runs, 32 runs batted in, 36 runs scored and 103 total bases. A dynamic defender, Gonzalez led C-USA in assists in 2022 (163) and formed one of the top double play duos in the country with second basemen Caroline Easom to help Tech rank ninth nationally in double plays per game (0.53).
Junior catcher Brooke Diaz and outfielder/designated player Kylie Neel also are back after being named second-team all-conference a year ago. Diaz was named the 22nd-best catcher in the country in the Extra Innings Softball preseason rankings. She batted .294 with 47 hits, seven home runs, and 39 RBI in 2022 while throwing out 14 baserunners, ranking 22nd nationally. Neel is coming off a strong 2022 season in which she hit .297 with a .331 on-base percentage and .473 slugging percentage.
Other returning starters include left fielder Katelin Cooper (.291 Avg., 46 H, 26 RBI), second baseman Caroline Easom (.256 Avg., .349 OBP, 106 career starts) and first baseman Jordyn Manning (93 career starts, .979 fielding percentage, 600 career putouts).
Tech will look to replace standout Audrey Pickett in the circle with a multitude of right-handed arms in 2023. Juniors Lauren Menzina (7-7, 3.32 ERA) and Emma Hutchinson (7-7, 3.57 ERA) is back, while junior Brook Melnychuk returns after sitting out last season due to injury. Melnychuk's fastball clocks in at 66-67 miles per hour and she was an NJCAA All-American while at Iowa Western Community College in 2021, posting a 27-8 record with a 1.67 ERA and 271 strikeouts.
Tech also brings in newcomers Allie Floyd, Alyssa Martin and Mary Martinez to its pitching staff.
Tech carries a 12-game home winning streak into the series with SEMO, which is the fifth-longest nationally.
ABOUT SEMO (0-0)
The SEMO Red Hawks went 30-24 overall and placed fourth in the OVC with a 16-10 mark last season. SEMO was recently tabbed to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
Outfielder Paige Halliwill is one of the Red Hawks top players. The junior batted .267 with 40 hits, 35 runs scored, seven doubles and eight home runs while earning a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer Team in 2022. Halliwill spent her freshman season at Marshall.
SEMO also returns starting infielders Kynzie Wrigley, Aubrie Shore and Abigail Rickermann while also bring back catcher Kat Sackett. Wrigley (.323), Rickermann (.296) and Shore (.288) are SEMO's top three hitters back in terms of average from a year ago.
Like Tech, SEMO has to replace its top pitcher from a year ago. Marisa Davis and Paytience Holman are among the Red Hawks top returning arms. Davis started 14 games and recorded 46 strikeouts in 77.2 innings, while Holman ranked second on the team in wins (6), strikeouts (51), innings (81) and starts (16) in 2022. Davis (2) and Holman (4) also combined for six complete games.
SEMO is led by head coach Mark Redburn who is in his 10th season in Cape Girardeau with a record of 209-71.
SEMO Pitching Coach Mike Forsythe spent three seasons at Louisiana Tech (2017-19). During his time at Louisiana Tech, Forsythe played a big part in helping three Lady Techster pitchers earn First-Team All-Conference USA honors. One of those pitchers, Krystal De La Cruz, was also named C-USA Newcomer of the Year in 2017, while another, Preslee Gallaway, was tabbed C-USA Pitcher of the Year in 2018.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the fifth meeting between the Lady Techsters and Red Hawks. LA Tech leads the all-time series 4-1. Tech run-ruled the Redhawks 11-3 in the last meeting on Feb. 16, 2019 in Ruston.
TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are on sale and can be purchased at LATechSports.com/Tickets or by calling the LA Tech Ticket Office at (318) 257-3631.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Clear bags are required at all Louisiana Tech athletic events.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in LA Tech Softball, follow us on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LATechSoftball).
SERIES INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, Feb. 11 | 4 p.m. CT | Saturday, Feb. 12 | Noon CT (DH)
Location: Dr. Billy Bundrick Field (Ruston, La.)
TV/Stream: CUSA.tv
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Tickets: Purchase
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (0-0)
The Lady Techsters are coming off a historic 2022 season which saw them win the Conference USA Regular Season title with an 18-6 conference mark while posting a 39-20 overall record.
2022 Conference USA Coach of the Year Josh Taylor enters his second season at the helm with 18 returnees and eight newcomers on his roster, highlighted by 2022 Conference USA Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American Sierra Sacco in center field.
Sacco leads all active NCAA DI players in career batting average (.441) and set a single-season program record with 83 hits in the leadoff spot last season. Sacco garnered Preseason All-CUSA honors and was named a Top-100 player by DI Softball and Extra Innings Softball in its preseason player rankings. Sacco enters the 2023 season, having reached base in 31 consecutive games.
Shortstop Amanda Gonzalez also garnered Preseason All-CUSA honors. The senior has made 91 consecutive starts for Tech and is coming off a breakout season in which she batted .370 with 61 hits, eight home runs, 32 runs batted in, 36 runs scored and 103 total bases. A dynamic defender, Gonzalez led C-USA in assists in 2022 (163) and formed one of the top double play duos in the country with second basemen Caroline Easom to help Tech rank ninth nationally in double plays per game (0.53).
Junior catcher Brooke Diaz and outfielder/designated player Kylie Neel also are back after being named second-team all-conference a year ago. Diaz was named the 22nd-best catcher in the country in the Extra Innings Softball preseason rankings. She batted .294 with 47 hits, seven home runs, and 39 RBI in 2022 while throwing out 14 baserunners, ranking 22nd nationally. Neel is coming off a strong 2022 season in which she hit .297 with a .331 on-base percentage and .473 slugging percentage.
Other returning starters include left fielder Katelin Cooper (.291 Avg., 46 H, 26 RBI), second baseman Caroline Easom (.256 Avg., .349 OBP, 106 career starts) and first baseman Jordyn Manning (93 career starts, .979 fielding percentage, 600 career putouts).
Tech will look to replace standout Audrey Pickett in the circle with a multitude of right-handed arms in 2023. Juniors Lauren Menzina (7-7, 3.32 ERA) and Emma Hutchinson (7-7, 3.57 ERA) is back, while junior Brook Melnychuk returns after sitting out last season due to injury. Melnychuk's fastball clocks in at 66-67 miles per hour and she was an NJCAA All-American while at Iowa Western Community College in 2021, posting a 27-8 record with a 1.67 ERA and 271 strikeouts.
Tech also brings in newcomers Allie Floyd, Alyssa Martin and Mary Martinez to its pitching staff.
Tech carries a 12-game home winning streak into the series with SEMO, which is the fifth-longest nationally.
ABOUT SEMO (0-0)
The SEMO Red Hawks went 30-24 overall and placed fourth in the OVC with a 16-10 mark last season. SEMO was recently tabbed to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
Outfielder Paige Halliwill is one of the Red Hawks top players. The junior batted .267 with 40 hits, 35 runs scored, seven doubles and eight home runs while earning a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer Team in 2022. Halliwill spent her freshman season at Marshall.
SEMO also returns starting infielders Kynzie Wrigley, Aubrie Shore and Abigail Rickermann while also bring back catcher Kat Sackett. Wrigley (.323), Rickermann (.296) and Shore (.288) are SEMO's top three hitters back in terms of average from a year ago.
Like Tech, SEMO has to replace its top pitcher from a year ago. Marisa Davis and Paytience Holman are among the Red Hawks top returning arms. Davis started 14 games and recorded 46 strikeouts in 77.2 innings, while Holman ranked second on the team in wins (6), strikeouts (51), innings (81) and starts (16) in 2022. Davis (2) and Holman (4) also combined for six complete games.
SEMO is led by head coach Mark Redburn who is in his 10th season in Cape Girardeau with a record of 209-71.
SEMO Pitching Coach Mike Forsythe spent three seasons at Louisiana Tech (2017-19). During his time at Louisiana Tech, Forsythe played a big part in helping three Lady Techster pitchers earn First-Team All-Conference USA honors. One of those pitchers, Krystal De La Cruz, was also named C-USA Newcomer of the Year in 2017, while another, Preslee Gallaway, was tabbed C-USA Pitcher of the Year in 2018.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the fifth meeting between the Lady Techsters and Red Hawks. LA Tech leads the all-time series 4-1. Tech run-ruled the Redhawks 11-3 in the last meeting on Feb. 16, 2019 in Ruston.
TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are on sale and can be purchased at LATechSports.com/Tickets or by calling the LA Tech Ticket Office at (318) 257-3631.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Clear bags are required at all Louisiana Tech athletic events.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in LA Tech Softball, follow us on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LATechSoftball).
Players Mentioned
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