Utica, NY (3/13/15)- The Utica College softball team is set to kick off its 2015 campaign in search of its third straight trip to the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. 
 
The Pioneers wrapped up last season with a 22-12 overall record and a 6-6 mark in the E8.  Utica lost to Alfred University in a heartbreaking 9-8 walk off defeat in the tournament semifinals one year ago.
 
Utica will have to make up for the loss of 2014 graduate and Third Team All-American, Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker).  Matan led the conference with a .481 batting average to go along with her 51 hits and 23 RBI last year. 
 
UC welcomes back 10 players, including seven starters from last season's squad. Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville), the 2013 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, returns for her junior campaign, looking to build off her .404 batting average as a sophomore.  Russell earned her second straight All-Region honors after leading the team with five home runs and 27 RBI. 
 
Junior Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) finished 2014 ranked fourth on the team with a .356 average and a team-high 11 walks.  She has earned All-Conference accolades in each of her last two seasons.
 
Three-time All-Conference selection Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) returns for her senior campaign after batting .337 one year ago.  Fitzgerald is currently second on the College's career home run list (20), and needs just one more to tie Abby Drew '09 for first all-time.  Last season, she also moved into third place all-time with 102 RBI, just three shy of 2013 graduate Bridgette Plummer, who is second on the list.
 
2014 Second Team All-Conference selection Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) returns for her senior campaign.  Traglia batted .352 last season, with 27 runs scored.  She was the only starter to have a 1.000 fielding percentage on the season.  She is currently tied for third all-time with 34 stolen bases and needs just seven more steals to tie Laura Meagher '06 for first on the list. 
 
Catcher Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) was one of only five freshmen to be named to an All-Conference team after collecting a .347 average and starting 32 games last season.  She led the freshman class with three home runs on the year and drove in 22 runs.
 
Junior Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene) has played in 73 games over her first two seasons, while batting .300.  Ellis is a perfect 12-for-12 on stolen base attempts and has compiled a .922 fielding percentage in her career. 
 
In the circle, the Pioneers return junior Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown), who was an All-Region selection as a freshman.  Monroe had a 1.99 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 25 appearances last season.  In her freshman campaign, she tied the program's single-season record with 19 wins. 
 
2013 Empire 8 Coach of the Year, Pat Mineo returns for his tenth season to guide the Pioneers.  Mineo is currently just two wins shy of 200 victories at UC.  He is 198-171 overall and has led Utica to three Empire 8 Tournament appearances, the E8 regular season title in 2013 and the program's first ever NCAA Tournament bid. 
The Pioneers' 2015 schedule features 42 games, including 14 Empire 8 Conference contests.  UC will open the season with ten games over the course of six days in Clermont, FL.  The biggest test Utica will face is when it takes on defending National Champion and nationally ranked No. 1 Tufts University on March 20.  Utica will play 20 games at the friendly confines of Greenman Field.  The Pioneers are an impressive 31-4 on their home field in the last two seasons.  


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