UTICA, NY – The Utica College Softball team is set to open up its 2016 campaign as it travels to Kissimmee, FL for its annual spring training trip. The Pioneers will kick off the season against SUNY Cortland on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
 
Rebel Spring Games: UC will play 12 games in six days in Florida... Utica will start on March 13^th against Cortland and will end on March 19^th against Skidmore College… The Pioneers will play against teams from New York, Maryland, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Jersey…
 
Home Sweet Home: Utica will play 12 games at home this season, including six Empire 8 Conference contests… UC is 38-11 at Greenman Field in the last three seasons… The Pioneers will have the entire week of April 10^th at home with the first matchup against University of Rochester (4/13/2016) … UC will then face conference opponents Alfred (4/15/2016) and Houghton College (4/15/2016) … All three matchups are scheduled double-headers.
 
Empire 8 Conference Play: The Pioneers will kick-off conference play against St. John Fisher College for a double-header (4/2/2016) … UC has 14 conference matchups this season … The team's first home conference series will be against Alfred University (4/15/2016) … The Pioneers lost both games against Alfred last season in extra-innings.

Final Stretch: The Pioneers will be on the road for two out of the three games they have left in the regular season... UC will conclude the year in a double-header against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute [RPI] (4/27/2016) … The Pioneers beat RPI in both games of a double-header matchup in 2014 and were scheduled to play RPI last season, but the games were canceled due to weather.

Post Season Play: The Empire 8 Tournament will start May 5^th and end on May 8^th … The last time the Pioneers made it to the Empire 8 Tournament was in 2014 after a 22-12 regular season.

Return to Playoffs: The Pioneers finished last season with an overall record of 18-16 and barely missed the Empire 8 Tournament with a 6-8 mark in league play … UC seniors Taylor Ellis (Kannapolis, NC/Greene), Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown), Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central), and Alyssa Russell were on the 2013 Pioneer team that had a program-best record of 34-14 and made it to the NCAA Division III Tournament Regional for the first time in program history.

Notable Returners: Utica returns 13 players to the team, including six starters… ECAC All-Star and All-Region selection Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) is back after leading the team with a .472 batting average and 50 hits last season… Second team All-Region selection Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) appeared in 34 games last season, with 45 hits, seven doubles, three triples, 25 RBI's, four homeruns and 12 stolen bases… Sophomore Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) started 31 games as a freshman, had 22 hits, 15 runs, 14 RBI's, six doubles, three homeruns and two stolen bases …  Ogren is the only junior on the Pioneers that is returning this season … She finished the 2015 season with 22 hits, 12 RBI's, seven runs, seven doubles and one homerun.

Breaking Records: The Pioneers have two players looking to move up program's record books… Russell is currently fourth all-time in runs scored (101) and needs 23 to tie 2011 graduate Kim Martin's record of 124 runs… Russell is also one triple shy of the all-time record, held by Martin and Erin Hinrichs '02… The short stop is currently third in home runs (18) and needs eight more to top 2015 graduate Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) for most all-time… Senior Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) holds the program's career record for wins (40) and is tied with Pioneer Hall of Famer Bobbi (McMail) Simon for the single-season wins record (19)… Monroe is currently third all-time in strikeouts (260) and needs just 18 to move into first place all-time.

New Faces: Utica welcomes six new players to the team including Rachel Baker (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville), Natalie Lawrence (Floral Park, NY/Floral Park), Nicole Sciara (Bay Shore, NY/Islip), Shannon Cool (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer), Hayley Fredericks (Suffern, NY/Suffern), and Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South)… Sophomore Ally Cipollini (Highland, NY/Highland) is also back after sitting out last season.