UTICA, NY - The Utica University softball team will begin the 2022 season in the sunshine state as the Pioneers travel to Florida to play their first ten games of the season. Utica will open the season on Sunday, March 13 with games against SUNY Fredonia and McDaniel College. First pitch will be thrown at 4 p.m. 
 
Looking Back: The Pioneers capped off the 2021 season with a 14-15 overall record and a 8-12 mark in Empire 8 Conference play. In the first season back after COVID-19 canceled the 2020 season, the team advanced into the double-elimination portion of the Empire 8 Tournament, where they were defeated by No. 1 seed St. John Fisher and No. 2 seed Russell Sage after defeating No.4 Keuka in the opening game. The team had six athletes selected to the All-Conference team, including Megan O'Keefe (Albany, NY/Bethlehem Central) and Julia Phelps (Waterford, NY/Shenendehowa High School) to the second team, Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls), Sara Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) and Madison Akots (Wynantskill, NY/Emma Willard School) to the third team, and Adrian Duvall (Lisbon, NY/Lisbon Central School) as the program's representative on the E8 Sportswoman of the Year team.
 
Schedule At A Glance: The Pioneers will have 26 non-conference games this season, ten of which will be played in Clermont and Leesburg, FL from March 13-18. Following the pair against Fredonia and McDaniel, the Pioneers will head over to Leesburg to play Oswego State and Mount Saint Mary College at Sleepy Hollow on March 14. The team will then take on Hood College and SUNY New Paltz the next day followed by games against St. Lawrence University and SUNY Geneseo on March 17. Utica then rounds off the trip on Friday in Leesburg against Plattsburgh State and Stockton University. Other road non-conference games include doubleheaders at Skidmore College, Medaille College, Cazenovia College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Hamilton College. Utica will host doubleheaders against Morrisville State, SUNY Poly and Union College in non-conference action as well. The Pioneers will take on each conference opponent twice this season for a total of 16 Empire 8 battles beginning on April 1 at home against Houghton College and ending on April 24 at Nazareth College. 
 
In The Dugout: Pat Mineo returns for his 17th season as the head coach of the Pioneers. While collecting his 300th career win as the program's head coach last season, Mineo brought the Pioneers back to the Empire 8 conference tournament in 2021 for the first time since reaching the conference championship in 2018. Assisting Mineo once again is 2018 Utica graduate, Sabrina Stransky, who joined the Pioneers coaching staff in 2019. Kari Beane returns as the pitching coach for the Pioneers as she has held the position since 2011. Jessica Scott will also serve as a volunteer assistant coach. 
 
Key Departures: Madison Akots (Wynantskill, NY/Emma Willard School) and Sara Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) were two of the Pioneers key players from the 2021 team who graduated last year, leaving big shoes to fill in the batting order. Akots touted a team leading .395 batting average and was one of the toughest strikeouts for opposing pitchers last season, only striking out once in her 86 at bats. Stransky was third for the Pioneers in batting average at .387 while leading the team with 36 hits and was also keen at swiping bags going 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts. Both players were named to the E8 All-Conference Third Team. 
 
We're Not Leaving: The Pioneers return several impact players from the 2021 squad that won 14 contests and won an Empire 8 first round postseason contest. Locking down the middle of the field for the Pioneers will be shortstop Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls). While being named to the Empire 8 third team, Joss earned a career-high in nearly every statistical category. Some notable stats from Joss last season include batting .393, having a 1.110 OPS, and leading the team in runs scored and runs batted with 25 each, doubles (11), triples and home runs (2), total bases (56) and walks (16). Senior catcher/first baseman Kaitlyn Paul (Albany, NY/Guilderland) was an All-Empire 8 Second Team pick in 2019 and was on her way to putting up tremendous offensive numbers in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury. She started and played in the first six games for Utica last season, batting .450 (9-20), including two home runs, with a 1.450 OPS, .950 SLG% and .500 on base percentage. Each of these statistics led the Pioneers, but did not meet the team/conference leader requirement of a minimum of 75 percent of games played. Sophomore outfielder Julia Phelps (Waterford, NY/Shenendehowa High School) returns after garnering All-Empire 8 second team honors as a first-year player in 2021. Phelps batted a healthy .307 last season, while also leading the Pioneers in stolen bases. Bailey McElwain (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker High School) and Abbigayle Finch (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz) return as outfield options for Utica. McElwain hit .271 and led the team with 96 trips to the dish in 28 games last season while making 27 starts. Finch started in 21 of her 26 games and batted .263 while driving in 12 runs. 
 
In the Circle: Junior pitcher Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) appeared in 23 games for the Pioneers last season and recorded 12 complete games and three shutouts while ending the season 9-10 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. Conte will be the ace for the Pioneers this season, as she is the only returning pitcher from the 2021 season, one in which she hurled a team high 114.2 innings. Freshman newcomers to the pitching staff include Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester ), Kelly Thornton (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional ), and Lucia Gargiulo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa ). 
 
Behind The Plate: The Pioneers will have a plethora of lineup options with five players on the team having the ability to catch, and three of them being overall utility players. Catcher Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School) touted a .300 batting average in 2021, ranking third in the Empire 8 in triples and fifth in sacrifice flies. Kaitlyn Paul (Albany, NY/Guilderland) is a known swiss army knife and can play behind the plate, at first base, and in the outfield as well. Utility player Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) also has the ability to catch after making 23 starts in 27 games played last season. Newcomers to the Pioneer backstop crew are Annmarie Morra (Manwah, NJ/Manwah) and Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie), who can also play the infield.
 
Young Meese: The 2022 Pioneers are a young crew that has a total of 10 newcomers to the team, nine of which are freshmen. Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), sister of 2019 Empire 8 Second Team player Kaitlyn Paul (Albany, NY/Guilderland), is a middle infielder who is looking to come in and make an immediate impact for the team. Other incoming infielders include Abigayle Jepsen (Hudson, NY/Hudson ) and Alyssa Barbato (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck ). The newest members of the Utica outfield are Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker ) and Abriana Wadley (Utica, NY/Proctor), who is also a member of the volleyball team. 
 
Up Next: Utica will turn around and immediately take on Oswego State at 10 a.m. and Mount Saint Mary College (NY) at 12:30 p.m. on Mar. 14. Both games will be played at Sleepy Hollow in Leesburg, FL.