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Feb. 16, 2000
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team will openthe 2000 season by playing seven games in Las Vegas in a four-day span.The Cavaliers begin the season on Thursday, February 17 with a pair ofgames, and then take part in the 16-team 2000 UNLV Classic February 18-20.
UVa opens the 2000 season with a 3:00 p.m. game at UNLV on Thursday,February 17 and are then scheduled to play Portland State at 5:00 p.m. thesame day. The ‘Hoos open the 2000 UNLV Classic by playing Fordham at 1:00p.m. on Friday, February 18. At 6:00 p.m. Friday, Virginia will playCalifornia-Santa Barbara. On Saturday, UVa takes on 12th-ranked Californiaat 6:00 p.m. and Utah at 8:30 p.m. Virginia closes out play in thetournament with a 1:00 p.m. game against 11th-ranked Oregon State on Sunday.
Virginia, picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2000according to the Preseason ACC Coaches Poll, finished the 1999 season witha 35-26 overall record and a 4-4 mark in ACC play. The Cavaliers lost toFlorida State in the championship game of the ACC Tournament last season.
The 2000 Cavaliers, under the tutelage of third-year head coach CherylSprangel, return seven starters from the 1999 team. Second-year KristenDennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) leads the way after hitting .347last season. Among her 61 hits were 16 doubles, one triple and two homeruns. Dennis, an All-ACC selection and ACC Rookie of the Year in 1999,drove in 27 runs and scored 27 times. Dennis also posted a 9-6 record as apitcher and sported a 1.64 earned run average. In addition, the ‘Hoosreturn two other veteran pitchers in fourth-years Chrissy Quinn(Buckingham, Pa./Central Bucks East) and Stacey Zagol (Berwyn,Pa./Conestoga). Last season, Quinn was 9-8 with a 2.25 ERA and struck out113 batters in 112 innings. Zagol was 11-10 with a 2.29 ERA in 1999. Shepitched a team-high 134.1 innings and recorded five shutouts and 15complete games.
Fourth-year Karen Breshears (Camarillo, Calif./Cornerstone Christian)returns to anchor the infield at third base. Breshears, a 1999 All-ACCpick, hit .274 last season and tied Dennis for team-high honors in RBI with27. She is only one of two returnees who started all 61 games last season.The other returnee to start all 61 games is third-year right fielderMeaghan Young (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury), who was a 1999 ACCAll-Tournament team selection. Young hit 321 last season with aschool-record 67 base hits. She scored 28 runs and drove in 21 as well.