Virginia Softball To Open 2006 Season At Triangle Classic
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Feb. 15, 2006
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team opens its 2006 season by competing in the eight-team, three-day Triangle Classic at the UNC Softball Complex in Chapel Hill, N.C., Feb. 17-19. UVa will play Gardner-Webb, Akron and St. John’s in pool play.
The Cavaliers’ first game of the season is against Gardner-Webb at 10:00 a.m. Friday. Virginia will also play Akron at 12:15 p.m. Friday. On Saturday (Feb. 18), UVa plays St. John’s at 10:00 a.m. and bracket play is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. The Silver and Gold championship and consolation games will take place on Sunday (Feb. 19) at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
In addition to UVa’s three opponents in pool B, the four schools competing in pool A are Coastal Carolina, Minnesota, Toledo and host North Carolina.
The Cavaliers are under the direction of first-year head coach Karen Johns. Johns has a 192-131 record in five seasons as a head coach and has made four NCAA Regionals appearances. UVa finished the 2005 season with a 31-32 overall record and a 9-8 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the 2006 ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, Virginia has been picked sixth.
“It will be nice to get down to North Carolina and see how well we can perform,” said Johns. “We have had great carry over in our scrimmages, but now will be the true test. The entire team is anxious to get the season started and show off their hard work.”
Virginia’s three pool play games are being played on UNC’s Stadium Field and can be followed via Gametracker on virginiasports.com. Each UVa game in bracket play that takes place on the Stadium Field will also be available on Gametracker.
Virginia returns 15 letterwinners, including nine of 10 starters, from last year’s team. Among the Cavaliers’ returnees are three All-ACC performers: fourth-year third baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs), fourth-year center fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy), and third-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University).