Virginia Opens 2014 Season with Tournament at USC Upstate
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Feb. 6, 2014
| Virginia at Upstate Classic | |
| Date/Time | Feb. 7-9, 2014 |
| Location | Spartanburg, S.C. | Cyrill Stadium |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Live video – Sunday’s game vs. USC Upstate |
| Additional Information | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The Virginia softball team opens 2014 this weekend when it plays in the Upstate Classic Feb. 7-9 in Spartanburg, S.C. The Cavaliers will face-off against Eastern Michigan, North Carolina Central, Youngstown State and host USC Upstate.
Virginia opens the season on Friday (Feb. 7) against Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. and NCCU at 5 p.m. On Saturday (Feb. 8), the Cavaliers will play the host Spartans at 2:30 p.m. UVa plays in the final two games of the tournament on Sunday (Feb. 9) against Youngstown State and Upstate at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., respectively.
Live statistics will be available for all five games, while Sunday’s game against USC Upstate will be streamed live for free on ASun.TV.
The 2014 season marks a new era for Virginia softball as Blake Miller takes over as head coach after being an assistant at Oregon for the past three seasons.
The Cavaliers return their top three hitters from 2013’s squad. Seniors Marcy Bowdren (2B – Fairfax Station, Va.) and Karli Johnson (3B – Lovettsville, Va.) hit .309 and .281, respectively and combined for nine home runs and 47 RBI, while junior Megan Harris (1B – Knoxville, Tenn.) added four long balls and 22 RBI.
Also returning are outfielders Stephanie Harris (Sr. – Knoxville, Tenn.), who sat out the 2013 season, Heidi Velk (Jr. – Murrieta, Calif.) and Taylor Sarcone (So. – Staten Island, N.Y.). Velk led the Cavaliers with 12 stolen bases in 2013.
Sophomore pitcher Aimee Chapdelaine (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) takes over the No. 1 spot in the circle after going 5-10 last season with eight complete games.
The Cavaliers welcome five freshmen to the squad, including Kinza Baad (OF – Washington, D.C.), Iyana Hughes (OF – Manteca, Calif.), Madison Labshere (2B – El Cajon, Calif.), Lindsay Mayer (SS – Lincoln, R.I.) and Katie Park (C – Scottsdale, Ariz.).
Virginia returns to action next weekend (Feb. 15-16) when they travel to Greensboro, N.C., for a tournament featuring UNC Greensboro and Radford.