The softball team opens the 2011 season at the Palmetto State Showdown this weekend.
Feb. 10, 2011
Weekly Softball Notes 
GAMES 1-4
COASTAL CAROLINA (0-0) TRAVELS TO PALMETTO STATE SHOWDOWN
Dates: Friday, Feb. 11-Sunday, Feb. 13
Times: 12:30/5/12:30/12:30
Place: Beckham Field, Columbia, S.C.
Live Stats: Gametracker via www.GoCCUSports.com
TV/Live Video: None
Chants Open Season at Palmetto State Showdown
The Coastal Carolina University softball team opens its 2011 season, traveling to the Palmetto State Showdown, hosted by South Carolina Feb. 11-13. The Chanticleers open the tournament by facing Furman and USC Upstate Friday, Feb. 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Coastal then faces tournament host, South Carolina Saturday, Feb. 12 at 12:30 p.m. and Big South conference foe Winthrop on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 12:30 p.m. in a non-conference match up.
Scouting Furman
The Paladins start the 2011 season ranked seventh in the Southern Conference preseason poll. They are returning 10 letterwinners and nine starters, while welcoming four newcomers to the team. Two key returning players for Furman are preseason second team All-SoCon honorees junior centerfielder Stephanie Field and senior leftfielder Katie Michaels. Field led the squad with a .383 batting average, .487 slugging percentage, .472 on base percentage, 35 runs, 59 hits, two triples and 13 stolen bases last season. While Michaels finished the season with a .336 batting average, .373 on base percentage, 31 runs, 51 hits and 11 stolen bases.
Series vs. Furman
Coastal Carolina is behind in the overall series with Furman 7-11. The last meeting was in the 2004 season when the Chants swept the Paladins in a doubleheader. The teams were suppose to face off last season at the Palmetto State Showdown, but due to inclement weather, the game was cancelled.
Scouting USC Upstate
The Spartans enter the 2011 season ranked second in the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll. They are returning 12 letterwinners and nine starters, while welcoming six newcomers to the team. Returning pitcher, Morgan Childers, was named to the Preseason All-Conference team. Childers is currently Upstate’s career leader in wins, strikeouts, shutouts, opponent batting average, appearances and innings pitched. She also holds 10 single-season school records and the single-game school record for strikeouts at 18. She finished the 2010 season with a 1.01 era and a 34-7 record.
Series vs. USC Upstate
Coastal Carolina leads the overall series with USC Upstate 6-3. The Chants played the Spartans three times last season, going 2-1 on the year.
Scouting South Carolina
The Gamecocks will be returning 12 letterwinners and seven starters for the 2011 season, along with 10 newcomers. A key returning player for the Gamecocks is Laura Mendes who leads the team with a .355 batting average, 20 runs, 55 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, three homeruns, .529 slugging percentage and a .384 on base percentage.
Series vs. South Carolina
South Carolina leads the overall series with Coastal 41-6. In the last meeting, Coastal won 4-3, spoiling senior day for the Gamecocks. This was the last win over South Carolina since 2006 for the Chants.
Scouting Winthrop
The Eagles are returning 13 letterwinners and seven starters for the 2011 season, along with welcoming six newcomers to the team. A key returning player for Winthrop is junior Taylor Wright who led the team with a .340 batting average, 53 hits and nine doubles.
Series vs. Winthrop
Coastal Carolina leads the overall series against Winthrop 39-33. The Chants faced the Eagles five times last year and Winthrop won the most recent meeting 6-1 in the first round of the Big South Tournament.
Weather Forecast
Friday: Mostly sunny, 56 degrees. Saturday: Sunny, 57 degrees. Sunday: Sunny, 61 degrees.
Last Year at the Palmetto State Showdown
At last year’s Palmetto State Showdown, the tournament was cut short and the schedule was altered due to snow in Columbia. The Chanticleers were scheduled to play USC Upstate, Furman, College of Charleston and Charleston Southern, but on Friday, it started to snow, causing Friday’s games to be cancelled. Coastal played its first game against USC Upstate in the snow on Friday, but was forced to face South Carolina and Winthrop on Sunday due to the inclement weather.
Have We Met Before?
This season, the Chanticleers will face seven opponents for the first time in program history James Madison, Kansas, Lipscomb, Rhode Island, Sacramento State, Saint Joseph’s and UC Riverside.
Who’s Back
The Chanticleers return 11 letterwinners and eight starters from last year’s squad. Jazmin Daigle returns as the 2010 Big South co-Freshman of the and Cacia Pierre was an All-Big South first team selection last year. Stacy Snellings was named to the 2010 Big South All-Tournament team. Also returning is Tabi Cain, Olivia Piccirillo, Ashley Pisone, Megan Johnson, Sarah Maples, Olivia Williams and Michelle Evans.
New Kids On The Block
The Chanticleers welcome 11 newcomers to the program for the 2011 season. Freshmen Ashley Bagwell, Racquel Cooke, Brooke Donovan, Tamara Hawkins, Courtney Howell, Beth Kassuhn, Nicole Saggiomo, Kara Vonatzski, Jessie Winans and Desiree Zaragoza will all look to make an immediate impact. Coastal also welcomes Chelsea Pineda, who transferred to Coastal from Yavapai Junior College.
Coastal Carolina Picked to Finish Fifth
The Coastal Carolina University softball team was picked to finish fifth in the Big South Preseason Coaches Poll. The Chanticleers finished sixth last season after finishing 27-31 overall and 6-12 in the conference. Radford was picked to repeat as conference champions in 2011. The Highlanders picked up six first-place votes and earned 48 out of 49 possible points. Liberty finished second in the preseason poll, as the Lady Flames received 40 points. In the No. 3 spot was last season’s Big South Tournament runner-up Winthrop, finishing with 33 points and one first-place vote. Charleston Southern finished fourth in the voting with 25 points, just ahead of Coastal Carolina (23 points). Gardner-Webb (20 points) and Presbyterian College (seven points) finished seventh and eighth, respectively in the voting.
Coastal Carolina Welcomes Five in 2012
The Coastal Carolina University softball team has signed five players to National Letters-of-Intent. Kory Hayden (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens), Paige Lloyd (Wilmington, Del./Padua Academy), Morgan Mastriania (Quarryville, Penn./Solanco), Kiana Quolas (Oxnard, Calif./Oaks Christian) and Sara Rasley (Easton, Penn./Easton Area) will all join the 2011-2012 roster.
Doesn’t Matter Where You’re From...
Of the 22 players on this season’s roster, only five are from the state of South Carolina. Overall, this year’s team hails from 12 different states. California and North Carolina are represented with three on the roster while New York and Washington have two. Arizona, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia are all represented with one on the squad.
Up Next
The Chanticleers return to Conway for its home opener Friday, February 18 against Saint Joseph’s at 4:30 p.m. in the Kickin’ Chicken Classic.
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