Softball Opens 2010 Season In Florida
February 11, 2010 | Softball
Feb. 11, 2010
Gameday Central | Complete Game Notes In PDF Form 
USF DeMarini Tournament Page | USF DeMarini Tournament Friday Live Chat
Due to heavy rains in the area, today's 12:30 p.m. game is in a rain delay. Another update will be given around 2 p.m.
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina softball team opens the season Friday at the USF DeMarini Tournament. The Pirates face Illinois State at 12:30 p.m. and follow with Florida Gulf Coast at 2:30 p.m.
While in Clearwater, Fla., ECU plays Canisius and host South Florida Saturday before completing the weekend against Long Island Sunday morning.
This season, East Carolina returns seven starters and 10 letterwinners from a team that went 40-15 in 2009. The Pirates are looking to build on last year's program-best 19 Conference USA victories and a second-place finish in the regular-season standings.
The Pirates Against The Redbirds ...
Friday will be the first meeting between the two programs. The Redbirds return 12 letterwinners and six starters from last year's 24-26 team. Niki Stansell, a 2009 Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection after transfering from the University of Georgia, is expected to anchor the infield at shortstop while three pitchers return to the mix.
East Carolina Versus Florida Gulf Coast ...
The second game of the tournament has the Pirates meeting another first-time opponent in Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles went 47-9 last season with a 15-5 mark in Atlantic Sun contests.
Returning to this year's team are First Team All-Atlantic Sun outfield selections Courtney Platt and Lauran Ziegler. In 2009 Platt also added a Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) South All-Region First Team honor.
ECU In First-Time Meetings ...
Twice this weekend the Pirates will face an opponent they have never played before. Since 2006, East Carolina has gone 13-6 in series openers. Last season, East Carolina went 2-0 in initial meetings, defeating Big Ten member Indiana, 8-3, and Big East foe Georgetown, 9-0.
One More To 575 ...
In her 14th year as ECU's head coach, Tracey Kee's first victory of the season will be win No. 575 of her career. Kee's teams have won 40 or more games in five of the past six, and 10 of the past 13, seasons, and have tallied at least 50 in four of her years as head coach. Since East Carolina began fastpitch softball in 1984, the Pirates have recorded 971 victories, with Kee being a part of 892 of those wins as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
Paisley Preseason Conference USA Pitcher-of-the-Year ...
Following a standout year in which she was selected the 2009 Conference USA Co-Female Athlete-of-the-Year, league Pitcher-of- the-Year and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Mideast All-Region Team member, junior Toni Paisley has been named the league's Preseason Pitcher-of-the-Year.
Last season, the Lakewood, Calif., native led C-USA in wins (30), innings pitched (270.2), earned run average (1.22), opponents' batting average (.177), batters struck out (297) and batters struck out looking (92). Nationally, she finished the year ranked seventh in wins, 11th in ERA, 16th in strikeouts, 26th in saves and 30th in shutouts (9).
Two More Preseason All-Conference USA Selections ...
Joining Paisley on this year's Preseason All-C-USA team are seniors Cristen Aona and Christina Merrida.
Aona, a third baseman, drove in a team second-best 31 runs a year ago. Her 43 hits, including a career-high six home runs, put her in a tie for third on the squad. Defensively, she led the Pirates with 107 assists, the seventh-most in Conference USA.
Merrida, a center fielder, finished fourth on the squad with a .281 batting average. From the beginning of April to the end of the season, she was the Pirates' hottest hitter, batting .355 and scoring 11 runs. Merrida also stole 16 bases, one off the team lead.
