CHARLESTON, SC – Siena Softball will officially commence its 49
th varsity season this season, and will look to build on recent regular season success. The Saints will take part in five contests at the CSU Kickoff Tournament hosted by Charleston Southern University in Charleston South Carolina Friday, February 9 – Sunday, February 11 in the first of three southern tournaments to begin the year.
The Green and Gold will face off with ASUN foe Bellarmine for the first time ever and the first of three scheduled meetings this season on Friday at 10 AM, and will meet the NEC's Saint Francis (PA) for the first time since 2012 at 12:30. Siena will again face Bellarmine on Saturday at 10 AM before meeting first-time foe Charleston Southern at 3 PM, and will end the weekend on Sunday at 10 AM against Saint Francis (PA) once more.
Saturday's contest against the host Buccaneers will be aired live on ESPN+, while live stats for all games will be available. Following @Siena_Softball on X for up-to-the-minute updates on all the action at the CSU Kickoff this weekend.
Led by fourth year head coach
Casey Bump, the Saints are coming off back-to-back 32-win seasons, which set and tied the program wins record and led the team to its first-ever MAAC championship game appearance in 2022. Picked to finish fifth in the MAAC in this year's Preseason Coaches Poll, Siena finished fifth in the league last year at 11-9, and fell in the MAAC Quarterfinals during last year's tournament. The Green and Gold have clinched a berth in each of the last seven MAAC tournaments.
Despite graduating eight players, Siena returns five of its top six offensive performers from last season, led by senior
Isabella Pardo, who took home Second Team All-MAAC honors and led the team in hits (58) and batting average (.343). The team also returns several players from last year's starting lineup, including junior infielder
Ashley Giampolo, fifth year catcher
Jocelyn Ulrich, junior outfielder
McKenzie Swinson, and senior outfielder
Mikala Fletcher. Siena returns three contributors in the circle from last season, including 2023 MAAC All-Rookie Team selection
Alissa Eimont and returning graduate student arm
Nicole Patille. In addition to key returners, the team welcomed seven newcomers to its roster for this season, including five freshmen and a pair of transfers.
Siena's opening weekend action will feature the program's first trip to the Palmetto State since 2010 after last year's CSU Kickoff was cancelled due to weather, and kicks off a string of 24 straight road non-conference contests to kick off the year. The Saints are 1-1 all-time against Saint Francis (PA), with a 9-3 win in the last meeting on March 15, 2012 and an 11-5 loss on March 21, 2009.
The Saints will look to replicate last year's record-breaking start to the season, which featured wins in each of the first seven games and a sweep of the first MAAC weekly awards of the year. Following this weekend's action, the Saints will head to Madeira Beach, Florida for seven matchups at The Spring Games February 22–25, and will return for five more games March 8-10.
