Softball Opens 2018 at Titan Classic

Friday, February 9

Fullerton, Calif.

4 PM

Rutgers University

Cal-Riverside

Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)

Feb 08 | Softball

Game Notes

Scarlet Knights begin season with five games in three days

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers softball opens the 2018 season with five games in three days at the Titan Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 9-11. The entire tournament will be streamed live on FloSoftball.com with a paid subscription. Rutgers' game against the host Titans will be streamed free of charge.

THE SLATE
All Times Eastern
Fri. 2/9    vs. Cal-Riverside 4 PM
Fri. 2/9     @ Fullerton 6:30 PM
Sat. 2/10    vs. Middle Tenn. State 1 PM
Sat. 2/10    vs. Pittsburgh 4 PM
Sat. 2/11    vs. Utah State#   1 PM

FOLLOW LIVE
Links for live stats, video streaming and audio (when available): http://bit.ly/2nXbXZw
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THE OPPONENTS
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KNIGHT NOTES
• Senior first baseman Rebecca Hall is the leading returning hitter for the Scarlet Knights with a .364 average, 12 home runs and 46 RBIs from one season ago. Hall is knocking on the door of milestones and records at RU.
   46 | RBIs needed for Hall to set a new program career record
   18 | Hall hits needed to crack the all-time Top 10 at RU
   17 | Hall doubles needed to set program career record

• The Scarlet Knights' pitching staff returns just 38 percent of their innings pitched from 2017. Junior Whitney Jones is the leader of the upperclassmen with four wins, a save and 20 strikeouts last spring. RU welcomes three freshmen to the mix in Taryn Collins, Taylor Manno and Bianca Vozenilek.

• Junior Jess Hughes transferred in from Fordham and earned the starting nod at shortstop. Hughes set a school record for on-base percentage (.510) in 2017. She hit .370 for the Rams with 12 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs and 41 RBIs en route to NFCA All-Region, All-ECAC and All-Atlantic 10 honors. She ranked 15th in the nation with 0.87 walks per game and 18th with six triples.

• Rebecca Hall was named to the 2017 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I All-Great Lakes Region First Team following her breakout junior season. Hall started 26 games as the designated player, as well as 23 at first base, posting a .364 batting average. The Fairfax, Virginia native led Rutgers and finished seventh in the Big Ten with a .691 slugging percentage, including 12 home runs. Her 12 homers rank fourth on RU's single-season records list, bringing her career total to 22 which ranks third on the career charts. Additionally, Hall was Rutgers top run generator, adding 46 RBIs to her stat line. She now owns 100 career RBIs and sits in the top 10 of the career records list. Overall, Hall added 16 multiple-hit contests and 13 multiple-RBI contests, including a six-RBI performance in a league game at Penn State.

• Senior catcher Sierra Maddox's role calling games and protecting the plate is vital, as is her bat in the middle of Rutgers' lineup. She slashed .276/.331/.425 last season with four home runs to increase her career total to 18, which ranks seventh in the RU record book. She added 18 RBIs, ranked second on the team with five successful sacrifices, and came up clutch with the walk-off RBI single in the 6-5 victory over Michigan State in the bottom of the seventh inning.

• Following an injury in 2017, junior Adriana Burcar is back at full strength and earned an opening day start in the outfield. As a rookie in 2016, Burcar tallied 36 starts and proved her potential with a .444 batting average at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament. A heads up baserunner, Burcar swiped four bases in five tries and scored 10 runs in 80 at-bats as a freshman.

• Jay Nelson welcomes 10 newcomers to the squad in 2018, including nine first-years. Alexis Silinonte wasted little time in impressing her coaching staff and backing up her .418/.526/.553 slash line from Petaluma High School in California, where she was a two-time First Team All-League performer and three-time Sonoma County League champion. Heading into the season opener in her home state, Silinonte is the projected starter in right field. Also an opportunistic baserunner, she was a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts in high school.

Myah Moy's impact during fall ball and preseason camp earned the freshman a projected starting spot at second base. Hailing from Bradenton, Florida, Moy has been named All-County in each of the last four seasons while hitting over .500 and driving in 73 RBIs over her last two years. Moy recorded a fantastic fielding percentage of .976 during her senior season in the middle infield. Moy also sports the intangible ability to produce in clutch situations. In 2015, she helped deliver a U16 National Championship to her club team, the Tampa Mustangs 98. Moy's Mustangs lost the first game of the double-elimination tournament, yet rebounded to win out and claim the title behind Moy's three home runs – including a grand slam – and a crucial RBI in a 1-0 victory.

• Nicole Bowman broke out as a freshman in 2017 and accounted for 39 of Rutgers' 97 hits by rookies. The versatile freshman played second base and shortstop last year, and will continue to show her flexibility in the infield as she splits time with Hall at first base and the designated player slot this season. Bowman slashed .275/.393/.437 as a rookie with three home runs, 12 doubles and 34 RBIs.

• Sophomore Anyssa Iliopoulos was chosen to play for the Greek National Team at the European Softball Championships from June 25 to July 1, 2017 in Bollate, Italy. The Greek National Team finished sixth out of 23 countries, the highest finish for the squad since 2004. The team picked up wins over Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Sweden. Iliopoulos was a prime factor in the result, posting a team-leading .419 batting average in 11 starts at third base. She also added team highs with 13 hits, 11 RBIs, two doubles, two triples and a home run.

• Rutgers was named a 2016-17 Easton/NFCA All-Academic Team, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced in October. Additionally, nine Scarlet Knights were named All-America Scholar-Athletes for posting a GPA of 3.5 or higher. The Scarlet Knights named All-America Scholar-Athletes included Nicolette Anico, Bridget Carr, Dana Hendry, Whitney Jones, Jacqueline Kott, Aubrie Levine, Sierra Maddox, Carly Todd and Meaghan Wells.

Jacqueline Kott, Sierra Maddox and Meaghan Wells were also inducted into the Delta Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma Society, the first national scholar-athlete society to honor collegiate student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and in athletic competition. The group was recognized for their achievements during halftime of the Rutgers football game against Ohio State on Saturday, September 30 in an on-field ceremony. To earn induction into the honor society, a student-athlete must attend a four-year accredited college or university that is an NCAA or NAIA member, achieve junior status, hold a minimum 3.4 GPA, have an endorsement from their head coach and be of good moral character.

• UP NEXT: Rutgers travels from California across the border to Mexico for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The tournament, produced by Triple Crown Sports, is slated for two sessions, (Feb. 8-10 and Feb. 15-18) and features an impressive 10-team field, bringing together some of the top Division I programs in the nation. The Scarlet Knights will compete in Session #2 and will take on Texas, Oregon, Ole Miss and Houston. The Longhorns, Ducks and Rebels all qualified for the 2017 NCAA Tournament, while the Ducks advanced to the WCWS. The Cougars finished as runner-up in the American Athletic Conference Championship.