FIRST PITCH
Hofstra is set to travel to the West Coast for the first and only time this season as the Pride will meet the Stanford Cardinal (RV) and the Drake Bulldogs for the 2020 Stanford Invitational. Hofstra will meet the Bulldogs three times and the Cardinal once. All games will be played at the Smith Family Stadium.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, February 14:
Hofstra (V) vs. Drake (H) (5:30 p.m. EST / 2:30 p.m. PST)
Hofstra at Stanford (8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST)
Saturday, February 15:
Hofstra (H) vs. Drake (V) (1:00 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST)
Hofstra at Stanford (3:30 p.m. EST / 12:30 p.m. PST)
Saturday: February 16:
Hofstra (V) vs. Drake (H) (12:00 p.m. EST / 9 a.m. PST)
HOW TO WATCH
Live statistics and live video courtesy of the Pac-12 Network are available for all five contests at the Stanford Invitational. Links to follow along can be found at the top of this release and on the Hofstra Softball schedule page.
ABOUT THE HOFSTRA PRIDE
Hofstra enters its 2020 campaign coming off a 20-27 record last season while sporting one of the youngest rosters in the nation. The Pride return 13 letter winners and 10 starters from a year ago while also welcoming nine new faces to the squad including eight freshman and one transfer.
Among the top returners is sophomore infielder Meghan Giordano who recorded a .378 batting average last year while posting 53 RBI and 10 home runs, leading Hofstra in all three of those categories. Giordano, an NFCA Top-25 freshman last season, was named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Rookie of the Year and was honored on the All-CAA First Team and NFCA All-Northeast Region first team. Sophomore infielder Kasey Collins also returns to the lineup after posting a .369 batting average last season which was second on the team. Collins also gathered postseason recognition and was named to the All-CAA Second Team and NFCA All-Northeast Region Third Team.
Other postseason award recipients include senior Alexis Goeke, who drove in 15 runs last season while smacking four home runs. Goeke was named to the All-CAA First Team as a designated player. Finally, sophomore first baseman Angelina Ioppolo hit .282 during her inaugural campaign while adding 16 RBI and was named to the NFCA All-Region third team. Senior infielder Kristin Hallam, the 2018 CAA Defensive Player of the Year, will be redshirting the 2020 season.
In the circle, Hofstra returns both pitchers from last season including the sophomore duo of Madison Burns and Mackenzie Suto. Burns, a CAA All-Rookie Team honoree, recorded 13 wins in the circle while finishing fifth in the CAA with 82 strikeouts across 173.2 innings pitched (second in CAA). Two freshman hurlers will join the pitching staff this season including Nikki Mullin and Natalie Grubczak.
ABOUT THE DRAKE BULLDOGS
Drake, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, began its 2020 season a week ago at the UNI Dome Tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Bulldogs posted a 3-2 record at the tournament and collected wins over South Dakota, South Dakota State and DePaul.
Through the first stretch, Macy Johnson leads the team with a .533 batting average while Emily Valtman has recorded a team-high eight RBI. Nicole Timmons is Drake's ace inside the circle, as she currently owns a 0.36 ERA with 22 strikeouts through 19.1 innings pitched.
ABOUT THE STANFORD CARDINAL
Stanford, who received five votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll, enters their own invitational with a 5-1 overall record. The Cardinal is coming off a weekend at the GCU Kickoff Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona where Stanford Collected two wins against Grand Canyon University, two against Weber State, and one against New Mexico.
Taylor Gindlesperger is the top offensive producer for the Cardinal, as she leads the team with a .588 batting average and seven RBI. Seven pitchers have all seen time in the circle through the first several meetings, although Tatum Boyd (0.00 ERA) and Maddy Dwyer (1.08 ERA) are the only two pitchers who have tossed over 13.0 innings.
UP NEXT
After the Stanford Invitational, Hofstra will travel to the FAU Strike Out Cancer tournament in Boca Raton, Fla., taking place from Friday, February 21 to Sunday, February 23. Hofstra will play five games against four different opponents, including Illinois State, Florida Atlantic, North Florida, and nearby Long Island University.
