Hempstead, NY – The 2023 season of Hofstra softball gets underway this Friday, February 17, when the Pride heads to the Lone Star State to compete at the Houston Classic. All games will be played at Cougar Softball Stadium on the University of Houston campus in Houston, Texas.
 
Houston Classic Schedule:
Friday, Feb. 17 @ 10 a.m. CST/11 a.m. EST: Hofstra vs. Washington
Friday, Feb. 17 @ 12:30 p.m. CST/1:30 p.m. EST: Hofstra vs. Morgan State
Saturday, Feb. 18 @ 10 a.m. CST/11 a.m. EST: Hofstra vs. Washington
Saturday, Feb. 18 @ 3 p.m. CST/4 p.m. EST: Hofstra at Houston
Sunday, Feb. 19 @ 10 a.m. CST/11 a.m. EST: Hofstra vs. Morgan State
 
Hofstra's game on Saturday against Houston will be streamed live on ESPN+, while all neutral site games will be streamed on MaxxSports. These links, as well as a link to live stats for every game in the Houston Classic, can be found on this page and the softball schedule page on GoHofstra.com.
 
Hofstra returns to the diamond following a 21-27 season and a second-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association berth under the eye of then-first year head coach Adrienne Clark. Clark's squad was selected to finish third in the CAA Preseason Poll released in early February.
 
Hofstra returns a bulk of its 2022 squad that earned the second-seed in the CAA Championship, led by NFCA All-Region First Team selection Chelsea Manto. Manto led the team with a .358 batting average while compiling 63 hits, 11 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases in 48 starts as an infield player. Hofstra also welcomes back fellow All-Region honorees Meghan Giordano, who hit .307 with seven home runs and added 32 runs batted in and 43 hits in the infield, and Amanda Maffucci, who tallied a .300 batting average with 24 hits, four runs batted in, and 11 runs scored from 34 appearances in the outfield.
 
Hofstra also welcomes back CAA All-Rookie nod Julia Apsel, who went 6-9 with a 2.87 ERA and compiled 61 strikeouts. The Pride welcomes three newcomers into the fold for the new season, including former UMass Lowell catcher Becca Vaillancourt, who earned All-America East Second Team honors with 44 hits, 18 runs batted in, and a .310 batting average in 2022.
 
All three of Hofstra's opponents have gotten their seasons underway. Houston is 3-2 on the year, while Washington is 4-1, and Morgan State is 2-1. Hofstra has never faced Houston on the softball diamond, while the Pride holds a 1-0 record against Morgan State and an 0-3 mark against Washington.