Thursday, February 04, 2010

MACON, Ga. – As the 2010 NCAA Division I Softball season approaches, the Atlantic Sun Conference takes a look at each team leading up to the start of the season. Today, we stay in Jacksonville, Fla. to visit with the UNF Ospreys.

Overview
2010 marks UNF’s first year of eligibility for postseason play at the Division I level. In 2009, UNF finished league play with an overall record of 26-24 and 11-9 mark in the A-Sun and returns seven starters, two pitchers, and 12 of 14 letterwinners. Head coach Marcie Hickey enters her second season with the Ospreys, having tallied an overall record of 26-24 thus far. The Navy Blue and Gray made seven NCAA Division II appearances from 1999-05. In 2005, UNF fell to Carson Newman, 4-3, and current A-Sun foe USC Upstate, 5-3. Last season, the Ospreys tallied a home record of 15-6 at the UNF Softball Complex in Jacksonville, Fla.

Top Returners
Last season, top pitcher Devyn Findley finished second in the league with 251 strikeouts, third in batters strikeout looking (59), fourth in innings pitched (201.2) fourth in saves (3) and sixth in earned run average (1.77) and opposing player’s batting average (.202). At the end of 2009, Findley led UNF's all-time record in strikeouts with 623 and strikeouts looking with 152 and she also tied for second in shutouts in her career with 16 and in wins with 49. During conference play, the Gainesville, Fla. native posted a .97 ERA in 10 starts and collected had eight starts where she tallied double-digits in strike outs. Findley also reached her season high 13 strikeouts on three occasions.

In the circle, Shaina Dent enters the spring season after an exceptional freshman campaign with the Ospreys in which she recorded a 2.18 earned run average, 123 strikeouts, and notched fourteen starts where she threw five or more strikeouts. The communications major led the Ospreys with a No. 7 ranking in the Atlantic Sun Conference in opponent’s batting average (.217) and eighth in wins with 14.

Newcomers
Jackie Reese, Molly Grubb and Stephanie McAdam will all have the potential to start in the 2010 season. For these three freshmen to start, it will come down to which one can be the difference maker offensively. Jackie Reese can either play catcher or third base. Stephanie McAdam has the ability to play a corner outfield position and Molly Grubb might be involved with a platoon system at second base with sophomore Amanda Moseley.

Reese attended 6A Eau Gallie High School where the Melbourne, Fla. native dual-enrolled at Brevard Community College during her senior year. Reese played catcher and third base during her career for the Commodores where she helped her team place each as a Regional Quarterfinalist and Final Four qualifier. The exercise science major finished her senior season as a First-Team All-State finalist and earned Cape Coast Conference Player of the Year, First-Team All-District honors and her team’s MVP award after notching a .493 batting average, nine homeruns and 37 RBIs.

McAdam, a 2009 graduate of 6A Park Vista Community High School, played outfield, shortstop, and pitcher as a conference and district champion all four years. McAdam maintained a 3.2 overall GPA throughout high school.

Newcomer Grubb, a 2008 graduate of Park Vista Community High School, played at second to help the Cobras to a District Championship and advance to the postseason all four years. Grubb garnered two awards during her career, receiving the Coaches Award and Defensive Player Award. The Boynton Beach, Fla. native also maintained a 3.8 overall GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Schedule (Courtesy UNF Media Relations)
The Ospreys’ 2010 schedule will feature nine home dates and five home Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheaders. UNF will face three opponents who ended their 2009 season in the top 25.

UNF will start the first of five tournaments on Feb. 12-14 at the FIU Tournament in Miami, Fla., where the Ospreys will face Southern Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Providence, N.C. State and FIU.

On Tuesday, Feb. 16, UNF will host its first home game of the season against Troy at 2:00 p.m., before beginning their second tournament in Orlando, Fla. at the UCF Invitational, Feb. 19-21.

The Ospreys will play the first of three ranked teams at Georgia Tech’s Buzz Classic (March 5-7), as UNF takes on No. 24 Jacksonville State, who made it to the 2009 NCAA Super Regionals. UNF will play super regional qualifier No. 12 Ohio State, as part of the five-team USF Tournament (March 19-21).

UNF starts Atlantic Sun Conference play on the road with Stetson (March 17) and FGCU (March 27). The Ospreys’ host Belmont (April 2), Lipscomb (April 3) and Jacksonville (April 6) at the UNF Softball Complex.

Last season, UNF was able to sweep their cross-town opponent, JU, for the second season in a row with back-to-back wins on the road. The Ospreys’ softball team was the only UNF sport to sweep the Dolphins.

On May 5, the Ospreys will play No. 2 Florida in Gainesville, Fla. The Gators finished the 2009 season with their second consecutive Women’s College World Series appearance before losing to eventual National Champion Washington. The game with UF marks the fourth time in the past two seasons the two teams have met on the diamond.

UNF returns seven of its eight position players next season, as well as, both starting pitchers senior Devyn Findley and sophomore Shaina Dent. Findley enters the season coming off a record-breaking year, capturing UNF’s career record in strikeouts with 596.

Finishing the 2009 season with a 26-24 overall record, Hickey completed her first year as the Ospreys’ head coach and would have qualified for the A-Sun Tournament, but UNF was in its final stage of reclassification and ineligible for postseason play.

The 2010 season will be the program’s first year to be eligible to compete in its conference championship, as well as, qualify for the NCAA postseason.

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11 Days of Atlantic Sun Softball Schedule
Jan. 28 – Belmont
Jan. 29 – Stetson
Feb. 1 – ETSU
Feb. 2 – Kennesaw State
Feb. 3 – Jacksonville
Feb. 4 – UNF
Feb. 5 – USC Upstate
Feb. 8 – Mercer
Feb. 9 – Lipscomb
Feb. 10 – FGCU
Feb. 11 – Campbell