KENOSHA, WIS.—The Sunshine State will await the Carthage College softball team (0-0, 0-0 CCIW) for a 12-game stretch that will begin on Sunday, March 4, and end on Friday, March 9. First on the Lady Reds' 2018 docket will be Ursinus College (9:00 a.m. ET), and Alvernia University (11:30 a.m.) on Sunday, March 4 at Hancock Park in Clermont, Fla.
 
The Lady Reds will take eight returners and 13 newcomers into their 12-game Florida gauntlet.
 
ABOUT URSINUS COLLEGE (0-0, 0-0 Centennial Conference)
 
Sunday's game against the Lady Reds will be the 2018 season opener for both squads. The Bears' 2017 season resulted in a 17-19, 7-9 CC record that left them on the outside-looking-in on the Centennial Conference Tournament. All but one player returns from last season's Ursinus squad. Samantha Garritano paces the returning group with a .377 (43-114) batting average, followed by Sammi Donato's .354 (35-99) mark. Back for the Bears on the pitching rubber is Kaitlyn Willis, who registered a 3.23 earned run average and 89 strikeouts over 145.1 innings pitched.
 
Samantha Campo will enter her fourth season as Ursinus College head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Bears will square-off for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT ALVERNIA UNIVERSITY (0-0, 0-0 Commonwealth Conference)
 
The Golden Wolves will open their 2018 season against the Lady Reds. Alvernia wrapped their 2017 campaign with a 19-16, 5-11 Commonwealth Conference mark. Despite not qualifying for the 2017 Commonwealth Conference Tournament, the Golden Wolves participated in the 2017 ECAC Championships, where they dropped a 5-1 decision against Penn State Altoona in the opening game. The Golden Wolves will look to fill the shoes left from five seniors last season.
 
Back for Alvernia is returning-leading hitter Morgan Psiuk, who clocked-in a .369 (31-84) batting average. Riley Shields is the lone returning pitcher on the Alvernia roster. She tallied a 2.65 ERA and 44 strikeouts over a team-leading 92.1 innings pitched.
 
The 2018 season will mark Jenn Castle's first as Alvernia head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Golden Wolves will face-off for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT MONMOUTH COLLEGE (0-0, 0-0 MWC)
 
The Scots missed out on the 2017 Midwest Conference Tournament with an 18-17, 10-8 MWC mark. Monmouth lost seven seniors from their 2017 squad and will look to 10 freshmen to fill those shoes this season.
 
Becca Gallis, who led the MWC with a .430 (46-107) batting average last season, highlights the Monmouth returners. She also slugged seven home runs and 27 runs batted in last season. Senior Liz Hippen anchored the 2017 pitching staff with 134.1 innings pitched, a 2.19 ERA, 131 strikeouts, and a MWC-leading 6.83 strikeouts per seven innings.
 
John Goddard is in his ninth season as Monmouth head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Scots will face-off for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY (0-0, 0-0 MASCAC)
 
The Bears capped off the 2017 season with a 15-20, 7-7 MASCAC campaign, which ended with a 9-4 loss to Worcester State in the MASCAC Tournament First Round. Bridgewater State paced all NCAA Division III softball teams with 0.74 double plays per game last season, but that double-play tandem of Courtney Leddy and Kristyna Flaherty are no longer on the Bridgewater roster.
 
Back for the Bears is returning leading hitter Kacie Carvalho, who tallied a .386 batting average (44-114) in 2017. Mackenzie Holt and Deianeira Underhill return to a Bears pitching staff that registered a 5.57 ERA and 118 strikeouts last season.
 
Lindsey Couturier will embark on her first season as Bridgewater State head softball coach in 2018. The Lady Reds own a 1-1 all-time record against Bridgewater State. Carthage defeated the Bears 4-3 on March 18, 1999 before they dropped a 5-2 decision on March 15, 2000.
 
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH-GREENSBURG (0-0, 0-0 AMCC)
 
The Bobcats, a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, ended their 2017 season with 19-17, 11-7 AMCC mark. The 2018 Pitt.-Greensburg roster consists of two seniors, which comes on the heels of a 2017 campaign that didn't have any. However, the top-three Bobcat hitters from 2017 are no longer on the roster. Back for Pitt.-Greensburg is returning-leading hitter Jen Miller, who notched a .287 (31-108) batting average along with six doubles last season.
 
Colleen Murphy is the lone Bobcat returner with pitching experience. She tallied a 7.56 ERA over 12 innings of work last season.
 
The 2018 season will be Chuck Myers' third as Pitt.-Greensburg head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Bobcats will square-off for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT WARTBURG COLLEGE (0-0, 0-0 IIAC)
 
The Knights concluded their 2017 campaign with a 22-16, 9-7 IIAC mark, which ended with a 5-1 loss to Luther College in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Back for Wartburg is senior Mara Forsyth, who led the IIAC and ranked seventh in NCAA Division III with 14 home runs. She also ranked third in the IIAC with a .425 (48-113) batting average. Forsyth, who was named 2017 NFCA All-West Region Second Team, ranked fourth in the country with 60 runs batted in and a .929 slugging percentage. Brenna Gray, who registered a 5.93 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 104.2 innings pitched last season, is the key Wartburg returner on the pitching rubber.
 
Jamie Mueller will enter her third season as Knights head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Knights will square-off for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE (0-0, 0-0 Landmark)
 
The Blue Jays didn't qualify for the 2017 Landmark Conference after finishing the season with a 7-29, 3-9 Landmark mark. Elizabethtown's 2018 roster consists of one senior in Kirstin Blass, who sat out the 2017 season due to injury. Emma Varrato, who tallied a .386 (44-114) batting average with three home runs last season, is the Blue Jays' returning leading hitter. Christina Dark's .262 (28-107) batting average last season ranks second among all Elizabethtown returners.
 
Amber Sergas commanded an Elizabethtown pitching staff last season that accumulated a 4.38 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 37 games.
 
The 2018 season will mark Kathy Staib's 15^th as Elizabethtown head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Blue Jays will meet for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION (0-0, 0-0 OAC)
 
The Purple Raiders closed their 2017 season with a 19-23-1, 10-8 OAC mark. Their lone tie occurred in an 8-8 decision against Ohio Wesleyan. Gone from last season's squad is graduated senior Logan Lehman, who paced the Raiders with a .395 (51-129) batting average and seven home runs. Back for the Raiders is Morgan Riley, who was second on the team with a .383 (54-141) batting average her freshman campaign.
 
Hannah Reusser, the lone Mount Union returner on the pitching rubber, registered 59 strikeouts over 129.1 innings pitched last season. Meghan Kishman will enter her third season as Mount Union head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Raiders will meet for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT PENN STATE BEHREND (0-0, 0-0 AMCC)
 
The Lions are the lone team on the Lady Reds' Florida slate that made an appearance in the 2017 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. Penn State Behrend was eliminated from the 2017 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament via losses to St. John Fisher (2-0) and Manahttanville (4-1). The Lions are 2017 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Regular Season Champions.
 
Gone from last season's squad are five seniors, who will be replaced by seven freshman. Back for the Lions is 2017 All-AMCC First Team selection AJ Nicholls, who paced the team with a .411 (58-141) batting average. She also led the pitching staff with 71 strikeouts over 104.0 innings of work. Ashley Gruber will enter her fourth season as Penn State Behrend head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Lions will square-off for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY (4-0)
 
The Lions, an NCAA Division III Independent, opened their season with a 4-0 outing at the Finlandia Dome Classic. Their season-opening tournament comes off the heels of a 25-13 campaign in 2017. The 2018 Finlandia roster is made up of eight freshmen, seven sophomores, one junior and no seniors.
 
The 2018 season is Katherin Hannaghan's third as Finlandia head softball coach. The Lady Reds own a 1-0 all-time record against Finlandia. The Lady Reds defeated Finlandia 10-2 at the 2013 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Great Lakes Regional.
 
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (2-0, 0-0 UMAC)
 
The Eagles opened their season with 5-2 and 14-10 victories over St. Olaf College on February 23. Eleven freshmen will try to make a quick impact on a Northwestern team fresh off a 19-20, 12-4 UMAC season that ended with a 7-1 loss to St. Scholastica in the 2017 UMAC Championship Game.
 
Alicia du'Monceaux is in her 10^th season as Northwestern head softball coach. The Lady Reds and Eagles will face each other for the first time ever.
 
ABOUT EMMANUEL COLLEGE (0-0, 0-0 GNAC)
 
The Saints registered a 15-20, 12-10 GNAC mark in 2017, which concluded with a 7-2 loss to Norwich University. Back for Emmanuel is returning leading hitter Casey Sheehan, who tallied a .350 (43-123) mark and seven home runs in 2017. The Saints return their entire pitching staff from last season in Megan Kieselback and Casey Sheehan, who collectively tallied a 4.45 ERA and 171 strikeouts over 223.0 innings pitched.
 
Olivia Berry will enter her first season as Emmanuel head softball coach. Carthage will face Emmanuel for the first time ever.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
 
The Lady Reds will enter 12-day hiatus before they embark on a road bout against St. Norbert College (DH) on Wednesday, March 21 at 3:00 p.m. in De Pere, Wis. Milwaukee School of Engineering (DH) will invade the Carthage College Softball Field on Saturday, March 24 at 12:00 p.m.