Softball | 2/28/2017 9:51:00 AM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College softball team will begin its 2017 season in a few short days as the Cardinals, who enter the campaign ranked second overall in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, head south to Florida for 10 games beginning with contests against Emerson College and Saint Joseph's (ME) Sunday, March 5 at the ESPN Sports Complex in Kissimmee. 

Fisher, which is coming off the greatest season in program history in which the Cardinals posted a record 41 wins (41-12) en route to a Super Regional Championship and the program's first-ever appearance in the Division III World Series, returns 16 student-athletes from last year's squad including three All-Region players and an All-American.

Head coach Bari Mance, who enters her fourth season at the helm and owns an 89-38 career mark, has high expectations for her team.  "We are excited about everyone on our roster, and our talent runs deep," said the 2002 Fisher graduate.  "We are a family, and everyone on this team deserves to be here, and while the statistics don't always show it, everyone is vital to our success."

Offensively, Fisher, which ranked fourth in the Empire 8 last season with a .297 batting average, will be led by Katie Mazierski, Ashley Prince and Karlie Neale, each of whom was named All-Conference last season.  

Mazierski led Fisher and ranked 11th in the Empire 8 with a .381 batting average as the junior outfielder collected a conference-leading 69 hits.  Mazierski, who was named First-Team All-Conference, started all 53 games for Fisher and committed just one error all season.  She led the team and ranked second among all conference players with 38 runs scored while her 73 total bases was among the most in the Empire 8 in 2016.  Mazierski, who would go on to be named All-Region by the NFCA, drew 13 walks in all and finished her sophomore season with a .429 on-base percentage.

Prince, who was also named First-Team All-Empire 8 last season as a freshman, started 49 games for Fisher in 2016.  She ranked third overall on the team with a .338 batting average while her 24 runs batted in were the third-most of any Cardinal hitter.  Prince, who, like Mazierski, was named Third-Team All-Region last season, totaled 50 hits including 10 doubles and two triples to go along with 31 runs scored and four stolen bases. 

A Second-Team All-Conference selection last year, Neale rejoins the team after a breakout junior campaign.  The senior catcher started 51 games behind the plate and ranked fourth on the team with a .336 batting average.  Neale had 46 hits overall including seven doubles and a homerun while her 22 RBI ranked among the team's leaders.  The Plattsburgh native also handled the top pitching staff in the Empire 8 as the Cardinals finished the season with a 1.63 earned run average as a team. 

Additionally, the Fisher boasts an experienced roster with seven players from last season that appeared in at least 48 games.  Julia Sortisio (.323), Sarah Kubik (.287), Kristina Balsano (.256) and Danielle Ventrone (.221) will all play an integral part in the Cardinals' success in 2017.  Seniors Alyssa Piparo, Genevieve Paeglow and Megan Keib are expected to contribute as well while Caroline Keane, Emma Savas, Monica Moses, Sam Schermerhorn, Mary Claire Grosvenor, Meghan Hurley, Marissa Kirker, Allison Uberty, Alexa Montemayor and Jessica Sardina round out the roster.

In the circle, Fisher features arguably the best pitcher in the country in Lindsey Thayer.  Thayer, who is a two-time All-American, rewrote the program's record books last season with 31 wins (31-7) and 467 strikeouts in 252.2 innings of work.  Just a junior, she finished the year with a 0.94 earned run average as she tossed 34 complete games and 16 shutouts.  At the conclusion of the season, she ranked first nationally in strikeouts per seven innings with 12.9, which was more than two strikeouts ahead of second place.  The Winthrop native ranked third nationally in wins and was fifth in ERA.

Thayer was dominant at times as she threw nine one-hit games last season and tallied 10 strikeouts or more in a game 26 times including a record 20 strikeouts in a seven inning game against Rochester Institute of Technology. 

"We are excited about the experience and potential we have this season," continued Mance.  "We came into this season happy with how finished in 2016, but with the realization that we can accomplish more.  And to do that, we need to work harder."

After its 10 games in Florida, Fisher will open its home schedule at the Softball Complex on Saturday, March 18 with a doubleheader against University of Pitt-Bradford before traveling across town to face the University of Rochester on March 22.

Seven days later on March 29, the Cardinals begin a three-series homestand beginning with Clarkson.  On April 1, Fisher opens its conference slate against Elmira before rounding out the home stay with a twin-billing against Stevens Institute of Technology on April 2. 

From there, the squad will play four straight doubleheaders on the road beginning with D'Youville on April 6 followed by Utica College on April 8.  One day later, Fisher will take on Ithaca College in a rematch of last season's Empire 8 Championship and will follow with a doubleheader at SUNY Cortland on April 11.

Houghton comes to Pittsford on April 12 for a conference doubleheader while R.I.T. takes on Fisher at the Softball Complex on April 13.

Fisher will play its next two doubleheaders on the road.  The Cardinals travel to Keuka to face the Wolves on April 18 and head down East Avenue on April 21 to battle Nazareth College. 

The team closes out its home schedule on April 22 against Alfred before completing the regular season on the road at the College at Brockport on April 26.

The Empire 8 Championship will take place May 5-7 at a site to be determined. 

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