PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Fresh off its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Super Regional Round in 2018, the St. John Fisher College softball team will begin its 2019 season on Sunday as the Cardinals head south to Central Florida for the Sunkissed Classic.

Fisher is coming off another big season in 2018 that saw head coach Bari Mance's squad go 35-10 overall as the Cardinals captured their second consecutive Empire 8 Championship in the process.  The Cardinals, who reached the World Series in 2016 and 2017, came within one game of punching their ticket back to Oklahoma City before falling to Ithaca College in the third and deciding game of the NCAA Division III Super Regional last season.   

A force to be reckoned with in 2018, Fisher led the Empire 8 and was among the nation's elite in numerous categories including batting average (.336), runs (250), hits (427), doubles (77), home runs (28), RBI (222), earned run average (2.05), shutouts (19), strikeouts (424) and opponents' batting average (.185).

Flash forward to 2019 and the team will still be formidable after having lost two of the greatest players in program history in four-time All-American pitcher Lindsey Thayer and All-American infielder Katie Mazierski.  Thayer is Division III's all-time leader in career strikeouts with 1,540 while Mazierski is the program leader in hits with 226 and batting average at .417.

Despite the loss of Thayer and Mazierski, this season's team is still loaded up and down the lineup with 13 players set to return including seven All-Conference players and four All-Region honorees.

Fisher returns the reigning Empire 8 Player and Rookie of the Year in Sarah Kubik and Sammie Torlish with the latter being named among the 50 finalists for Division III Player of the Year earlier this month.

One of the biggest bats in the country, Kubik, who was named First-Team All-Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, led the conference with 10 home runs and 31 RBI while her 12 doubles in 2018 ranked fourth among all conference players.  Torlish made her appearance on the collegiate softball scene in a big way last season as the Victor native mashed 20 hits in her first 11 games including eight doubles.  Over 44 starts during her freshman campaign, the shortstop, who was also named First-Team All-Region, was among the team's top hitters with a .364 batting average. 

Torlish led Fisher with 51 base hits in 2018 and ranked second in the conference with 15 doubles.  She had 30 RBI during her inaugural season and scored 32 runs overall.  Torlish owned a .550 slugging percentage and was slick in the field to the tune of a .990 fielding percentage with just one error in 105 chances.

Joining Torlish and Kubik in the infield are Mary Claire Grosvenor and Marissa Kirker who both had breakout seasons last year.  Grosvenor was named First-Team All-Conference after the catcher batted .330 with 12 extra base hits overall while Kirker recorded 26 hits on the season including two clutch home runs. 

The Cardinals' outfield will be led by three-time All-Region selection Ashley Prince who is set to return for her senior season after ranking second on the team last year with a .356 batting average.  Prince, who was named Second-Team All-Region a season ago, had 42 base hits to her credit including 10 doubles, three triples and three dingers.

Flanking her in center field is two-time All-Conference recipient Julia Sortisio who has the potential graduate as the program's all-time leader in doubles.  In 45 games last season, the senior averaged .307 and had 46 hits in all including nine doubles, a triple and one homer. 

Rounding out the outfield in 2019 is Jessica Sardina who batted .286 in 49 at-bats with 14 hits including three that went for extra bases. 

At the designated player position, the Cardinals boast arguably the top talent in the Empire 8 with Emily Trotman.  The sophomore was named Third-Team All-Region as a freshman after belting 42 hits in 124 at-bats (.339).  Trotman had eight doubles and four home runs in 2018 and ranked third on the team with 29 runs batted in. 

In the circle, Fisher has some big shoes to fill, but Mance is confident in her team's abilities.  With the loss of Thayer and All-Conference pitcher Monica Moses, Fisher should still have plenty of talent to rely on led by Tortman who made six appearances in the circle last season.  Megan Brown, a transfer from Onondaga Community College, and Allison Rogowski should also have a significant impact this year.

It all begins in a few short days with 12 games in Florida on the outskirts of Orlando from March 3-9th.

Fisher will open the home portion of its docket on March 16th when it welcomes Buffalo State to campus before heading across town to take on the University of Rochester in a non-conference twin billing on March 20th.  The following afternoon, the Cardinals will host Keuka College in a doubleheader.

On March 27th, Fisher welcomes Clarkson University to town for a pair before hitting the road for two games at rival Ithaca College on Friday, March 29th.

From there, the Cardinals will begin their conference lineup with a three-team home stand starting with Stevens Institute of Technology on March 30th.  The following day, Fisher will host Elmira before closing out the home stint with two non-conference games against R.I.T.

Six days later on April 6th, the Cardinals will embark on an eight-game road trip that will feature four different teams beginning with The Sage Colleges.  The trip continues as the team heads back west with a doubleheader at Utica on April 7th before tackling SUNY Cortland on April 9th.  The tour comes to an end with a Friday afternoon showdown at Nazareth College on April 12th.

The Cardinals will return home on April 13th to face Alfred University and are scheduled to conclude their regular season home schedule on April 18th against Houghton College.

Fisher will wrap up its regular season on the road at The College at Brockport on April 24th.

The Empire 8 Championship, which will be played at the highest overall seed, will begin on May 3rd.

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