The Coastal Carolina softball team begins its 2016 season as they head to Jacksonville, Fla. as part of the River City Leadoff Tournament hosted by Jacksonville University. The Chants will face Jacksonville Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Also on the schedule is top 25 team NC State, UNC Greensboro and Kansas.

The Chanticleers return six letter-winners from the 2015 season including the 2016 Big South Preseason Player of the Year, Morgan Noad. The senior has also been ranked #47 by the Fast Pitch News as one of the 2016 Preseason Top 50 NCAA Softball Offensive Players. Noad is joined by four other seniors, Kelsey Dominik, Bri Chiusano, Mackenzie Conrad and Cassidy Brzozowski who will begin their final campaign in teal.

Almost ten full months later, Coastal is set to get the 2016 campaign started with their first game of the year against ACC foe, NC State on Friday morning. In the NFCA preseason rankings, NC State landed a spot at #23 in the top 25 for the 2016 season but had been ranked as high as 19th in its previous 2015 season.

“We built the schedule to test our team, and get us ready for the Big South,” said head coach Kelley Green. “I think every team is going to test us. We’re a young and talented squad but still have a lot of room to grow.”

Also on Friday, Coastal will take on UNC Greensboro at 3:00 p.m. The Chants have an 11-10 edge over UNC Greensboro with the last two meetings taking place in 2008 going 1-1 with each team picking up a win.

Moving into Saturday, the Chants will have one game versus Kansas at 10 a.m. with the rest of the tournament for Coastal being played out on Sunday afternoon. Coastal will see action against NC State again on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and with a quick turnaround the Chants will take on host Jacksonville at 3 p.m. to close out the weekend.

– Photo courtesy of CCU Athletics

Print This Article