GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (0-2) vs. NCAA II Rollins (0-0)
DATE:Â Saturday, February 14, 2015
CITY:Â Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE:Â Daytona State College Softball Complex
FIRST PITCH:Â 1 p.m. EST
LIVE STATS:Â ERAU Gameday Network
LIVE AUDIO:Â ERAU Gameday Network
ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE
Embry-Riddle opened up its 2015 campaign with a pair of neutral-site games at Flagler College last Sunday, falling to NCAA II Lee and NCAA II No. 2 Valdosta State. Saturday's games continue a season-opening stretch of eight straight contests against NCAA II opponents.
Raquelli Bianco led the Eagles with a pair of hits in the season-opening games, going 2-for-4Â Â Â with a double. Bianco also tossed four innings against Valdosta State, allowing just one earned run.
ABOUT ROLLINS
Rollins will be playing its first games of the 2015 season on Saturday. The Tars went 39-13 last year, advancing to the championship series of the NCAA II South 1 Region Tournament where they fell to Alabama-Huntsville.
Rollins returns five starters in 2015 including reigning SSC Freshman of the Year Hailee Keisling and NFCA All-South Region squad members Niki Fogle and Courtney Durbin. The Tars are currently the first team receiving votes that is listed outside the Top 25 in the NCAA II NFCA Coaches' Poll.
Keisling hit .340 and scored 43 runs while driving in 20 last year. Durbin hit .365 a year ago including a team-high 11 doubles and also scored 43 times. Fogle led the Tars with a 25-7 record in the circle, posting a 2.05 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 212 innings pitched.
NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
The 2015 edition of the Embry-Riddle softball team will look much different than the previous two seasons. ERAU has a new head coach in Kelsi Dunne, a new assistant coach in Monique White, and six of the 13 players are brand new this year. Besides the new faces, the Eagles will be playing most, and possibly all, of their home games at Daytona State College while the new baseball/softball facilities are completed. Embry-Riddle is hopeful that the construction will be completed in time for the Eagles to play their final two regular season doubleheaders at the ERAU Softball Complex, but that has not yet officially been determined.
SOLID AS A ROCK
Talia Barraco, the team's lone senior, was one of the most reliable players on the team in her first season at Embry-Riddle in 2014, earning her the nickname "Rock." Barraco was third on the team with a .343 batting average and led the Eagles with 24 RBIs. She also led the team in sacrifice bunts with 16 and was solid in the field, committing just six errors in 208 chances while playing third and first base.
DUAL THREATS
Robi Zimmerman has contributed at the plate and in the circle in each of her two seasons at Embry-Riddle. Last year, Zimmerman earned 10 wins with a 3.06 ERA as a pitcher while also collecting eight doubles and 14 RBIs at the plate.
The Blue and Gold have another dual-threat athlete this year in Raquelli Bianco who is expected to see time in the circle and at first base. Bianco had a 2.72 ERA in 54 innings last year while batting .429 with five doubles, three triples and home runs a year ago for Miami Dade College.
DEFENDING THE NEST
The Eagles have been tough to beat at home in the program's first two years of existence, compiling a 9-3 mark in 2013 and a 13-8 record in 2014. ERAU's two-year record at home is 22-11, good for a .667 winning percentage. The Blue and Gold will look to continue that winning tradition in 2015 at the Daytona State College Softball Complex, Embry-Riddle softball's temporary home field.
EAGLES FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
After winning The Sun Conference regular season championship in 2014, the Eagles have been picked to finish fourth in the league in 2015 in a preseason poll voted on by all nine TSC softball coaches. Prior to winning the regular season title last season, the Blue and Gold were picked to finish third in the preseason poll.
