GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (6-8) vs. AIB College of Business (1-4)
DATE: Thursday, March 5, 2015
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: Daytona State College Softball Complex
FIRST PITCH: 4 p.m. EST
LIVE STATS: ERAU Gameday Network

ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE
The Blue and Gold swept a doubleheader against NCAA II Lynn on Tuesday, run-ruling the Fighting Knights 9-1 before earning a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in its last at-bat to complete the sweep. The wins improved ERAU's record to 6-8.

Kailah Rain leads the team with a .290 batting average while Anna Battison leads the team with 12 hits and five stolen bases, and Robi Zimmerman has driven in a team-leading eight runs. In the circle, Taylor Cowan has been effective in five relief appearances, tossing 15.1 innings with a 2.74 ERA, while Raquelli Bianco holds a 3.82 ERA and a 3-4 record in seven starts and Zimmerman is 3-4 with a 4.24 ERA in seven starts.

ABOUT AIB
The Eagles are currently 1-4 on the season and will be facing Madonna in a doubleheader on Wednesday in Titusville before taking on Embry-Riddle.

Sarah Sinopoli leads the team with a .462 batting average and an .846 slugging percentage; Sinopoli also leads AIB with six hits and two doubles. Megan Bolten is hitting .385 with a team-leading three RBIs. Kalynn Randt is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 7.1 innings of work to lead the pitching staff.

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. This season, Barraco is hitting .242 and leads the team in on-base percentage (.375), slugging percentage (.485), doubles (5) and runs scored (8).

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. This season, Zimmerman is hitting .265 and has one of the Eagles' two home runs, while also holding a 4.24 ERA and leading the staff with 27 strikeouts.

The Blue and Gold have another dual-threat athlete this year in Raquelli Bianco who will split time between the pitching circle and 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. This year, Bianco has registered eight hits, including three doubles, and has seven RBIs, while holding a 3-4 record and a 3.82 ERA.

Taylor Cowan has developed into a third dual threat for ERAU, leading the team in ERA (2.74) and batting average against (.228) in 15.1 innings of relief work while collecting eight hits and five RBIs at the plate.

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. 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. Including a 5-5 mark in 2015, ERAU's overall record at home is 27-16, good for a .628 winning percentage.

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.