UC DAVIS TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | SACRAMENTO STATE TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | SEASON PREVIEW VIDEO

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball opens the 2020 season this weekend at the NorCal Kickoff, co-hosted by UC Davis and Sacramento State. The Broncos will play Boise State at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Idaho State at 11:30 a.m. and UC Davis at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and UC Santa Barbara at 9 a.m. and Sacramento State at 2 p.m. Sunday.

First year head coach Gina Carbonatto welcomes back several key players from a year ago, including Preseason All-West Coast Conference pick Hannah Russell. Russell, also first team all-conference each of the last two years, hit .320 as a junior with nine doubles, one home run, and a team leading 26 RBIs.

Also back are All-WCC honorable mention picks Eleni Spirakis and Emma Bickford. Spirakis hit .327 in 2019 while leading the team with 37 runs scored. She added 13 doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 15 RBIs. Bickford hit. 271 with eight doubles, a triple, and two home runs.

The team's leading hitter in 2019 was Sammy Needham who batted .346. She also led the team with 16 doubles while adding a triple, 16 runs scored, and 22 RBIs.

In the circle, the Broncos return all four pitchers. Lauren Anderson led the team in appearances with 30 while tossing 102 2/3 innings with four complete games. Regan Dias won a team high nine games while appearing in 28 games and leading the team with 22 starts, 123 2/3 innings pitched, and six complete games.

The newest members of the team are transfer Briana Reynolds (OF) and freshmen Kenzie Yamakoshi (IF), Halley Douglas (C), Ashley Trierweiler (OF/IF), and Hannah Edwards (P/UT).

VIDEO | Head coach Gina Carbonatto and Eleni Spirakis preview the 2020 season, which begins Friday at the NorCal Kickoff in Davis!#StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/FFAWVV0QZ2

— Santa Clara Softball (@SCUSoftball) February 6, 2020

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