Williamsburg, KY – Wednesday will begin a new year for Patriots softball, as the team is set to take the field against the Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan on the road. UC sports a fresh roster ready to take the field.
 
"I'm tired of practicing," said Bailey Dillender, head coach. "I'm ready to get on the field to see where we are at and where we are going."
 
Dillender returns to the helm for her second season after compiling a 17-34 record last year, including a 9-19 run in Mid-South Conference play. The Patriots, however, look to turn the page and start fresh going into their 2019 campaign.
 
"We're young," Coach Dillender said, "but our athleticism is at a whole new level from where we were last year.
 
Since the end of last season, the softball squad added 13 newcomers to the line-up, which already consisted of 11 returners. With the young team, the Patriots look to start several freshmen in the opening games.
 
"Early on we will see players in different positions," Coach Dillender said. "A lot of players will get opportunities. Once we get into the rhythm of the season though, the ones that perform at the highest level will be the ones you see in the starting line-up.
 
The freshmen to watch out for include Paige Parker in the circle, Meryn Livingston behind the plate, and Maddie Sickau in the infield. Cumberlands also features potential standouts in the outfield as several athletes have the speed to make plays.
 
Returning to the infield will be Madison Huber, a sophomore from Harrison, Ohio. The middle infielder recorded 34 starts during her rookie campaign, tallying 10 runs for the Patriots. Huber's fielding experience is expected to help boost the young players around her come game time.
 
Pitchers Sydney Maynard and Sidney Pennycuff round out UC's key returners. Maynard comes back for her junior season after pitching seven complete games and six wins last year, including a .318 batting average against. Pennycuff, sophomore, pitched a .274 batting average against in her first season with the Patriots on her way to nine wins, including three shut-outs.
 
The Patriots dropped both games to Tennessee Wesleyan in Williamsburg of last year's season opener. The Bulldogs will be two games deep by the time UC makes the trip to Athens, TN, as they open their season a day before against Talladega College on the road.
 
Following the opening doubleheader, Cumberlands continues their road game stretch with four games in Montgomery, AL against Midway, #19 Faulkner and #20 Truett-McConnell. Following is another four-game swing at an invitational hosted by Reinhardt, and will see #12 Freed-Hardman, Rio Grande (RV) and South Carolina-Beaufort (RV), in addition to the Eagles.
 
"Looking at the schedule, we are going to get tested early," Coach Dillender said. "We are playing good quality teams, and that's the only way to prepare for the conference schedule ahead."
 
In addition to Faulkner, Truett-McConnell, and Freed-Hardman, the Patriots will see three more teams later this season that were ranked in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll. Topping this list, UC will host a doubleheader against #5 Georgia Gwinnett in early March. From the MSC, Campbellsville ranked 11th and Lindsey Wilson ranked 13th in the preseason poll, while Georgetown received votes.
 
The Patriots were selected to finish the MSC year in fifth place in the recent MSC preseason poll. Lindsey Wilson and Campbellsville, meanwhile, were picked as this year's favorites in the conference. Dillender and company begin MSC action against conference-foe Cumberland on March 22 with a weekend series on home field.
 
The Patriots open their 2019 campaign with non-conference action in Athens, TN, playing a doubleheader against the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs at 1:00 and 3:00 pm. The home opener is slated for February 27 against Midway University with first pitch at 3:00 pm at the UC Softball Complex.
 
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