ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell softball team will open its 2014 season at the George Mason Patriot Classic on Saturday, March 1 in Fairfax, Va. The Big Red will play a four-game set with two games each day starting with the opener against Rider at 10:00 a.m. on day one.

The Big Red will meet Rider in the first and last game of their weekend with contests against George Mason and Army sandwiched between them. Cornell will play the host school on Saturday at 12:15 p.m., then will meet the Black Knights on Sunday at 9 a.m. before closing out its first weekend vs. Rider at 1:30.

This is the 10th consecutive season the Big Red has travelled to Fairfax to play in at least one of George Mason's tournaments and has posted a 39-23 record over that span, including a four-year record of 22-1 from 2007-10.

Cornell head coach Dick Blood and his team will be looking to get off to a good start in 2014 with a number of veterans back in the fold. Offensively, senior All-Ivy first baseman Christina Villalon returns after ranking second on the team in home runs (six) and leading the squad in doubles (18) and RBI (34) while hitting .336. Fellow three-year starters Lauren Bucolo (outfield) and Jenny Edwards (second base), both former All-Ivy League selections, will also be asked to provide a great deal of leadership and offensive production in 2014. Sophomore Emily Weinberg , Meg Parker and  Michiko McGivney will also be among the team's top offensive threats. In the circle, senior Alyson Onyon has been the team's workhorse the last two seasons. A year ago, she took a number of hard-luck losses en route to a 15-17 overall record with a save and a 3.33 ERA in 210.1 innings of work.

Rider brings a 2-4 record into the weekend and has won two of its last three contests thanks in large part due to an offense hitting .301 and a defense fielding at a solid .969 clip. Senior Kehli Washington is one of six regulars hitting .300 or better at .450 (9-for-20), while sophomore Dana Sensi has a double, a home run and six RBI in the team's first six games. Six different pitchers have started one game apiece, with sophomore Montana Berg pitching a team-best 14.0 innings. She has a 1-1 record and a 5.00 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .255. Head coach Tricia Carroll is on her way to 400 career wins and is in her 20th season in the Broncos' dugout. The Big Red leads the all-time series between the two teams 9-0, including a 6-5 decision last March at George Mason.

George Mason is 0-2 on the young season after dropping a pair of close games to Ball State (2-0) and USC Upstate (3-2). The Patriots have allowed opponents to hit just .244 in its two games with 11 strikeouts and three walks in 12.0 innings in the circle. GMU returns 15 position players and all four pitchers from last season's team who are looking to improve on last year's 14-37 squad. Head coach Joe Verbanic is in his eighth season in the George Mason dugout. The Big Red holds a narrow 13-12 edge in the all-time series, including winning last year's last contest 3-0 in March.

The Black Knights are 1-8 against a very difficult early schedule that included two games against both Houston and Stephen F. Austin and single games against Nebraska and Minnesota. On a team hitting just .210 overall, sophomore Kasey McGravey is off to a torrid start with a .519 batting average with four doubles, a home run and five RBI in nine contests. Army has posted a solid .959 fielding percentage in its first games outside. Freshman Kristen West leads Army with a 1-2 record and a 2.93 ERA in 27.2 innings of work in the circle. Fourth-year head coach Michelle DePolo has led Army to three 30-win seasons, as well as its first Patriot League title in 11 years during the 2013 campaign. Cornell holds a 9-6 lead in the career series, with the Black Knights winning the last meeting between the teams 2-1 in March of 2010.

This will be the first of consecutive weekends the team will head south, as Cornell will play five games in the George Mason Invitational next weekend.