ITHACA, N.Y. - Cornell softball is set to open its season this weekend at "The Spring Games", heading to Madeira Beach, Fla. for a series of five games spanning Feb. 21 – Feb. 23. While in Florida, Cornell will challenge Albany, Georgetown, Merrimack, Manhattan and Stony Brook throughout the weekend. The Big Red will get its first test of 2020 on Friday, Feb. 21, when it takes on Albany at 11 a.m.

All five of Cornell's games will be streamed via FloSoftball. Streaming via FloSoftball is available through a paid subscription.

"We're still a young team with 13 freshmen and sophomores," said the Jan Rock Zubrow '77 head coach of Softball, Julie Farlow. "That sophomore class has a ton of innings under its belt though. So, compared to a year ago when we were heading down to Florida, we feel a bit more prepared. Last year the focus was more so on seeing what we had, whereas this year we know what we're bringing to the table. The kids are relaxed and they're excited for the weekend and they're ready to play."
 
Cornell returns a young, but experienced roster to the field in 2020, with 13 players back from the 2019 team and five fresh faces in the dugout. The Big Red expects to get improved play from the eight sophomores that saw significant playing time as freshman in 2019. Expect both new and familiar faces in the Big Red lineup this weekend as several freshman will see ample opportunity to secure regular playing time.
 
In the batter's box, Allison Kerce and Bridgette Rooney highlight Cornell's returners as 2019 All-Ivy honorees. Kerce hit .324 for Cornell last season and led the team in hits with 45. Rooney hit .307 while leading the team with eight home runs and 29 RBI. Both Kerce and Rooney have pop in their bats, with Kerce launching seven round-trippers in 2019. Kerce's average bloomed to .403 in Ivy League play, ranking 12th in the conference. Florida natives Kerce, Emily McKinney and Katie Hale are return to their home state this weekend.
 
All-Ivy honorable mention Ashley Delany and Katie Lew return to the circle for Cornell, combining for 229.2 innings pitched last season over 67 appearances. Lew and Delany have each shown flashes of potential in the circle throughout their careers. Delany led the team in innings pitched as a rookie (116.1) and had several spotless innings of relief. Lew looks to get back to her sophomore year form in 2020, which saw her named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week of two occasions.
 
Albany poses the first threat of the season for the Big Red, also playing in its first games of the season this weekend. The Great Danes finished 2019 with a 26-17 record, but return just nine players from last seasons roster. Albany brings a massive 10 player freshman class with them to Madeira Beach this weekend. Top hitter Katie Falotico is one of those returners, looking to improve on a strong sophomore season in which she hit .352 with a team-high 50 hits. Pitching will be a question for Albany, who graduated innings and ERA leader Celeste Verdolivo. Maranda Jimenez and Chloe Lewis return to the circle for the Great Danes, combining for 21 starts and 128.1 innings pitched.
 
Georgetown has the advantage of already having played 10 games prior to arriving in Madeira Beach, but own just a 1-9 record to start the season. The Hoyas lone win of the season thus far came against Holy Cross, 2-1, at the Winthrop tournament in Rock Hill, S.C. last Friday. Mae Forshay leads all regular starters with a .300 batting average alongside a team-high nine hits. Savannah Jones brings power to the lineup with a team-best three home runs and five extra-base hits. Pitching has been relatively strong for Georgetown however, with three pitchers owning ERA's under 3.00, led by Cassie Henning's 2.23. London Diller has made a majority of the starts for Georgetown this season, sporting a 2.82 ERA in 27.1 innings.
 
Merrimack will also be making its season debut down south this weekend, looking to build upon a 25-23 record a season ago. It's the inaugural Division I season for the Warriors, who previously played in NCAA Division II. Like Cornell, Merrimack boasts a young team, featuring 16 underclassmen and just two seniors. Pitching wise, Merrimack returns each of its top three arms from a season ago, led by starters Jenna Wike, Bridget Soraghan and Bryana Michitson. Wike led the team in ERA (2.02) and innings pitcher (104.0) last season. The Warriors also return all three of its top hitters from a year ago in Lucy Colarusso, Tiffany Mangiameli and Abigail Amato, who all hit better than .340. Mangiameli can really run, swiping 35 bags in 2019.
 
Manhattan lifts the lid on its 2020 season on Friday as well, opening against Merrimack. The Jaspers finished the 2019 season with a 21-29 record that featured an 11-9 win over Cornell in Florida thanks to an eight run fifth inning. Manhattan returns each of its top two pitchers to the circle in 2020 with Kayla McDermott and Jessie Rising returning 263.2 innings to the pitching staff. Top-hitter Lauren Pitney has moved on, but .397 hitter Annie Moore still poses a threat to opposing pitchers, bringing back a team-best 18 extra-base hits and 38 RBI.
 
Cornell's final opponent in Madeira Beach is Stony Brook, which starts its season off with a game against Colgate on Friday afternoon. The Seawolves were an impressive 32-19 in 2019, but lost in the America East Championship game to UMBC. Two-time America East Player of the Year, Melissa Rahrich, will be one of the top players at R.O.C Park this weekend, leading the team with a .418 batting average, 69 hits, 17 home runs and 60 RBI last season. In total, the Seawolves return seven starters from a season ago, including second team all-conference selections Jourdin Hering and Jordyn Nowakowski. Rahrich is also the top pitcher on the team, pitching 207.2 innings of 2.09 ERA softball with 153 strikeouts in 2019.