UAlbany Softball Kicks off 2013 in Fort Myers at FGCU Invitational

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany softball team will head to Fort Myers, Fla. this weekend to open up their 2013 season. The Great Danes play five games at the font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">FGCU/LaQuinta Inn at the Airport Spring Break Invitational from Feb. 22-24 .The stretch includes three match-ups against Big 10 opponents, two vs. Minnesota and one against Michigan State. UAlbany will also play Villanova and the reigning Atlantic-Sun Champions, host Florida Gulf Coast University, who upset No. 5-seeded Florida in last year's NCAA Tournament. 2012 UALBANY SEASON SUMMARY UAlbany is coming off a 36-14 overall record and second place finish, 13-5, in the America East. After defeating both Maine and Stony Brook in elimination games, the Great Danes fell just short of crowning themselves conference champions for the fifth time in 2012. They were defeated by Boston U. in the America East Championship, 5-0. 2013 OUTLOOK UAlbany returns nine letterwinners and seven starters in 2013. Junior transfer, Charlise Castro, became the America East's first triple crown winner en route to 2012 conference player of the year honors. The first baseman batted .413 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs in her first season as a Great Dane. Vicky McFarland also returns after she earned conference rookie of the year. Returning to the mound, junior Brittany MacFawn logged 155 innings with 186 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA last season. The right-handed hurler will look to repeat as a first-team pitcher. GREAT DANES ARE TOP DOGS IN PRESEASON POLL The University at Albany and Boston University were announced on Monday, Feb. 4, as co-favorites in the conference preseason coaches' poll. UAlbany and Boston U. each received three first-place votes and 32 points in a vote of the league's head coaches -- who were not allowed to vote for their own team. 19 SEASONS, 4 NCAA TRIPS, AND COUNTING FOR CANNATA Chris Cannata, a four-time America East Conference coach of the year and winningest head coach of the UAlbany softball program, enters her 19th season. During her tenure at UAlbany, the Great Danes have compiled a 533-281-1overall record, a 152-64-1 mark in America East play, a .656 winning percentage and have averaged over 30 wins per season. Cannata has also led the Great Danes to four NCAA Tournament appearances as well as three America East regular season championships and four tournament titles since the program joined Division I in 2000. Her club has never finished lower than fourth in the America East standings BREAKING INTO THE RECORD BOOK; CHASING MORE In her first season with UAlbany, Castro found her way into the Great Danes record book. Her .461 batting average, put her name second, (M. Cook-Carpenter .509, ‘95), for the single-season program record. She also recorded 13 homers and doubles -- both ranking second for a single-season. Castro will look to chase the career homerun record, where after one season, she sits sixth on the list. YOUR GREAT DANE NO. 1 STARTER In two seasons on the mound for UAlbany, MacFawn has put together an impressive resume. Logging 317.2 innings, the right-handed hurler has recorded a 29-14 record with a 2.02 ERA and 25 complete games. She ranks seventh on the Great Danes all-time list for strikeouts with 332 and leaves opponents with a minimal .216 batting average against her. MacFawn will get the opening day nod for UAlbany on Feb. 22 against Villanova in the FGCU Tournament. ROUNDING THE BASES Junior outfielder Taylor Franich tied the single-season record for triples in one season with six in 2012. She is expected to play a key role at the top of the Great Danes line-up this season. McFarland, stole 23 bases in her freshman season. She ranked third on the team in 2012 with a .382 on-base percentage. FGCU TOURNAMENT CENTRAL Tournament Home Page (View Schedule at Link). Scouting Opponents Villanova (32-24, 6-16 BIG EAST): Villanova will rely heavily on their returners from last season as well as their nine newcomers to step up in taking the place of six players who graduated.The Wildcats were picked to finish 11th in the conference as announced by the BIG EAST in their 2013 Softball Preseason Poll. Minnesota (31-22, 10-14 BIG TEN): Junior pitcher Sara Moulton and sophomore infielder Tyler Walker return to the 2013 Gopher squad. Moulton was 25-14 with a 1.52 ERA and 302 strikeouts during 2012, while Walker made her collegiate debut by batting .380 with 46 runs scored, 29 RBI, nine doubles, and nine home runs. The Golden Gophers return eight starting position players and are coming off back-to-back 31 win seasons. Michigan State (11-42, 0-23 BIG TEN): MSU welcomes back 13 letterwinners, including 10 players with starting experience, along with two starting pitchers. Included is First-Team All-Big Ten selection Kylene Hopkins in center field after a phenomenal junior year. She ranked second in the Big Ten with a .397 batting average, which also tied for fifth in MSU single-season history. Florida Gulf Coast University (38-24, 14-4 A-SUN: The reigning A -Sun regular season and tournament champion FGCU was picked as the preseason No. 1. Junior catcher Chelsea Zgrabik (Venice, Fla./Venice HS was tabbed the A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year. FGCU returns much of their offense they had at the plate last season when they outscored opponents by a combined 97 runs. All nine starters return for 2013.