Five Things to Know: Softball Opens 2022 Season at USC Upstate Tournament

Games 1-6
Canisius (0-0) vs SC State (0-4), Northern Kentucky (4-1) and USC Upstate (5-0)
Dates: Friday, Feb. 18 | Saturday. Feb. 19 | Sunday Feb. 20 | Monday Feb. 21
Times: 5:00 p.m. | noon | 5:00 p.m. | 11 a.m. | 2:30 p.m.
Location: Spartanburg, S.C. | Cyrill Stadium
Live Stats: Through upstatespartans.com
Twitter: @GriffsSoftball | #Griffs | #MAACSoftball

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Softball is Back
The Canisius softball program will begin its 2022 campaign Friday when it faces SC State in the opening game of the USC Upstate Tournament in Spartanburg, S.C. The Griffs will play six games in Spartanburg, playing SC State, Northern Kentucky and USC Upstate two times each.

2. New Faces on Main Street
The Golden Griffins welcome 11 freshmen to their 2022 roster. This marks the third time in program history there have been 11 first-years, which is also the most in a single season. The other two seasons were 1980, the program's inaugural campaign, and 1993.

3. Almost Full Circle
Returning for her fifth season, redshirt senior Emily Nicosia rejoins sophomore Megan Giese and senior Alexis Churchill in the circle for the 2022 season. The trio accounted for 97-percent of the pitching staff's innings pitched in 2021, combining for a 2.55 earned run average (231 IP), while striking out 190 batters.

4. California Love
Canisius has nine student-athletes on the roster that hail from The Golden State, including seven underclassmen. This is the most in a single season since 2009, in which there were ten student-athletes who called California home.

5. Continuing in the Carolinas
Following the six-game trip in South Carolina, the Blue and Gold travel to Wilmington, N.C., for seven contests. Canisius will face UNCW in four games, and NC Central for three.

For complete coverage of Canisius softball, please follow @griffssoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Alexis Churchill: P; 5' 4"; Junior; R/L

#18 Emily Nicosia: P; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

#17 Megan Giese: P/INF; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#23 Alexis Churchill
: 5' 4"; Junior; R/L
: P

#18 Emily Nicosia
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: P

#17 Megan Giese
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: P/INF

Players Mentioned

#23 Alexis Churchill

#18 Emily Nicosia

#17 Megan Giese

Players Mentioned

#23 Alexis Churchill

#18 Emily Nicosia

#17 Megan Giese