Softball Set for 2021 Season
Colonials enter spring as A-10 favorites
2/12/2021
Powered by a mix of battle-tested veterans and promising newcomers, GW softball heads into Opening Day 2021 with lofty goals, aiming to take the next step and advance to its first NCAA Tournament.
The Buff and Blue have been tabbed the preseason favorite in the Atlantic 10, entering their third season under Head Coach Shane Winkler.
"We're in a great position. We have more depth than we've ever had. We have more depth in the circle, we have a deeper lineup and we're looking forward to what this season should be." - Head Coach @ShaneWinkler #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/FcbLOagQ3p
— GW Softball (@GW_Softball) February 12, 2021
2020 REWIND: GW faced a series of stern tests early last spring, compiling a 10-14 mark before the season was shut down due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The Colonials tested themselves against the likes of Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia Tech and were starting to build momentum with seven wins in nine games, including a doubleheader sweep of Bucknell in the finale, before the abrupt ending.
Jenna Cone paced the Colonials at the plate, posting a .386/.476/.671 slash line with six home runs and 16 RBIs over the 24 games, while Faith Weber led the way in the circle with a 7-8 mark and 59 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings over 15 starts.
ONE LAST RIDE: Cone, Weber and Jessica Linquist have returned as graduate students seeking to close out historic careers in Buff and Blue in style.
The program’s first A-10 Player of the Year and All-American in 2019, Cone was recently tabbed to USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List for the third time.
The decorated slugger from Trabuco Canyon, Calif., heads into the spring with a career slash line of .384/.484/.760 and standing as the program's all-time leader in home runs (56), RBIs (203), total bases (431), extra-base hits (98) and walks (96) while ranking second in hits (218) and runs scored (153). She currently ranks third nationally among active student-athletes in career RBIs and fourth in career home runs with a chance to move onto the list of NCAA all-time leaders in both categories with a strong finish.
A former All-Conference and All-Region selection, Linquist provides a strong blend of offense and defense from the catcher position. The West Deptford, N.J., native has 90 hits and 49 walks, plus 81 runs scored, across 86 games over the past two seasons. Her 28-game hitting streak during the 2019 campaign remains the longest run in the nation since 2014.
Weber returns after a breakout senior season in which she became the first student-athlete in program history to earn both A-10 Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week awards. The New Egypt, N.J., product was honored as Player of the Week on Feb. 24, 2020, after hitting three home runs in four games at the UNCW Seahawk Softball Classic before adding the Pitcher of the Week recognition on March 9 following a sterling weekend at the Buff and Blue Challenge in which she went 2-0 with a save thanks to a 1.75 ERA in 12 innings.
Head Coach @ShaneWinkler explains how the trio's leadership stands to impact the program this spring and for years to come. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/AvGy85l5Oe
— GW Softball (@GW_Softball) February 9, 2021
COMEBACK TRAIL: After missing the 2020 season due to injury, Sierra Lange returns to the field aiming to pick where she left off during her tremendous sophomore campaign.
In 2019, the Plano, Texas, native shined in all aspects for the Colonials, finishing among the national leaders in wins (31), strikeouts (246), batting average (.411), hits (85) and triples (6) en route to First Team All A-10 and NFCA All-Region honors. She fueled the Buff and Blue's memorable run to a share of the A-10 Championship by pitching all 28 innings to earn a spot on the All-Championship Team, and she was later recognized on the All-Liberty Regional Team for her play at the National Invitational Softball Championship.
Lange enters the 2021 season with 46 career wins, four shy of Sarah Costlow’s program record. She also ranks in the program’s all-time top five in saves (four, T-1st), strikeouts (360, 2nd), complete games (42, 4th), innings pitched (410 1/3, 4th) and shutouts (seven, 5th).
PROVEN PERFORMERS: In total, GW welcomes back seven student-athletes who made at least 19 starts over the 24 contests last spring: Cone, Linquist, Weber, Sidney Bloomfield, Hannah Eslick, Maggie Greco and Alessandra Ponce.
Bloomfield finished second on the club in 2020 in batting average (.333), hits (22) and steals (five), while Ponce’s seven extra-base hits ranked third on the squad.
A starter at shortstop in all 24 games, Eslick showcased her power with three home runs and a pair of doubles, and Greco made an impact as a first-year with her defensive versatility on the infield.
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— GW Softball (@GW_Softball) February 10, 2021
VETERAN REINFORCEMENTS: GW has added a pair of graduate transfers bringing high-level experience.
A middle infielder from Austin, Texas, Amber Lotz started 119 games over four seasons at Houston Baptist, including all 22 in the shortened 2020 season when she hit .259 with nine runs scored, four RBIs, three doubles and a home run.
Olivia Vinyard, an outfielder from Valparaiso, Ind., joins the Buff and Blue after a successful run at Yale, highlighted by an All-Ivy League campaign in 2019 in which she hit .336 over 43 games with 24 runs scored.
FIRST-YEAR FIREPOWER: GW welcomes seven first-years to the mix, offering depth across the diamond. The group includes pitchers Alexa Williams (El Cajon, Calif.) and Maddie Spell (Suwanee, Ga.), catchers Abby Schaub (Leesburg, Va.) and Jo Castillo (Fayetteville, N.C.), infielder Alena Ramirez (Chula Vista, Calif.) and outfielders Sidney Torres (Great Falls. Va.) and Taylin Yankovich (Pasadena, Calif.).
As Opening Day draws near, our group is truly grateful for the opportunity to compete again. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/TXC4oHX3qk
— GW Softball (@GW_Softball) February 11, 2021
