Point Park softball opening 2024 season with 12 games in Florida Feb. 24-March 1

CLERMONT, Fla. -- Point Park University softball is opening its 2024 season with 12 games in the Sunshine State from Feb. 24-March 1. The Pioneers are taking their annual spring break trip to Florida to get their season started.

FLORIDA SCHEDULE

The Pioneers get going versus Oakland Community College for a pair of exhibition games Feb. 24. Those games are the the Legends Way Sports Complex in Clermont, Fla.

Point Park shifts over to the Space Coast Complex in Melbourne, Fla., to take on Alma (Mich.) and Ave Maria (Fla.) on Feb. 25. 

The next four games are road contests at Warner (Fla.) and at Pasco-Hernando (Fla.) State College on Feb. 26 and 28. The second doubleheader of those are exhibition games. 

The final two days Feb. 29 and March 1 revert back to where they started at the Legends Way Complex for matchups versus northern teams Cabrini (Pa.), Mt. Vernon Nazarene (Ohio), Spring Arbor (Mich.) and Judson (Ill.).

LIVE COVERAGE FROM FLORIDA

Live stats will be available for most games of the Florida trip with Live Video available courtesy of Flo Softball for the games at the Legends Way Complex

For available live coverage throughout the year, always go to PointParkSports.com for the latest. For updates on the Florida trip, but sure to follow Pioneers softball online and on social media. 

ON THE PIONEERS...

The Pioneers are returning five starters from last year's team that went 22-18 and reached the final four teams of the RSC Championship. Point Park is picked 5th of 12 teams in the RSC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Point Park's top returners are on the left side of the infield with junior shortstop Melanie Taylor (.451, 2 HR, 21 RBIs) and senior third baseman Sydnie Reese (333, 2 HR, 18 RBIs). Veterans Remi Koi and Hayley O'Neil in the outfield as well as second baseman Mara Iagnemma also return to the lineup.

The Pioneers must replace their two main pitchers from last year with Angalee Beall and Jada Simon graduated. Point Park brought in a couple of transfer pitchers to take over and will also look to some returners who are back to the active roster. 

The batting order and defense welcomes in some new talent from the transfer ranks as well as freshmen recruits. Both of those areas figure to make impacts on the Pioneers lineup from the start. 

NEXT UP

After coming back from Florida, the Pioneers are scheduled to open up River States Conference play the very next weekend. Point Park travels to Shawnee State (Ohio) and Alice Lloyd (Ky.) March 8-9 for a doubleheader each day.

A midweek trip to Walsh (Ohio) comes next on March 13 followed by the scheduled home openers March 15-16 versus WVU Tech and Rio Grande (Ohio). The Pioneers play their home games at Fairhaven Park in Kennedy Twp., Pa.