Pikeville, KY – The University of Pikeville softball team begins their 2022 season on Friday, February 11th when they travel to Savannah, Georgia to take on NCAA Division II foe Savannah State University.

After a COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, UPIKE got back to a fairly regular season in 2021. They finished the year 14-31 and 4-23 in the Mid-South Conference before falling in the opening round of the MSC Tournament to Lindsey Wilson.

"Playing in the MSC is a grind, probably the toughest in the NAIA" said head coach Robert Staggs. "You must bring it every day or you're going to get your feelings hurt."

Coming into the season, the MSC has four teams ranked in the Preseason Top-25 poll, with Campbellsville being ranked the highest at No. 10 after winning the MSC tournament last season. Campbellsville, Lindsey Wilson, Georgetown, and Freed-Hardeman all advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in 2021.

On The Field
The Bears return several key pieces of their offense including junior Alyssa Franklin. Franklin hit .292 last season, which included a team-high 18 RBI, team-high eight doubles, team-high 42 total bases, she drew a team-high eight walks, and was tied for the team-lead with one triple.

Also returning is Sophie Kluesner who hit .287 for UPIKE last year as a freshman. She led the team with 29 hits and 10 stolen bases. Katelyn Byrd was second on the team with 14 RBI, tied for second with 26 hits and stole nine bases as she returns for her sophomore season.

Jamie Pollard will also look to be a key contributor for the Bears both behind the plate and offensively. She started 11 games last year as a freshman and appeared in 15 games. In the circle, Mattea Ware returns for her senior season at UPIKE. She threw 49.1 innings last year over 17 appearances and four starts while striking out 24 batters.

"We have a talented group of transfers and freshmen this year and we're expecting them to come in and contribute right away" said Staggs, "Our pitching staff is a little thin this year, and it looks like we will have to be pitching by committee."

In The Dugout
Robert Staggs returns for his 19th season as the head coach of the UPIKE softball program. He is the longest-tenured coach in the program's history and has the most wins in program history. He has 314 wins, including the two most successful seasons ever in 2018 and 2019, where the Bears won 26 games each. During his time with UPIKE, he has coached 32 All-Conference players, four MSC Players of the Week and three MSC Pitchers of the Week.

Also returning for her sixth season with the program is assistant and pitching coach April Charles. Charles was a highly successful high school softball coach before joining the staff at UPIKE in 2017. Also joining the staff for her first year as a graduate assistant is Morgyn Dixon.

What To Watch For
After playing Savannah State to begin the season, the Bears will stay in Georgia to take on the College of Coastal Georgia on Saturday, February 12th.

Their first home games are scheduled for February 19th against Union College while their first MSC games are scheduled for February 25th at Bethel University.