To view Softball Season Video Preview visit https://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U

CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team will open up the 2014 season with 14 games over seven days in Clermont, Fla. The Golden Eagles are in their second season under Head Coach Ed Deugan. Minnesota Crookston will open up play in Florida March 14 with their final games taking place March 21.

Minnesota Crookston will open up their Florida trip against Ursuline College, a women's college in Pepper Pike, Ohio, which is a member of NCAA Division II and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). The Arrows are 5-3 on the season. They are led at the plate by Alison Porter, who is batting .462 with one run scored and three RBI's on the year. In the circle, Sarah Maxwell leads the way with a 1-1 mark and a 4.02 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched with 22 strikeouts. The Golden Eagles will take on the Arrows Fri., March 14 at 1 p.m. at Hancock Park.

UMC will then face-off with Alderson-Broaddus College at 5 p.m. at Hancock Park. Alderson-Broaddus is a NCAA Division School in the G-MAC located in Philippi, W.V.. The Battlers are 5-13 on the season. Alderson-Broaddus is led by Ariel Cammin, who is batting .455 with five runs scored and five RBI's. In the circle, the Battlers are led by Megan LaFon, who is 2-4 with a 2.27 ERA in 47.2 innings pitched.

The Golden Eagles will take on Assumption College and Slippery Rock University on the second day. Minnesota Crookston will face-off with Assumption at 11 a.m. Sat., March 15 at Hancock Park. Assumption is a NCAA Division II school in the Northeast-10 Conference, located in Worcester, Mass. The Greyhounds are 2-4 on the season. They are led on the year by Jess Dipilato, who is batting .455 with four runs scored and seven RBI's. Courtney Oliva leads Assumption in the circle with a 1-0 mark and a 4.50 ERA in 14.0 innings pitched.

UMC will take on Slippery Rock at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Park. Slippery Rock is a NCAA Division II school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), located in Slippery Rock, Pa. The Rock is 2-3 on the season currently. Slippery Rock is led by Ashley Samluk, who is hitting .500 with four runs scored and three RBI's on the year. In the circle, the Rock is led by Carly DeRose, who is 1-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched.

The third day (March 16), UMC will again take on Ursuline at 5 p.m. at Hancock Park. The Golden Eagles will then take on Merrimack College, a NCAA Division II school in the Northeast-10 located in North Andover, Mass. Merrimack is 0-5 on the season. The Warriors have been led by Kelsey Francher at the plate with a .333 average, three triples, two runs scored and five RBI's. In the circle, Merrimack has looked to Haley Currie, who is 0-2 with a 6.18 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched so far this year.

The Golden Eagles will have an off day March 17 in which they travel to Clearwater, Fla. for a beach day before getting back at it Tues., March 18. They will face-off against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) foe University of Sioux Falls at 9 a.m. at Hancock Park. Sioux Falls is 5-3 on the season. The Cougars have been led by Shae Hoskins, who is batting .421 with six runs scored and one RBI on the year. In the circle, Amanda Walters leads the way with a 3-2 mark and a 3.57 ERA in 31.1 innings pitched.

UMC will continue the competition on the day as they take on National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member Indiana Tech University at 11 a.m. at Hancock Park in Clermont, Fla. The Warriors will open up the season March 16 in Clermont, Fla.

UMC will face-off with West Chester University, a NCAA Division II school and PSAC school in West Chester, Pa., Wed., March 19 at 11 a.m. at Hancock Park. The Golden Rams are 6-4 on the season. West Chester is led by Kim Murl, who is hitting .391 with six runs scored and eight RBI's. At pitcher, Katie Erb leads the way with a 2-1 mark and a 3.32 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched.

The Golden Eagles will then take on Saint Michael's College at 1 p.m. March 19 at Hancock Park. Saint Michael's is an NCAA Division II school in the Northeast 10 located in Colchester, Vt. The Purple Knights will open up the season March 15 in Clermont, Fla.

UMC will face-off with Caldwell College Thurs., March 20 at 2 p.m. at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. Caldwell is a NCAA Division II school in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference located in Caldwell, N.J. The Cougars will open up the season March 14 with games in Kissimmee, Fla.

Minnesota Crookston will then take on University of New Haven at 4 p.m. Thurs., March 20 at the National Training Center. New Haven is 2-0 on the year. The Chargers are led by Jess Spivey, who is hitting .750 with four RBI's. In the circle, Victoria Cabral leads the way with a 1-0 mark and a 1.00 ERA in seven innings pitched.

The Golden Eagles will wrap up their Spring trip with games against NAIA schools University of Northwestern Ohio and Midland University. Minnesota Crookston will face-off against Northwestern Ohio at 1 p.m. Fri., March 21 at the National Training Center. The Racers are 6-0 on the season. Northwestern Ohio is led by Megan Pflum, who is batting .529 with six runs scored and four RBI's. In the circle, Chelsea Miller leads the way with a 2-0 mark and a 3.71 ERA in 17 innings pitched.

The final game of the Spring trip will be against Midland University of Fremont, Neb. The Warriors are 2-3 on the season. The Golden Eagles will take on Midland at 3 p.m. Fri., March 21.

Minnesota Crookston Season Preview
Coaching Staff
 The Golden Eagles enter their second season under Ed Deugan, who had previously been the head coach at Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina, Andrew College in Goergia and Westminster College in Missouri. Deugan went 3-38 in his first season at the helm. The Golden Eagles big win came against NSIC power Winona State University 5-4 April 27. Deugan will be joined in the dugout during the 2014 season by former player Sara Wiedmaier, who recently graduated from UMC and is now serving as an assistant coach. Wiedmaier is working primarily with the defense for the Golden Eagles, as well as assisting Deugan in other duties.

Catchers
UMC's primary catcher for the 2014 season will be Brooke Timmins (So., C, Magnolia, Texas/Sports and Rec Management). Timmins hit .246 last year with five runs scored and nine RBI's in her freshman season. Ashley Hoyle (So., UT, Blaine, Minn./Animal Science) will also provide depth at catcher.

Infield
At first base, Cateline Fafard (Sr., P/1B, Dauphin, Manitoba/Elementary Education) and newcomer Bailey Braatz (Fr., P/1B, Buffalo, Minn./Communications) will split time. The primary second baseman for UMC will be Shelby Hollinger (Jr., 2B, Neudorf, Saskatchewan/Health Science), who had six runs scored and three RBI's as a sophomore. At short stop, Alison Foley (So., Lockport, Ill./Accounting) will be the primary player for the Golden Eagles. Foley had roun runs scored and one RBI last year, playing primarily at third base. At third, Minnesota Crookston will look to Josee Plante (Jr., IF, Manitou, Manitoba/Health Science). Plante had one RBI as a sophomore for the Golden Eagles.

Sammy Knudson (Fr., UT/P, Fergus Falls, Minn./Undecided) and Hoyle will provide depth in the middle infield, while Kaylin Beatty (So., UT, Andover, Minn./Equine Science) will provide depth at third for Minnesota Crookston.

Outfield
UMC's main outfield rotation will consist of seniors Paige Schaust (OF/P, Delano, Minn./Early Childhood Education) and Ashley Manusos (OF, Spring Grove, Ill./Sports and Rec Management) along with Alexis Khoshaba (So., OF, Richmond, British Columbia/Sports and Rec Management) and Beatty. Khoshaba led the team with a .281 batting average last year with three runs scored, three home runs and seven RBI's. Schaust hit .200 last year with eight runs scored and five RBI's while Manusos hit .261 with six runs scored, one home run and 10 RBI's in an injury-shortened season. Beatty batted .238 with three runs scored and an RBI on the year.

Fafard and Knudson will provide depth in the outfield for the Golden Eagles.

Pitcher
UMC's primary pitchers will be Schaust and Braatz. Schaust led the way last year for the Golden Eagles with a 2-17 mark and a 6.66 ERA in 90.1 innings pitched. Schaust picked up UMC's big victory in league play over Winona State University. Braatz comes in as a freshman from Buffalo and should secure the No. 2 pitcher role for the Golden Eagles.

In addition to Schaust and Braatz, Fafard and Brooke Vatthauer (Jr., P/1B, Crookston, Minn./Health Science) also return from last season's team. Fafard pitched 35 inningsl ast season, while going 0-5 with an 8.40 ERA. Vatthauer was 0-0 with a 12.60 ERA in 10.0 innings pitched. Knudson and Alexis Fee (Jr., P, Devils Lake, N.D./Elementary Education) )will also provide depth at pitcher for the Golden Eagles.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

The University of Minnesota Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).