CHICAGO – The UIC softball team will make its 2021 season debut this weekend as it travels to Rock Hill, SC to compete in the Winthrop Garnet/Gold Classic. The Flames will compete against host Winthrop (9 a.m. CT) and Saint Francis (11:30 a.m.) on Friday (Feb. 26) before facing off with Syracuse (11:30 a.m.) and College of Charleston (2 p.m.) on Saturday (Feb. 27). The tournament will wrap up on Sunday, Feb. 28 with the Flames taking on UAlbany at 11 a.m.

BACK IN THE LINEUP
The 2021 roster features just six upperclassmen, including fifth-year senior and 2019 Horizon League Player of the Year Kayla Wedl, who led the team in hits (23), runs (14) and steals (6) in the shortened 2020 season. Also returning for UIC is senior Maddie Spinks, who hit .340 in 2020 with 17 hits and 13 runs. Fellow seniors Cassie Kaelber, Marley Hanlon and Kayla Pociejewski are also all back for the Flames in 2021. Junior Tara McElligott is also back in the lineup after hitting .228 with 13 hits, three home runs and 10 RBI in the 2020 campaign.

YOUNG SQUAD
UIC's 2021 squad is made up primarily of underclassmen, boasting seven freshmen and seven sophomores. First-year Flames Annmarie Sillas, Dee Dee Caskey, Isabelle Garcia, Larisa Villa, Miranda Gomez, Emma Crowley and Alyssa McIntosh will all be making their UIC debuts this season, while sophomores Mary Jones, Jordyn Cebedo, Christina Toniolo, Samantha Ferguson, Alannah Cran and McKennah Ulrey are all back for their second season with the Flames.

Ferguson led the Flames last year with a .349 batting average, accumulating 22 hits, eight runs and five RBI in her freshman campaign. In the circle, Christina Toniolo paced the Flames' staff with a 3.12 ERA across 49.1 innings pitched in her first year with the Flames.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Saint Francis got off to a 3-1 start to the season last weekend at the Battle at the Beach, picking up wins over Buffalo and Coastal Carolina while falling to East Carolina. Lindsay Word and Tayven Rousseau pace the offense with seven hits apiece, hitting .583 and .538, respectively. In the circle, Grace Vesco has seen the most time, dealing 14.0 innings with a 1.00 ERA. Rachel Marsden follows with 11.0 IP and a 2.55 ERA.

Syracuse is 2-2 on the young season after spending last weekend competing in the ACC Pod. The Orange picked up a pair of 3-2 wins over Notre Dame and North Carolina last Friday (Feb. 19) before dropping both games of a doubleheader against the Tarheels on Saturday (Feb. 20). Toni Martin leads Syracuse's offense, batting .400 with four hits, two of which are home runs. Kaia Oliver has seen the most time in the circle for the Orange, owning a 3.46 ERA with 11 strikeouts through 13.0 innings pitched.

College of Charleston is seeking its first win of the season after dropping a pair of doubleheaders to Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 20) and Cleveland State (Feb. 21). Jenna Helberg leads the Cougars at the plate, owning a .385 average with a team-best five hits. The Cougars rely on Kylie Burke in the circle, who owns a 0.70 ERA through 10.0 innings of work. Carli McCants has also dealt 7.0 innings of work for the Cougars, and she owns a 1.00 ERA.

UAlbany is also competing for the first time this season this weekend, after going 6-5 in the shortened 2020 season. Sophomore Madison Petrella led the Great Danes with a .400 average and 12 hits and in the shortened campaign, driving in 11 runs and crossing the plate five times herself. Wendi Hammond saw the most time in the circle in 2020, owning a 3.36 ERA through 25.0 innings pitched.

Host Winthrop is 5-4 so far in 2021, splitting a doubleheader against Bowling Green on Friday (Feb. 19) and picking up a 9-2 win over Furman on Sunday (Feb. 21) at the Winthrop Kickoff Tournament. Ansley Gilreath and Macy McCall lead the Eagles' offensive efforts, batting .538 and .400, respectively. Gilreath owns a team-high 14 hits on the season so far, driving in nine of the Winthrop's 33 runs so far. McCall owns 10 hits on the season, has crossed the plate a team-high seven times and owns a team-best nine walks on the season. In the circle, Madyson Watson has seen the most time, owning a 3.21 ERA through 32.2 innings of work.