FULLERTON, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2024) – The UIC softball team kicks off its 2024 season this weekend, opening at Cal State Fullerton's Easton Classic Friday through Sunday. Live stats will be available for every game of the tournament, while the only Flames' game available to stream will be the matchup against the tournament host Titans at 4:30 p.m. (CT) Saturday on ESPN+.
 
UIC at EASTON CLASSIC
Where: Anderson Family Field (Fullerton, Calif.)
When: Friday-Sunday, Feb. 9-11
Tickets: FullertonTitansTickets.com
Click for live stats here
Schedule
Friday, Feb. 9
vs. Southern Utah (11:30 a.m. CT)
vs. Pacific (2:30 p.m. CT)
Saturday, Feb. 10
vs. Colorado State (2 p.m. CT)
at Cal State Fullerton (4:30 p.m. CT) – ESPN+
Sunday, Feb. 11
vs. Southern Utah (11 a.m. CT)
 
SCOUTING SOUTHERN UTAH

• The Flames will be facing the Thunderbirds twice in the Easton Classic, the schools' first meetings on the diamond in 18 years. UIC won the only prior meeting with SUU back on Feb. 12, 2006, earning a 4-1 victory at the Alexis Resort Classic in Las Vegas.
• The Thunderbirds went 6-33 last season, earning Western Athletic Conference wins against California Baptist, Stephen F. Austin and UT Arlington.

 
SCOUTING PACIFIC

• UIC and Pacific will clash on the diamond for the first time since Feb. 21, 2020, when Pacific earned a 4-0 win at the Fresno State Invitational. This will be the fifth time these teams will compete, with the Tigers holding a 4-0 series lead against the Flames.
• Pacific finished last year with a 10-30 record and will have 2023 West Coast Conference honorable mention selections Allie Capello and Delaney Scully returning to their lineup this season.

 
SCOUTING COLORADO STATE

• The Flames and Rams will square off for the first time since Feb. 17, 2008, when CSU posted a9-5 win at the New Mexico State Invitational. Colorado State has edged out UIC in both prior series meetings.
• The Rams finished the 2023 season with a 27-20 record, placing third in the Mountain West Conference.

 
SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON

• This will be the fourth matchup between UIC and Cal State Fullerton, and the first time since Feb. 15, 2019, when Fullerton won 12-8 at the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. The Titans hold a 3-0 series lead against the Flames.
• The Titans are coming off a 34-21 season that culminated with a berth in the NCAA regionals, where Fullerton went 1-2 before being eliminated.

KEY FLAMES RETURNERS

• Senior Larisa Villa (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) returns to the infield after a defensively strong 2023 campaign. Playing primarily at first base, Villa was involved in 243 putouts and committed only one error to finish with a .996 fielding percentage and earn Missouri Valley Conference All-Defensive Team honors.
• Graduate student Christina Toniolo (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) pitched a team-high 173.2 innings for the Flames last season. She started 28 games, highlighted by a masterful stint on March 3, 2023, at eventual national champion Oklahoma, allowing just two hits in four innings of work.
• Graduate student Alannah Cran (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) ended last season on a 12-game hitting streak, finishing in the top 20 in the MVC with a .327 batting average.
• Also returning this season is junior Hailey Cowing (Torrance, Calif./West Torrance), who led the team in home runs (3) and RBI (15) a year ago.

 
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