GAMEDAY CENTRAL

DETROIT (2/4/14) -- The University of Detroit Mercy softball team will begin its 2014 season with a visit to Nashville, Tenn., on February 7-9 to compete in the first-ever six-team Music City Classic hosted by Belmont University and Lipscomb University. Detroit's first game has been changed due to weather conditions and will be played against Miami University on Friday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. (ET) at Draper Diamond on the campus of Lipscomb University.

Detroit will then face one of the host schools in Belmont on Saturday at 10 a.m. (ET) at E.S. Rose Park, before playing former Horizon League foe Butler at 3 p.m. (ET). On Sunday Detroit will conclude the Music City Classic against East Tennessee State University at 12 p.m. (ET) at E.S. Rose Park.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Titan fans can follow every Detroit game this season through Softball Gameday Central located on the Titans Athletic Website that will keep fans one click away from all the action. This page will feature links for live video on HLN and live stats as well as links for all the latest info while making it easy to find the Titans on social media and to purchase photos and game tickets. Softball Gameday Central also carries all the information on each opponent from who is leading the all-time series to who won the last game.

EARLY SPRING
The Titans will enter the 2014 season with confidence after a successful fall schedule against Concordia, Oakland CC, UM-Dearborn, and Macomb CC all at Buysse Ballpark.

"For the most part I was really impressed with our hitting," said second year head coach Liz Walther (Young). "We did a very good job of coming up clutch with runners in scoring position and did a good job of manufacturing runs, which is something we struggled with last year so I was happy to see that improve."

The Titans will be relying on the mass veteran leadership of 13 upperclassmen returning to the diamond, which includes All-Horizon League Newcomer Team member Kayla Kostich and Horizon League First Team member Sara Cupp, to help introduce the seven freshmen added to the roster. 

"We have a high intensity, hard-working, blue collar group," said Walther (Young). "They are willing to make adjustments and really get after things. They are ready for a change and ready to win."

THE BATTERY
In the circle, Detroit returns a pair of pitchers that saw the majority of the action last season. Julia Maksym led the team in both appearances (33), starts (19) and complete games (2), while Kat Hoffman was also a workhorse with 30 appearances and 18 starts during her sophomore campaign. Both Anna Bondy and Karyn McCarty also saw action as Bondy pitched in 24 games with three as starter, while McCarty appeared in 18 games starting eight.

Freshman Lauren Weldy will also look time in the circle after serving as team captain to help lead the Grandville Bulldogs to their second-straight regular season championship in 2012.

Behind the plate, junior Sam Henderson returns after starting 29 games for the Titans in 2013. Henderson had two doubles, three homeruns and 10 RBI during her sophomore campaign. Freshman Kayla Kane will also look for playing time after hitting .350 last year as a senior at Utica High School to earn All-Conference and All-District honors.

THE INFIELD
Detroit is led by senior first baseman Sara Cupp. Cupp started all 50 games for the Titans in 2013 and finished her junior year by leading the team in nine categories; batting average (.387), home runs (6), RBI (24), doubles (13), slugging percentage (.613), on-base percentage (.475), hits (53), walks (20) and total bases (84). She was also named First Team All-Horizon League and Second Team College Sports Madness as a junior.

"Sara is like a mini coach out on the field." Coach Walther (Young) stated. "She has great hands at the plate, has a good eye, and is good in the field. She brings great intensity and has a team-first attitude."

Senior third baseman Katelyn Steffel along with junior shortstop Kayla Kostich bring more experience to the infield as both finished second and third on the team in hitting last year. Steffel started 34 games and ended her junior campaign with a .269 batting average, one homerun and 17 RBI, while Kostich hit .266, with five long balls and 22 RBI. Junior second baseman Vanessa Garcia looks to complete the infield as she started 41 games last year. Freshman Arriana Acuna will also compete for playing time at second as she finished here high school career hitting .438 with three homeruns and 26 RBI.

THE OUTFIELD
The Titans bring five outfielders with them this year including three that saw playing time last season in Alyssa Gietl, Hannah Klenk and Katy Severson. Severson played in 48 games as freshman starting 41 and finished hitting .220 with eight RBI. Klenk played in 42 games followed by Gietl with 28.

A pair of freshmen will also compete for playing time in Brittany Schweiger and Meg Tarrance. Schweiger was the 2012 Times Herald Softball Player of the Year after hitting .442 with 15 doubles and 44 RBI, while Tarrance was named to the 2012 All-CHSL team and served as the Farmington Hills Mercy High School team captain for three-straight years.

TITANS INK SIX DURING EARLY PERIOD
Detroit head coach Liz Walther (Young) has added six student-athletes during the softball early signing period. Alex Astorga (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS), Savvy Ferstle (Temecula, Calif./Great Oak HS), Colleen Hill (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS), Hannah Leppek (Bay City, Mich./Western HS), Sarah Mauser (Shelby Township, Mich./Utica HS) and Dayton Yingling (Las Vegas, Nv./Bishop Gorman HS) are all slated to join the Titan softball program for the 2014-15 season.

The incoming class consists of three infielders, two pitchers and one outfielder from five different states Michigan (2), Arizona (1), California (1), Illinois (1) and Nevada (1).

NEXT UP
After a week off the Titans will hit the road for a visit to Hattiesburg, Miss. for four games against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on February 21-23. The first game will be on Friday (Feb. 21) at 6:00 p.m. (ET), followed by a doubleheader on Saturday (Feb. 22), before concluding the trip on Sunday (Feb. 23). All four games will be played at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.