Raiders open 2020 schedule this weekend in Georgia

The Wright State softball team opens its 2020 season this weekend in Georgia, playing five games over three days against four different opponents at the Mercer Invitational. The Raiders begin the weekend and the season against crosstown foe Dayton on Friday at 1:30 p.m. before a matchup against tournament host Mercer later that afternoon at 3:45 p.m. Saturday action includes a 9 a.m. matchup with Tennessee Tech and a 6 p.m. contest against Eastern Kentucky before Wright State wraps up the weekend with a second matchup against Tennessee Tech at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.

FOLLOW LIVE STATS: Dayton | Mercer | Tenn. Tech (Sat.) | Eastern Kentucky | Tenn. Tech (Sun.)

WELCOME BACK
Wright State returns 16 players from last season's squad that finished 22-33 overall and 9-15 in Horizon League play while adding six freshmen and one transfer to this season's roster. Junior Raidyn Johnson was named to first team All-Horizon League last spring after leading the Raiders with a .375 batting average in 39 games overall while hitting .422 against Horizon League teams. Sophomore Madison Hartman earned spots on the All-Horizon second team and to the All-Freshman Team after hitting .311 in 54, including a .356 mark against Horizon League teams, while posting 51 hits and 21 RBI with a .402 slugging percentage. Senior Rebekah Lenos was named second team All-Horizon and to the Horizon League Softball All-Academic Team last season after hitting a team-high .313 in 53 games with 12 doubles, 10 steals and a team-best 35 runs scored from the leadoff position.

SEASON OUTLOOK
The 2020 Raiders return last season's top 12 hitters, including two players – Rebekah Lenos and Madison Hartman – who had 50 or more hits a year ago and both finished with a team-high 12 doubles. Madison Whitaker had a team-high 30 RBI with five home runs. Lenos, Meredith Keel, Jordyn Poulson and Macy McCall each had double-digit totals in stolen bases with 51 of the team's 65 stolen bases – and every player who stole a base in 2019 return for 2020.

Wright State also returns its three winningest pitchers from last season with Olivia Otani (8-14, 4.03 ERA), Lexie Hilling (6-1, 4.01 ERA) and Makenna Durieux (6-14, 4.10 ERA) coming back into the circle for another season. Durieux and Otani were the staff's workhorses, combining for 177 1/3 of the team's 356 2/3 innings of work. Durieux struck out 110 batters and walked 41 and had the best opposing batting average at .287.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Dayton Flyers
In 2019, Dayton posted a 24-27 overall record and finished in fourth place in Atlantic 10 standings. The team's 75 stolen bases set a new single-season program record and Abby Ehrenborg earned her second-consecutive placement on a NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Team. The squad placed four on A-10 All-Conference teams last season.

Mercer Bears
Mercer finished 2019 with a 27-29 overall record and was fourth in the SoCon standings. The Bears had two players on the All-SoCon First Team, two on the Second Team and two on the All-Freshman team last season and had six players named to the all-conference preseason teams.

Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech finished 2019 with a 18-27 overall record and was ninth in the OVC. The Golden Eagles return five of its top six hitters, including senior Beth McCulley (.338), who had a team-high 50 hits and tied with Chandler Caldwell for the team lead in stolen bases. Junior Sydney Love-Baker had 26 RBI and a team-high 10 home runs a season ago.

Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky was 35-22 last season and finished fifth in the OVC. Last year, the Colonels ranked second in the conference and 53rd in the country in batting average. EKU ranked 55th in the country and fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference in home runs per game.

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Players Mentioned

Makenna Durieux

Madison Hartman

Lexie Hilling

Raidyn Johnson

Meredith Keel

Rebekah Lenos

Macy McCall

Olivia Otani

Jordyn Poulson

Madison Whitaker

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