Softball Set to Open 2024 Season this Weekend on Chris Bellotto Field

LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern softball team will open its 2024 season at home Friday against the University of Alabama in Huntsville at the Chris Bellotto Field in Lakeland, Fla. The Mocs and the Chargers will compete in a doubleheader with start times of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Prior to the first pitch, Chris Bellotto will be honored for the inaugural Chris Bellotto Day as she will throw the first pitch to open the season.
 
2024 Season Opener
Opponent – No. 12 Alabama Huntsville Chargers
Date – Feb. 2 at 5/7 p.m.
Location – Chris Bellotto Field
Live Stats - http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=sflo
Live Video - https://www.sunshinestateconference.tv/floridasouthern/
 
Last spring, the team improved the record from years past as they went 25-25 overall and 12-18 in the Sunshine State Conference. The Mocs return five who earned All- SSC honors to close out the season last year in, Skyler Ralstin, Destiny Colgate, Kiki Morris, Taylor Thomas, and Mel Rogers. Colgate and Ralstin earned first-team honors, while Morris and Thomas were named to the second-team and Rogers was an honorable mention. Triner has developed a deep roster for this year where several players will have to earn starting spots and will have to push each other at most if not all positions. They can not get comfortable. They have to make each other better for the 2024 season.
 
New Faces
This year, the Mocs welcomed three junior transfers in Shelbie Valencia who will be a middle infield player from the West Coast at Bakersfield College. Morgan Roden, another middle infielder and catcher from Gulf Coast State, and Kelsey Kadlub from St. Petersburg College will be at the corners but predominantly first base. "The three transfers have all come in and done a really good job gelling with the girls on the team, stated Triner. "They have good personalities which allow the team to mesh well together. Valencia is adjusting from playing on the West Coast, which is dealing with the different clay, climate, and overall atmosphere but she is playing and adjusting well. Roden behind the plate does a really good job and has a really strong arm. Kadlub is doing the majority of stuff at first base, she is good with the glove, picking girls off, and is very vocal. 
 
"For the freshman, Ella Torres and Amanda Lieberman who will fill the pitching staff and will see some time from the plate as well," Triner continues. "Torres can also play the corners and did a good job in the fall. She is one of those kids who is a bulldog, she does not back down, she accepts challenges and attacks what is ahead of her. Lieberman did a really good job of mixing speeds and moving the ball around in the fall. Between these two I think they are helping our hitters a lot, they have a lot of different things than anybody on the team. Riley Onisawa we did not get to see a lot from in the fall, but we have seen in practices for the spring primarily catching but her bat is extremely strong, she hits the ball hard, along with Torres. Chayse Bednarke has a big bat, hits hard, and swings well. Bednarke, along with other freshmen Gabby Young and Kate Mikle have all been working hard with Ralstin and Morris and trying to pick up as much as they can from them in the outfield. It's a good mix with Bednarke a left-handed batter and Young and Mikle being right-handed."
 
The 2024 Returners
The Mocs are excited to have back Ralstin, Colgate, Morris, Thomas, and Rogers who will all be competing in their final season on Chris Bellotto Field. Along with the 2023 All-SSC honorees are two pitchers Ashley Blessin and Mahailee Parker who will see the circle for the final time before graduation in May. "For the field, Shelbie is coming in the middle infield on the shortstop side with some big shoes to fill over there. So right now, Jadyn Bushnell and Valencia have been fighting neck and neck to try and win that position which has been pretty awesome to watch." Triner mentioned. At second base, Kenleigh Smith, Roden, Colgate, and Bushnell all rotate in over there so there is lots of competition, which is interesting seeing as we have not had a lot of competition at middle infield at all in the last couple of years so it's been nice to see. "Sophomores Kelly Keating and Smith are just blue-collared kids," expresses Triner. "They work their tails off, they don't question, they just work, they are awesome. We know every time they go out there they will give 100% and try to make sure to make their teammates better. Smith has been working on her slapping and Keating has been killing it at third who will split time with Thomas and Macayla Brady." 
 
"Ultimately there are several kids on our team that the position they start in will not be the position they play in every game. We have the versatility to move people around and try different things in our lineup and defensively they can play different positions which is huge. It will be interesting if we could have a different lineup every game who knows," states Triner.
 
Pitchers
The Mocs return five returners including Rogers and Blessin who saw the majority of the action in the circle. Rogers appeared in 24 games with 17 starts finishing with a 12-3 record. Blessin saw action in 20 games starting in all 20 pitching 14 complete games earning a 9-9 overall record. Kayla Hickey, Cat Buckner, and Parker will come out of the bullpen along with freshmen, Torres and Lieberman. "It's going to take them all at some point," stated Triner about her staff. "How they stack up I don't know, it depends on them but Rogers did a good job and she did the fall exactly how she ended the spring last year controlling all the innings she pitched. Blessin has been focusing on all her mechanics and techniques and fine-tuning her pitches. Hickey has been building her confidence and has been attacking the zone. Parker, we have been working on her timing and explosiveness and just letting the ball break instead of forcing it. There is a possibility Thomas will throw but will pretty much just be at third.
"The biggest thing for our pitching staff is to attack the hitters,'' finishes Triner about her staff. "Buckner has been working hard on her pitching motions, she is one of the hardest working kids I have ever been around and has a great mindset."
 
Coaching Staff
Head coach Mo Triner, an alum of the University of South Florida, started as an assistant coach at FSC in 2020 and was named the second head coach in program history for the 2021 season.
 
Triner returns the same staff as last year in third-year assistant Marti Littlefield and USF alumni who played under coach Triner, Mia Fung. Littlefield is working with the infield and Fung is working with the outfield and catchers. "I feel like my coaching staff is doing a really good job of just breaking things down, stated head coach Triner about her staff. "They are getting the new people on the same page that we have been on and we are progressing forward and they have come in and just adapted pretty well."
 
2024 Florida Southern Softball Home Schedule   
Feb. 2 - 5 / 7 PM - vs University of Alabama Huntsville (Chris Bellotto Day)
Feb. 3 - 2 / 4 PM - vs Carson-Newman University
Feb. 4 - 12 / 2 PM - vs University of Montevallo
Feb. 23 - 7 PM - vs Barry University
Feb. 24 - 1 / 3 PM - vs Barry University
Feb. 27 - 5 / 7 PM - vs Wilmington University (Del.)
Mar. 6 - 3 / 5 PM - vs King University
Mar. 7 - 3 / 5 PM - vs Southwest Minnesota State University
Mar. 10 - 2 / 4 PM - vs Ursuline College
Mar. 12 - 5 / 7 PM - vs Hillsdale College
Mar. 13 - 5 / 7 PM - vs Bloomsburg University
Mar. 17 - 2 / 4 PM - vs Adelphi University
Mar. 22 - 6 PM - vs University of Tampa
Mar. 23 - 1 / 3 PM - vs University of Tampa
Apr. 5 - 7 PM - vs Palm Beach Atlantic University (Alumni Weekend)
Apr. 6 - 1 / 3 PM - vs Palm Beach Atlantic University (Alumni Weekend)
Apr. 26 - 5 / 7 PM - vs Embry-Riddle University 
Apr. 27 - 1 PM - vs Embry-Riddle University (Senior Day)
May 3 - 7 PM - vs Rollins College
May 4 - 6 / 8 PM - vs Rollins College