BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. (Feb. 8, 2024) – The 2024 ETSU softball season commences this weekend as the Buccaneers head to North Carolina for the Runnin' Bulldog Classic, hosted by Gardner-Webb. The Bucs will play five games over the three-day tournament as the Blue & Gold take on Youngstown State, Gardner-Webb and Delaware at Brinkley Softball Stadium. 
 
BUCCANEER WEEKEND SCHEDULE 
Friday, Feb. 9 – ETSU vs. Youngstown State, 1 p.m. • Live Stats
Friday, Feb. 9 – ETSU at Gardner-Webb, 5 p.m. • Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 10 – ETSU vs. Delaware, 11 a.m. • Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 10 – ETSU vs. Youngstown State, 3 p.m. • Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 11 – ETSU at Gardner-Webb, 12 p.m. • Live Stats
 
ABOUT THE BUCS 

• This season marks year two of the Cheryl Milligan era as she led the Bucs to a fourth-place showing in the Southern Conference Tournament a year ago 
• ETSU returns 12 players from last year, including its top three hitters in Sara Muir, Cameron Young and Riley Nayadley … The Buccaneer trio accounted for 169 hits, 28 doubles, 17 home runs, 77 RBI and 55 runs scored … All three players started each of the 54 games a year ago
• Muir led the team in hitting (.346), home runs (11) and RBI (32), while Young was the leader in doubles (19)
• Both Young and Nayadley were named the Preseason All-SoCon Team 
• ETSU will have to replace Brianna Bailey in the circle as she went 14-13 with a 2.97 ERA (79 ER/186.0 IP) and 142 strikeouts … Bailey graduated and landed a spot on the SoCon All-Tournament team a year ago  
• The Bucs return four pitchers who logged innings in 2023, including Muir, Whitley Arnott, Kendall Thackston and Taylor Suchy
• Coach Milligan and her staff brought in 11 new faces in 2024, including transfers Halle Laramie (Walters State), Brylee Mesusan (Tennessee), Olivia Absher (Southwest Virginia CC) … In addition to the transfers, eight Bucs are true freshmen and will make their collegiate debut this season 
• Mesusan played in 49 games for the Lady Vols in 2023 and scored 23 runs … The Gray, Tenn. native was rated the No. 22 outfielder and No. 44 overall prospect for the class of 2022 by Extra Inning Softball … Mesusan played at Daniel Boone High School where she led them to conference championships in 2019 and 2021

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
About Youngstown State

• Youngstown State returns 15 letterwinners and seven starters from its 2023 team that won 27 games 
• The Penguins were picked fourth in the Horizon League after going 12-10 in the conference last season 
• ETSU and Youngstown State have met twice with the teams splitting the two games … Youngstown State won the first-ever meeting 5-1 in 2015 in Buies Creek, N.C., while ETSU won the most-recent match-up, 7-3 in 2017 in Rock Hill, S.C.

About Gardner-Webb

• Gardner-Webb went 20-33 a year ago and finished 9-12 in the Big South 
• Thirteen of its 20 wins came at home in 2023 
• ETSU leads the all-time series 16-12 … The teams last met in 2022 in Boiling Springs with the Bucs winning 6-5 and the Runnin' Bulldogs taking a 3-2 win the day prior on Feb. 19
• The Runnin' Bulldogs were picked to finish tied for fourth in the Big South, while Adrienne Visintine (OF) and Annicka McLaughlin (IF) landed spots on the preseason all-conference team 

About Delaware 

• Delaware is coming off a 29-20 season in 2023 where the Blue Hens went 18-5 in league play 
• The Blue Hens captured the CAA regular season title with the 18-5 mark in conference play 
• Delaware was picked to win the CAA this season, while Emily Winburn, the program's first-ever CAA Pitcher of the Year winner, landed a spot on the preseason all-conference team 
• Winburn went 13-3 with a 1.20 ERA in 13 starts in CAA play last season 
• The Blue Hens return 11 players from last season's squad 
• This weekend marks the first-ever meeting between ETSU and Delaware 

UP NEXT
Following the trip to North Carolina, ETSU heads to Georgia for the Kennesaw State Tournament, which will be held Feb. 16-18 … The Bucs will face Kennesaw State, Ole Miss and Pittsburgh during their stint in the Peachtree State
 
For more information about ETSU softball, visit ETSUBucs.com and select softball.