The Game: Towson Tigers (24-20, 13-8 CAA) vs. Stony Brook Seawolves (20-23, 5-12 CAA)
Where: Tiger Softball Stadium – Towson, Md.
When: Saturday-Sunday, April 29-30 – Saturday double header starting at 12 p.m., Sunday single game at 1 p.m.
Broadcast: Live stream on FloSoftball, live stats at TowsonTigers.com

TOWSON, Md. – Towson softball will welcome Stony Brook for their final CAA series of the regular season on Saturday and Sunday. The Tigers are currently sitting in fifth place in the conference standings but have clinched a berth in the CAA Tournament later in May with their win at Delaware last weekend.

The Tigers are coming off a 1-2 weekend at Delaware last weekend. Towson picked up a 9-0 five-inning win in game one that saw the Tigers score six runs in the first inning, including a grand slam from Cara Bohner. However, the Blue Hens shutout the Tigers in the final two games by scores of 2-0 and 3-0. In their win, Towson clinched their first CAA Tournament berth since 2019.

Towson and Stony Brook will be meeting for the first time as members of the CAA and have met just two other times prior to the weekend. The Tigers lead the series 2-0 including a 3-2 win in 2020 and a 2-1 win in 2009.

SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES:
Stony Brook comes to Towson at 20-23, 5-12 CAA on the year after taking two of three from Hampton last weekend and a 4-3 win against Fordham on Wednesday afternoon. The Seawolves are led by Alyssa Costello and Alicia Orosco who are batting .336 and .331 respectively. Orosco leads the team with 47 hits and eight doubles, while Costello has driven in 30 runs. Corinne Badger has hit a team-high 10 home runs. In the circle, Mia Haynes has a 12-6 record with 80 strikeouts and a 3.87 ERA. Ashton Melaas has a 3.43 ERA in 122.1 innings pitched.

TIGERS HONORED:
Five different Tigers have earned CAA weekly awards so far in the 2023 season. Maddie Gardner was named pitcher of the week back on February 21 while Addie Ferguson was named rookie of the week the following week. Most recently, Madyson Peters was named player of the week on March 20 after leading Towson to their first CAA series sweep since 2019. Peters earned her second player of the week award on April 3 after leading the Tigers to another series sweep of Drexel.

Most recently Cori Jones and Kristin Toland earned CAA Player and Rookie of the Week honors on April 17 after leading the Tigers to a 4-0 week that included a sweep of North Carolina A&T.

NEWCOMERS:
Towson will have 10 newcomers suit up in the Black and Gold for the 2023 season. Eight of the ten newcomers are freshman who will be making their collegiate debuts, joining a pair of DI transfers in Erin Brown (Thousand Oak, Calif./La Reina/St. John's) and Maddie Gardner (Sun Prairie, Wisc./Sun Prairie/South Florida).

Brown comes to Towson from St. John's University where she made 46 appearances in the circle with 25 starts throwing 173.2 innings. She amassed an 11-20 record with nine complete games, three shutouts and two saves. Her best season came during the Covid shortened 2020 campaign, going 5-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 61.2 innings.

Gardner made six appearances in two seasons for USF in the circle. She sported a 1-0 record in five appearances in 2021, picking up a victory against Florida Atlantic in 2.0 innings of relief.

Alyssa Myint, Nadia Martyniuk, Cheyenne Beayon, Isabella Canesi, Cara Bohner, Addie Ferguson, Kellie Zoerb and Grace Franczyk will also suit up for the Tigers in 2023.

NEW LOOK PITCHING STAFF:
Towson returns just two pitchers who saw action in the 2022 season in Paige Kostick and Sydni Byers. Kostick saw action in seven games with four starts, tossing 28.1 innings with 11 strikeouts. Byers appeared in five games out of the bullpen. Also returning for the Tigers will be Morgan Wagner who missed the 2022 season due to an injury.

Three newcomers will join the pitching staff in freshman Cheyenne Beayon and transfers Erin Brown and Maddie Gardner. Beayon comes to Towson from Mount De Sales with Brown and Gardner transferring from St. John's University and University of South Florida. Brown made 46 career appearances for the Red Storm with nine complete games. Gardner made six appearances in her two seasons with the Bulls.

OFFENSIVE DEPTH:
The Tigers return four of their top five hitters from 2022, including offensive leader Briana Ramirez. Ramirez led Towson with a .379 batting average and a .434 slugging percentage a year ago. Ramirez finished second in the CAA in batting and will enter 2023 as the top returning hitter from a year ago while also finishing third in hits with 55 in 2022.

Mackenzie Lake, Sydni Byers, and Madyson Peters also return to help a Towson offense that hit .252 from the plate in 2022. Lake finished the year with a .303 batting average, leading the team with seven doubles and five home runs. Byers hit .256 tying Lake with seven doubles and team-best 25 RBIs. Peters went .245 from the dish with 27 hits and six doubles.

NEXT GAME:
Towson will close out the regular season with a road game at Maryland on Tuesday, May 2 before a double header with Coppin State on Friday, May 5 at home.