The Clarke College softball team will open its 2001 season next week by participating in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Coach Tina Kuhle s Crusaders will play eight games in five days at the classic, before returning to Dubuque for a March 17 home opener against Upper Iowa University. Clarke s new campaign will open on Monday, March 5, when the Crusaders meet St. Anselm College, of Manchester, N.H., at 1 p.m., and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, of Worcester, Mass., at 4 p.m. The Crusaders will face Point Park College and Robert Morris College on Tuesday, March 6, Rochester Institute of Technology and Le Moyne College on Thursday, March 8, and Rochester Institute of Technology and Emerson College on Friday, March 9.
All dates consist of single games only.
We ll have to play steady defensively, and we ll look for our seniors to step up and provide leadership for our younger players. Haley batted a team-high .500 in league contests, while Clift carried a .353 batting average in N.I.I.C. contests. She owned a 2.64 ERA in N.I.I.C. games. We ll be an exciting team to watch to watch this year, said Kuhle. We have depth, experience, a strong pitching staff and overall good team quickness.