River Forest, Ill. -- After posting a 21-17 record in 2019, the Concordia University Chicago Softball team heads into the 2020 season looking to post a fifth straight season with an above .500 record. CUC will once again be under the direction of head coach Sarah O'Malley-Fisher who is entering her eighth season.

The time is finally here!

IT'S GAMEDAY!!!! pic.twitter.com/7ktLwEw32D

— CUC Softball (@cucsoftball) March 5, 2020

 
The Cougars return 13 players from last season. The Cougars were picked seventh in the NACC pre-season poll as voted on by the coaches and athletic communications directors. CUC is looking to make a return trip to the NACC tournament, which they last made in 2018.
 
Offensively the top Cougar returners are Sydney Sterrett and Sydney Paulauskis-Lauher. Sterrett batted .330 a season ago over 38 games. She was second on the team with 35 hits and scored 19 runs. She also stole five bases. Paulauskis-Lauher also batted .330 last season. In her first season with CUC she recorded four doubles, and drove in 12. 
 
CUC returns three arms from last season from a staff that recorded a 3.18 ERA as a group. Holly Bathje led the Cougars with 92.1 innings in the circle last season. She complied a 3.64 ERA in 24 appearances with four complete games and four saves. She demonstrated control in the circle as well, striking out 70 while walking just 17. Kate Roberts and Karlee Knight both look to take a step forward this season. Roberts finished with a 3.52 ERA in 55.2 innings last season, while Knight finished with a 3-2 record while working 32.1 innings last year. Paulauskis-Lauher is also expected to appear inside the circle this season. 

Other mainstays in the field this season will be seniors Kristen Landon and Taylor Kulaszewicz. Landon appeared in 37 games a year ago and helped to turn six double plays. Kulaszewicz played in 24 games behind the dish last season. Another big returner behind the plate is junior Nia DeGeorge. DeGeorge appeared in 24 games last season in the maroon and gold. Kacey Powers and Kelly Tarasiewicz saw significant time in 2019, and are expected to take another step forward in 2020. Other returners include Claire Urchell and Yasmine Fox, who look to contribute this season.
 
The Cougars welcome six returners to the squad for the 2020 season. Becky Pieroni and Hailey Howard will be part of the infield this season. Howard is also expected to see time in the circle. Alexis Hilgert is a freshman catcher, while Nikita Robbins will spend a lot of time patrolling the outfield. CUC added two junior transfers this season as well. Mackenzie Melendez is expected to see time at third base, while Isabel Ortiz will be in the outfield.

 CUC opens their season this afternoon at the Dome at Rosemont against the Lake Forest Foresters. The Cougars then will head down to Florida for their annual spring break trip where they will play eight games.
 
You can always find links to the game coverage at cucougars.com/coverage. You can also catch all of the highlights on twitter @CUCSoftball.