Dartmouth Softball Opens 2009 Season at Florida Gulf Coast Tournament

HANOVER, N.H. - The 2009 version of the Dartmouth softball team will begin its quest for the program's first Ivy League title under head coach Christine Vogt on Friday when the Big Green travels to Florida for the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida. Dartmouth will open up the tournament with games Friday against Bryant (11:00 am) and St. Francis (Pa.) (3:00 pm), followed by Saturday matchups against Colgate (11:00 am) and tournament host Florida Gulf Coast (5:00 pm). Dartmouth wraps up the tournament at 11:00 am Sunday against FGCU.

The Big Green ended the 2008 season with a 13-25 overall record, 9-11 in the Ivy League. Dartmouth was second to Harvard in the Northern Division for the second straight year. The Green returns 10 letterwinners and looks to be led this season by captains Ashley Gleason and Christy Autin. Autin is the team's top returning hitter while Gleason is looking to be a force for Dartmouth again after suffering an injury last year that held her to just 24 games. Audrey Kolodziej, Leigha Clarkson, Kirsten Costello and Alyssa Parker round out the team's top hitters.

In the circle Devin Lindsay will be joined by newcomers Hillary Barker and Kat Hicks. Lindsay made 20 appearances last year and finished with a 5-7 record. She struck out 46 in 79 innings of work.

Besides Barker and Hicks, Dartmouth also welcomes Meghan Everett, Molly Khalil and Ginna Roach to the team.

The Big Green will be facing three opponents this weekend ? Bryant, St. Francis and Florida Gulf Coast - that it has never competed against before. The only squad Dartmouth has faced has been Colgate as the Raiders currently hold a 4-1 lead in the series with the Big Green's lone victory coming on April 2, 2000.

After Dartmouth returns home next the week the team will take to the road again for a two-day round-robin tournament at the University of Maryland.

For complete FGCU tournament information click here.

Schedules