Pirates Open 2022 Season at Tiger Invitational

Auburn, Ala. – The Seton Hall softball team will open up its 2022 season when they travel down south to take part in the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn University on Friday and Saturday. In addition to two matchups with the host-Tigers, the Pirates will also play two against UMass Lowell over the two-day invite.

NEW BEGINNINGS
Seton Hall softball will begin a new regime under the direction of first-year Pirate head coach Angie Churchill. Churchill comes to The Hall with a plethora of college softball experience with 11 years in the head coaching ranks and a track record of elevating the programs she leads. Churchill is now the sixth head softball coach in the program's 44-year history and arrives at The Hall after four seasons serving as the head softball coach at the University of Hartford.

SCOUTING

UMass Lowell (0-0)

The River Hawks are coming off their fourth-consecutive winning season within America East play and are entering their first season under new head coach Jen Starek.
UMass Lowell returns junior pitcher Ryley White, who led the squad with a 1.84 ERA in a team-leading 80 innings pitched. White racked up 85 strikeouts to go along with three complete-game shutouts.
The two teams have split the all-time series at one game apiece with the Pirates coming out on top the last time these two squads met. The Hall won 13-1 in five innings in a season-opening tournament hosted by the Campbell Stampede on Feb. 8, 2014.

Auburn (RV) (0-0)

The host of the Tiger Invitational, Auburn, received an at-large bid into last season's NCAA Tournament after compiling a 27-24 record. The Tigers are currently receiving votes in ESPN's preseason Top-25 poll.
In the circle, Auburn returns an SEC All-Freshman and Second Team All-SEC selection from last season in Shelby Lowe. Lowe appeared in 30 contests with 26 starts as a true freshman holding a 1.48 ERA with 13 wins. Lowe racked up 179 strikeouts in 165.2 innings and has been named a Preseason All-SEC selection for 2022.
Friday's matchup will be the first between the two teams in program history.

NEWS AND NOTES

Among the Pirate leading returners from a season ago is junior Shelby Smith (Friendswood, Texas). Smith tossed 79 innings for the Pirates last season while punching out 75 batters, good enough for eighth-best in the conference. Smith also hit .333 in BIG EAST play with four doubles to her credit.
Senior Kiana Tate (Las Vegas, Nev.) also hit .333 in conference play last season with a .400 on-base percentage during the year.
The Pirates are also bringing back the program's all-time doubles leader in Janae Barracato (Hempstead, N.Y.). Barracato holds both the single-season record for doubles with 20 in 2019 and career two-baggers with 51.
Junior Abby Wingo (Portland, Ore.) is entering her third season patrolling the outfield turf at The Hall. Wingo is a career .300 hitter at the dish while also playing a solid center field defensively.