WALTHAM, Mass. – After winning a school record 24 games in 2022, the Bentley University softball team will be looking to carry that success into the 2023 campaign, which tips off this weekend with a six-game trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the Fastpitch Dreams Sports Classic.

Coach Terry A. McDonough's team will play doubleheaders each day with the Falcons facing Felician University at 10 am Friday, Mercy College at the same time on Saturday and Bloomfield College Sunday morning at 9:30 am. All six games are scheduled to be streamed at https://nmbpark.com/394/Park-Cameras.

Bentley has the large majority of last year's team back this time around, including seven of the eight players who had at least 80 at bats and two of the three pitchers who threw at least 75 innings. The two losses to graduation are significant, third baseman Kaileen Cain (.354, school record 8 HR) and pitcher Elise Pereira (11-6, 2.60 ERA, 100 SO).

Sophomore left fielder Jordan Krause (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro HS) is coming off an outstanding rookie season, one that saw her finish with a .386 batting average, fifth best in the Northeast-10, with her 54 hits tied for second most in Bentley history. The first-team All-Northeast-10 honoree scored 32 runs and had a .571 slugging percentage with four home runs.

Also back is graduate catcher Ella Hillier (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin HS), a two-time All-Northeast-10 honoree. More than a third of her 110 career hits have been for extra bases, including 31 doubles. She enters the season needing 17 hits to move into Bentley's all-time top ten.

First baseman Kaylee Mankins (North Attleboro/Bishop Feehan HS) begins her fourth Bentley season with a .291 average and six home runs, a total that is tied for fourth in program history. Her best year came in 2021 when she batted .342 and went deep four times.

Other returning starters include outfielders Sam Petow (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) and Kylee Amato (Bergenfield, N.J./Acad. of the Holy Angels), senior second baseman Katherine Noftall (Ipswich/Ipswich HS) and junior shortstop Sabrina Grizzaffi (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield HS). Amato has a .318 career average and Petow bumped her average nearly 70 points to .289 in 2022. Grizzaffi had a .250 batting average with 12 RBI and Noftall made only one error in only 113 chances.

Senior Jess Trahan (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS) started 15 games last season and is slated to start at third where 12 of her 2022 starts came. Another returnee to look out for is junior catcher/outfielder Gabriella Longo (Northport, N.Y./Northport HS).

The pitching staff is expected to be led by junior Payton Doiron (Beacon Falls, Conn./St. Joseph HS) and sophomore Dahlia Fink (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame HS). Doiron pitched in 20 games and had a 7-7 record, a 2.17 ERA and a 4:1 strikeout-walk ratio. Fink, in 13 starts and six relief appearances, was 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA.  Each also was credited with two saves. The coaching staff is also counting on sophomore righty Taylor O'Brien (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia HS) to be a big contributor to the staff this season.

There are only two newcomers on the roster, catcher Lexi Vail (Ellington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford HS) and pitcher Daniella Salle (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional HS).