Utah Valley at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 
Friday-Sunday, Feb. 19-21, 2016  
Cathedral City, Calif.   |   Big League Dreams Sports Park
Tournament Central Page  |  UVU Game Notes
Live Video (FloSoftball - fee required)
Live Stats: George Washington | Notre Dame | Army | Bethune-Cookman | Binghamton  
 

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UVU HEADS TO SOCAL FOR MARY NUTTER CLASSIC
OREM, Utah – After opening the season with a 1-4 record at the Sportco Kick Off Classic in Las Vegas last week, the Utah Valley University softball team will return to the road this weekend to head to Southern California to take part at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. While at the Classic, the Wolverines will play five games from Friday to Sunday, Feb. 19-21, at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Cathedral City.
 
UVU will open the tournament against George Washington on Friday at 11:30 a.m. MT/10:30 a.m. PT before facing Notre Dame, who is currently receiving votes for the top 25, that afternoon at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT. The Wolverines will then play a pair of games under the lights on Saturday evening, as they are set to face Army at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT and Bethune-Cookman at 8:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. PT. Utah Valley will conclude the weekend with a 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT Sunday morning contest against Binghamton.
 
"We've got another tough schedule ahead of us this weekend, but we'll be ready to go," head coach Nikki Palmer said. "We have the personnel, now we just have to put it together on the field."
 
The Wolverines will enter the Mary Nutter Classic with a 1-4 record after winning one out of five contests at UNLV's Sportco Kick Off Classic. After falling to Texas Tech and No. 14 Minnesota by respective scores of 5-1 and 9-0 on opening day, UVU split a pair of games on Feb. 13 as it fell to Lamar by a score of 14-6 before beating South Dakota by the run rule (13-5). The Wolverines then capped the opening tournament with an 11-1 setback to UNLV on Feb. 14.
 
In the 13-5 victory over South Dakota, Sophomore Kristy Snyder and junior Brittney Vansway got the Wolverines going with back-to-back third-inning home runs to give UVU a 4-2 advantage. The UVU offense wasn't done that inning as it managed to send a total of 13 batters to the plate and finished scoring nine runs on its way to a 9-2 lead. With Utah Valley later holding to a 12-5 lead in the fifth, pinch hitter Jaymee Lawton drew a bases loaded walk to propel the Wolverines to a 13-5 walk-off run-rule victory over the Coyotes.
 
Senior shortstop Tiani Hensley paced the Wolverine offense by going 5-for-12 (.417) with four doubles and four RBIs. Vansway, Snyder and sophomore Haley Harrison were next as they each hit .333 (4-for-12). Snyder and Vansway each homered as well as recorded a pair of doubles apiece, while Harrison added a double of her own as well as a trio of RBIs.
 
Sophomore right-hander Kellee Ramsey leads the UVU pitching staff with a 3.23 ERA in 8.2 innings of work.
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
George Washington of the Atlantic 10 Conference will open its 2016 season on Friday against the Wolverines after having its opening weekend cancelled due to snow at Gardner-Webb last week. The Colonials went 25-23 a year ago and were picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic 10 this year. Friday's contest will mark the first all-time meeting between UVU and GW.
 
The Fighting Irish are just outside the top 25 poll this week after going 3-2 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona last weekend. Notre Dame picked up wins over BYU, Utah and Georgia State and fell to No. 18 Kentucky and #21 California. UND was picked to finish second in the ACC this year after going 42-15 in 2015 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Friday afternoon's ballgame will mark the first all-time meeting between UVU and UND.
 
Army is off to a 1-4 start to its 2016 season after going 1-4 at the Seahawk Softball Bash in Wilmington, North Carolina last week. The Black Knights recorded their lone win of the opening tournament over UNC Wilmington by a score of 3-1. Army West Point was picked to finish third in the Patriot League after going 23-27 last season. Saturday's contest will be the second all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Black Knights with UVU holding a 1-0 series advantage.
 
Bethune-Cookman of the MEAC is 3-2 on the season after picking up wins over Morgan State, Liberty and Akron last week at the National Collegiate Softball Invitational in Clermont, Florida. B-CU was picked to finish atop the MEAC Southern Division after going 22-29 last season. Saturday's contest will mark the second all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Wildcats, and B-CU will enter play with a 1-0 series lead.
 
Binghamton of the America East will head to the Mary Nutter Classic to open its 2016 campaign. The Bearcats will face UC Santa Barbara, Pacific, Arkansas and Loyola Marymount before taking on the Wolverines on Sunday. BU was picked to win the America East this season after going 24-21 a year ago and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Sunday's matchup will mark the first all-time meeting between UVU and Binghamton.
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU
Following the conclusion of this weekend's tournament, UVU will head to Hawaii Feb. 26-28 for the Hawaii Invitational. There, Utah Valley will play three games against the host Rainbow Wahine and three more against Portland State.