The Holy Cross softball team will continue its action in Florida from Mar. 10-12 at the USF Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla. The Crusaders are set to face five teams at the tournament.

ABOUT THE USF UNDER ARMOUR SHOWCASE

• The Under Armour Showcase is hosted by the University of South Florida at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. This marks the 15th annual year of the tournament.
• Eight fields make up the complex, as 47 teams will compete in the tournament.
• The Crusaders will face five opponents from Mar. 10-12, including South Dakota State, Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Canisius, Western Michigan and Indiana State.
• First on Friday, Mar. 10, Holy Cross will square off with South Dakota State (11:30 a.m.) and Southern Illinois Edwardsville (4:30 p.m.).
• The following day, the Crusaders will take the field against another two foes, including Western Michigan (9:15 a.m.) and Canisius (2:00 p.m.).
• On Sunday, Mar. 12, Holy Cross will conclude action at the Under Armour Showcase with its final contest against Indiana State at 9:00 a.m.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CRUSADERS

• Holy Cross is 2-7 on the season and looks to bounce back after most recently going 0-4 at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational.
• Leading the way at the plate for the Crusaders is junior first baseman Taylor Moss, who holds a .462 batting average, .577 slugging percentage, three doubles and 10 RBIs. Moss is on a seven-game hitting streak, notching at least one hit in eight of nine games played this year.
• Chipping in with a .419 batting average and a team-leading 13 hits is senior second baseman Emily Krisanda. She has registered a hit in eight of nine games on the season with a .419 slugging percentage.
• The last three contests played by the Crusaders have been decided in three or less runs.
• Sophomore right handed pitcher Alexandra Held has seen the most time in the circle for Holy Cross, holding a 4.43 earned run average and is 2-2 on the year.
• Head coach Jen Lapicki is in her first season at the helm of the Crusaders.

SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS

• South Dakota State is 8-13 after most recently defeating La Salle, 3-1 on Mar. 8. The Jackrabbits will face Villanova in the Under Armour Showcase prior to taking on the Crusaders.
• Holy Cross trails South Dakota State, 0-3, in the two teams’ all-time series, most recently falling to the Jackrabbits, 14-3 on Mar. 10, 2016.
• Ali Herdliska leads the offense for South Dakota State with 19 hits, 19 RBIs and six extra-base hits.
• Pitcher Ashlyn Bender holds a 6-4 record on the year in the circle for the Jackrabbits with a team-leading 2.19 earned run average.
• Krista Wood is in her third year as Head Coach of South Dakota State.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS

• Southern Illinois Edwardsville stands 14-4 on the year and is on a three-game winning streak after taking down the University of Pennsylvania (Mar. 7), South Dakota State (Mar. 8) and La Salle (Mar. 8) in Clearwater, Fla.
• The Cougars are 13-0 in Neutral site games this season.
• This marks the first time the Crusaders will take on the Cougars.
• Zoe Schafer leads SIUE with a .339 batting average, 19 hits, 10 RBIs, two home runs and a .500 slugging percentage.
• Haley Chambers-Book (8-3) has seen the most time in the circle for the Cougars, owning a 1.57 earned run average with 91 strikeouts. Chambers-Book is also a threat at the plate, notching 19 hits, 14 RBIs, a .473 slugging percentage and a .345 batting average.
• Sandy Montgomery is in her 29th season as head coach of the Cougars.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS

• Western Michigan is 8-10, coming off a win over Niagara on Mar. 6. The Broncos will face three opponents in Under Armour Showcase action before squaring off with Holy Cross.
• This marks the first ever contest between the Crusaders and the Broncos.
• Kelsea Cichocki holds a .519 batting average with 28 hits, 20 RBIs and 12 extra-base hits to lead the Broncos at the plate.
• In the circle, pitcher Jordan Kurth has a 2.37 earned run average with 34 strikeouts and a 5-5 record.
• Kathy Leitke is in her 17th season as head coach of Western Michigan.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIFFINS

• Canisius is 6-7 on the year, most recently going 2-2 in its last four games. The Golden Griffins will face Central Connecticut and Villanova prior to taking the field against Holy Cross.
• The will be a first-time contest between Holy Cross and Canisius.
• Batting .400 on the year, Lindsey Silfer leads the Golden Griffins with 18 hits, four RBIs, five extra-base hits and a .556 slugging percentage.
• Pitcher Erika Mackie leads Canisius in the circle with a 2.95 earned run average and 27 strikeouts.
• Kim Griffin is in her fourth season as head coach of the Golden Griffins.

SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES

• Most recently posting an 8-6 win over Louisville on Mar. 5, Indiana State stands 8-6 overall this season. The Sycamores will play four games before their contest against the Crusaders.
• Holy Cross trails Indiana State, 0-3 in the two teams’ all-time series, most recently falling to the Sycamores, 6-3, on Mar. 8, 2012.
• With 17 hits and nine RBIs, Becky Malchow leads the Sycamores at the plate. Malchow also holds a .370 batting average.
• Pitcher Kenzie Ihle has seen the most time in the circle for Indiana State, holding a 4.45 earned run average and 28 strikeouts.
• Shane Bouman is in his sixth season as head coach of the Sycamores.

KEEP CONNECTED:

• Follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossSoftballand on Facebook. You can also get the latest news and results on the team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts go here.