#6/7 Georgia Opens 2019 Season Friday in Boca Raton

#6/7 Georgia (0-0)
at FAU First Pitch Classic
Dates: Feb. 8-10, 2019
Location: Boca Raton, Fla.
Stadium: FAU Softball Stadium
Georgia's Schedule:
     Feb. 8 – vs. St. Johns, 3:45 p.m.
     Feb. 8 – at Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m.
     Feb. 9 – vs. Bethune-Cookman, 9 a.m.
     Feb. 9 – vs. Virginia, 11:15 a.m.
     Feb. 10 – vs. Indiana, 11:15 a.m.

Media Information
Streaming Video: CUSA.tv (FAU game only)
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

Complete Game Notes Attached

#6/7 Georgia softball will begin the 2019 season as part of the Florida Atlantic First Pitch Classic in Boca Raton, Florida beginning Friday, Feb. 8.

Georgia is set to play St. Johns, Florida Atlantic, Bethune-Cookman, Virginia, and Indiana to kick off the 2019 campaign. It's the first time since 2009-2010 that Georgia has opened the season on the road in back-to-back seasons.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Live stats will be available for all games of the FAU First Pitch Classic. Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Georgia's game against host Florida Atlantic will be streamed live on CUSA.tv for a fee.
» Live Twitter updates will be available at the official Twitter page of Georgia softball, @UGAsoftball.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Georgia in the Top 25
The Bulldogs come in at #6 in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Coaches' Poll while picking up a #7 ranking in the USA Softball/ESPN.com Preseason Poll. #6 is Georgia's highest preseason ranking since earning #3 in 2011. In the USA Softball poll, Georgia's ranking of #7 is the highest preseason rank in that particular poll. The previous high was #8 (2010, 2013). Georgia concluded the 2018 season #8 in both major polls.

Series Histories
St. John's- Georgia leads 5-0
» The first-ever meeting was in 2002 in Tallahassee, but the teams haven't met since 2014 in Athens.
Florida Atlantic- Georgia leads 4-1
» The teams first met in 1999; Georgia won 2-1.
» Georgia's lone loss to the Owls came in 2000, 9-2.
» This will be the first meeting not on a neutral field between the Bulldogs and Owls.
» The last meeting was on Valentine's Day 2010 in Clermont, Florida.
Bethune-Cookman- Georgia leads 3-0
» All three meetings came in back-to-back seasons (2002, 2003), first in St. Augustine, Florida then in Athens.
Virginia
» First meeting
Indiana- Georgia leads 3-0
» Georgia hosted the Hoosiers in the first-ever meeting in 2011
» The Bulldogs faced IU in Cathedral City, California then a week later in Orlando in 2015.

Georgia Tabbed Second in SEC Preseason Poll
The Georgia softball team was picked to finish second in the 2019 SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bulldogs, who picked up two first-place votes from the league's head coaches, received 130 points in the poll. The reigning champions, Florida (10 first-place votes), received 142 points and are the preseason favorites in the league.

DiCarlo Lands on 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
Shortstop Alyssa DiCarlo has been named to the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 watch list. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, which is entering its 18th season, recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players across the country. The Southeastern Conference well represented with 13 student-athletes on the list. As a junior, DiCarlo appeared as a top-25 finalist for the award. In its history, Georgia has had six top-25 finalists for the award. Alisa Goler (2009) is the Bulldogs' lone top-10 finalist.

Chasing 1,000
Currently at 975 program wins, Georgia will look to record the 1,000th victory in program history in this season.

DiCarlo Named Preseason All-SEC
The head softball coaches of the SEC voted Georgia shortstop Alyssa DiCarlo to the Preseason All-SEC Team. DiCarlo, a senior from Glendale, Arizona, earned Third Team NFCA All-American status a season ago. As a junior, she knocked 21 home runs, a figured that led the SEC in 2018. She hit .400 as a junior while driving in 67 runs to rank second in the league. DiCarlo scattered 72 total hits and recorded a .498 on base percentage with an .850 slugging percentage, the highest in the SEC.

14 Land on Fall Director of Athletics Honor Roll
A total of 14 Georgia softball student-athlete appeared on the Fall Director of Athletics Honor Roll.  Amanda Ablan was commended for a 4.0 GPA. Mary Wilson Avant, Kylie Bass, Jordan Doggett, Alysen Febrey, and Savana Sikes recorded a Fall GPA of 3.5 or higher. Eight more fell in the 3.0-3.49 GPA range.

2019 Schedule at a Glance
Nine 2018 NCAA Tournament participants appear on Georgia's 2019 schedule including five Super Regional teams from a season ago. Six teams concluded the season ranked in the Top 25. The 56-game schedule features 37 games at Jack Turner Softball Stadium (25 non-conference, 12 SEC). Southeastern Conference series at home include LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. The Bulldogs' SEC slate, set to begin on Mar. 15 at Missouri, includes eight series. Of those eight series, five teams played in a Super Regional last season and six finished the season ranked in the Top 25.

Breaking Down the Roster
Georgia returns all but two position starters from a season ago, losing a pair of mainstays in the outfield. In the circle, the Bulldogs lost two but return five. The Bulldogs have 10 upper classmen including two seniors (Alyssa DiCarlo, Kylie Bass) and eight juniors. The remainder of the roster is made up of eight sophomores and five freshmen. In all, Georgia welcomed eight newcomers to the 2019 roster.

Homegrown Bulldogs
Of the 23 members of this season's roster, a total of 15 (65 percent) hail from the state of Georgia. In all, the roster is made up of student-athletes from eight states. The only other state producing multiple Bulldogs is Alabama (2).

#6/7 Georgia Opens 2019 Season Friday in Boca Raton

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Players Mentioned

Amanda Ablan

Mary Wilson Avant

Kylie Bass

Alyssa DiCarlo

Jordan Doggett

Alysen Febrey

Savana Sikes