Softball | 02/03/25 | 10:45 AM

HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Softball team will begin their 2025 season with an opening day doubleheader against Embry-Riddle in Prescott, Ariz. at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Following a tumultuous travel day due to winter weather in Montana on Sunday, the Fighting Saints will finally get their 2025 campaign underway against the Eagles on a much warmer Arizona afternoon on Monday. Due to the late arrival of the Saints last night, this afternoon's games have been bumped back an hour, with first pitch of the opener slated for 2 p.m.

Carroll enters the season full of optimism about this year's squad. The Saints are in their third year under the direction of Head Coach Shawna Juarez (40-56-1), and were picked sixth in the Preseason Cascade Collegiate Conference Coaches' Poll.

Last season, the FIghting Saints made program history, securing the first postseason win in the 10-year history of the program. After qualifying as the No. 6-seed for the CCC Championship for the second-consecutive season with a 12-15 record in conference play, the Saints found themselves matched up with the third-seeded, No. 15-ranked Yotes from the College of Idaho. Carroll won the opening round tilt 3-1 behind a brilliant day in the circle from First Team All-Conference pitcher, Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / JR).

Venner returns for her junior season, and will see the bulk of the innings following her outstanding 2024 campaign in which she appeared in 27 games for the Saints, starting 26 of those contests with 15 complete games. She finished the season with a 3.08 ERA and 1.35 WHIP en route to First Team All-CCC Honors.

Two other 2024 All-Conference selections bolster the Carroll lineup, with Second Team All-CCC infielder Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / SR) and Honorable Mention infielder Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / JR) coming off good seasons at the plate. Thomas led the team in numerous hitting statistics, including batting average (.359), OPS (1.035), hits (46), slugging percentage (.570), on-base percentage (.465), and home runs (7), while Sunchild hit .313 on the season, leading the team in doubles (11). She also had 41 hits on the season, leading the Saints with 29 runs batted in, while only striking out nine times in 131 plate appearances.

Alyssa Lybbert (Las Vegas, Nev. / SR) was an Honorable Mention All-CCC selection in 2023, and had another great season in '24 where she hit .317 and was struck out only three times in her 145 plate appearances.

The 2025 roster features a mix of seasoned veterans, as well as a large freshman class who will surely see action throughout the season. In total, eight new freshman will make their collegiate debuts this season, aiming to help the Saints push for a third-straight trip to the postseason.

Carroll will begin the year with four separate double-headers in Arizona, starting with this afternoon's games against Embry-Riddle. The Saints own a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series against the Eagles, and will be playing in Prescott for the first time in program history this afternoon. The Eagles ran away with a 9-1 win in last year's lone meeting between the teams, while Carroll boasts a pair of 8-0 wins back in 2016 and '17.

First pitch is slated for 2 p.m., and a live stream of each game can be found HERE.

Live stats for the first game can be found HERE, and the second game HERE.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com this evening for a recap of the action, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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