Thursday, February 9
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
11 a.m.
North Carolina
vs
Cal Baptist
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Softball Kicks Off 2023 Season In Mexico At Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
February 7, 2023 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Carolina softball team opens the 2023 season this Thursday in Mexico at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. During the three-day tournament, from Feb. 9-11, the Tar Heels will face Cal Baptist, BYU, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. All four games will be streamed on FloSoftball.
Full Tournament Schedule
Thursday, Feb. 9
vs. Cal Baptist, 11 a.m. (ET)
vs. BYU, 1:30 p.m. (ET)
Friday, Feb. 10
vs. No. 25 Ole Miss, 9:30 p.m. (ET)
Saturday, Feb. 11
vs. No. 3 Oklahoma State, 9:30 p.m. (ET)
Series Breakdown
vs. Cal Baptist
The 2023 Carolina softball team is made up of 22 Tar Heels, which includes two freshmen, three transfers and 18 returners.
The Tar Heels' roster features three of their top-four hitters from 2022: Bri Stubbs (.355), Skyler Brooks (.328) and Kiannah Pierce (.306). Stubbs leads all returners in batting average, hits (50) and runs scored (38).
In the circle, the Tar Heels return three pitchers: Lilli Backes and Carlie Myrtle and Talia Hannappel, while welcoming freshman MaKenna Raye Dark and Tennessee transfer Bailey McCachren.
Backes, who led the team with 31 appearances as a freshman, tallied 95 strikeouts a season ago, while Hannappel led the team with three saves. Myrtle has the lowest ERA (4.03) of all returning pitchers after pitching 59 innings in 2022.
The Heels also welcomed assistant coach Falepolima Aviu and volunteer assistant Jordan Dail to the roster in the offseason.
Carolina was picked by the league coaches to finish No. 11 in the ACC.
New Kids on the Block
Carolina's roster features three newcomers from a season ago: Caroline Fox, MaKenna Raye Dark and Bailey McCachren.
Fox, who will wear No. 6, is an infielder from Knoxville, Tenn. An all-state athlete, Fox capped off her high school career by helping to lead Wayne Christian High School to a 2022 NCISAA 2A State Championship.
Dark, who will wear No. 22, is a right-handed pitcher from Mebane, N.C. Dark, the 2020 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, led Eastern Alamance to a 2022 3A State Championship title and was named Championship MVP.
McCachren, who will wear No. 31, is a right-handed pitcher who transferred from Tennessee. The Cumming, Ga., native pitched a combined 80.2 innings as a freshman and sophomore for the Lady Vols and complied a 5-2 record in the circle in 2022.
Season 38
Carolina head coach Donna J. Papa is going into season No. 38 at the helm of the Tar Heels, the team she took over in 1985. Papa holds a 1342-792 (.632) record at UNC and currently has the second-most most career wins of any active coach in the NCAA, behind just Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso.
Notables:
Carolina opens its home schedule against Elon on Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. in Anderson Stadium.
Stay up to date with Carolina Softball by following the Tar Heels on Twitter and Instagram.
Full Tournament Schedule
Thursday, Feb. 9
vs. Cal Baptist, 11 a.m. (ET)
vs. BYU, 1:30 p.m. (ET)
Friday, Feb. 10
vs. No. 25 Ole Miss, 9:30 p.m. (ET)
Saturday, Feb. 11
vs. No. 3 Oklahoma State, 9:30 p.m. (ET)
Series Breakdown
vs. Cal Baptist
- First meeting between the two programs
- The Lancers were picked to finish fourth in the Western Athletic Conference preseason poll
- Cal Baptist posted a 21-30-1 record in 2022
- The series between the Tar Heels and Cougars is tied at 1-1, with the two meetings coming in 2008 and 2019
- In the last meeting, Carolina earned a 5-4 victory over BYU on Feb. 9, 2019, in Puerto Vallarta
- BYU was picked as the preseason favorite to win the West Coast Conference
- The Cougars posted a 42-10 record in 2022
- Carolina leads the series over the Rebels 2-1, with the most recent meeting between the two schools coming on May 21, 2017, when Ole Miss defeated the Tar Heels 7-2 in Oxford
- This is the first neutral site meeting between the Tar Heels and Rebels
- Ole Miss was picked to finish tenth in the Southeastern Conference preseason poll
- The Rebels posted a 41-19 record in 2022
- The series is tied at 2-2, with the Tar Heels holding a 2-1 advantage over Oklahoma State in neutral site games
- The two teams last met on Feb. 21, 2019, in Cathedral City, Calif., where the Cowgirls earned a 7-5 victory over the Tar Heels
- Oklahoma State was picked to finish second in the Big 12 preseason poll
- The Cowgirls posted a 48-14 record in 2022, finishing their season in the College World Series
The 2023 Carolina softball team is made up of 22 Tar Heels, which includes two freshmen, three transfers and 18 returners.
The Tar Heels' roster features three of their top-four hitters from 2022: Bri Stubbs (.355), Skyler Brooks (.328) and Kiannah Pierce (.306). Stubbs leads all returners in batting average, hits (50) and runs scored (38).
In the circle, the Tar Heels return three pitchers: Lilli Backes and Carlie Myrtle and Talia Hannappel, while welcoming freshman MaKenna Raye Dark and Tennessee transfer Bailey McCachren.
Backes, who led the team with 31 appearances as a freshman, tallied 95 strikeouts a season ago, while Hannappel led the team with three saves. Myrtle has the lowest ERA (4.03) of all returning pitchers after pitching 59 innings in 2022.
The Heels also welcomed assistant coach Falepolima Aviu and volunteer assistant Jordan Dail to the roster in the offseason.
Carolina was picked by the league coaches to finish No. 11 in the ACC.
New Kids on the Block
Carolina's roster features three newcomers from a season ago: Caroline Fox, MaKenna Raye Dark and Bailey McCachren.
Fox, who will wear No. 6, is an infielder from Knoxville, Tenn. An all-state athlete, Fox capped off her high school career by helping to lead Wayne Christian High School to a 2022 NCISAA 2A State Championship.
Dark, who will wear No. 22, is a right-handed pitcher from Mebane, N.C. Dark, the 2020 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, led Eastern Alamance to a 2022 3A State Championship title and was named Championship MVP.
McCachren, who will wear No. 31, is a right-handed pitcher who transferred from Tennessee. The Cumming, Ga., native pitched a combined 80.2 innings as a freshman and sophomore for the Lady Vols and complied a 5-2 record in the circle in 2022.
Season 38
Carolina head coach Donna J. Papa is going into season No. 38 at the helm of the Tar Heels, the team she took over in 1985. Papa holds a 1342-792 (.632) record at UNC and currently has the second-most most career wins of any active coach in the NCAA, behind just Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso.
Notables:
- Carolina's last win over a top-5 team was a 5-1 victory over No. 4 Florida State on April 16, 2022, in Chapel Hill
- Carolina's last top-5 road victory was a 9-8 win at No. 2 Alabama on Feb. 8, 2020, in Tuscaloosa
- The Tar Heels went 1-3 the last time they competed in Puerto Vallarta Challenge during the 2019 season, earning a 4-0 win over No. 9 South Carolina. That trip Carolina also played No. 3 Washington, No. 8 Baylor and BYU
- This trip will be the second time Kiersten Licea, Lexi Godwin and Abby Settlemyre have competed with the Tar Heels in Puerto Vallarta
- Carolina associate head coach Chelsey Dobbins played for Oklahoma State in 2006, making 12 starts for the Cowgirls
Carolina opens its home schedule against Elon on Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. in Anderson Stadium.
Stay up to date with Carolina Softball by following the Tar Heels on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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