By Pia Perthen, Sports Editor
The beginning of a new year is a chance for new challenges and goals paired with motivation to be better than the year before. This mindset especially applies to the student-athletes at Saint Leo University, who accomplished great things last year and want to proceed to do that with their team this Spring semester. The athletic teams strive to be at the top throughout all NCAA Division II programs.
Baseball
The baseball team had a successful season last year and ended it with a 36-17 record overall. The Lions got eliminated in game five of the NCAA South Regional Tournament against Lee University (9-5) at home in the Thomas B. Southard Stadium. Junior outfielder Bobby Sparling had an impressive season and made the 2022 CCA NCAA Division II All-America Baseball Team for the first time in program history. Head Coach Rick O’Dette said that the schedule for 2023 will be similar to last year’s and includes 50 games, including 30 home games.
The season for the Green and Gold men starts at home on Feb. 3 against the University of Alabama in Huntsville at Saint Leo. The team proceeds to play against the same University on the following day (Feb. 4).
The beginning of the NCAA South Regional is on May 18 at Thomas B. Southard Stadium and the start of the NCAA Super South Regional is on May 26 at the same location.
Softball
As for the softball team, they finished their regular 2022 season with a 28-18 record and a 16-14 mark in the Sunshine State Conference. The Lions ended their season with a win against Eckerd University (8-3) on May 7 in St. Peterburg, Florida.
Three successful women from the team have received a Sunshine State Conference (SSC) All-Conference Award for the 2022 season. Sophomore Alexandra Hare, freshman Isabella Andujar, and sophomore Morgan Shannon all were named to the All-SSC Softball Second Team.
Head Coach Erin Kinberger released a 56-game schedule for the 2023 season, featuring 24 opponents and 30 home games at University Softball Stadium. Kinberger stated that the schedule is designed to be tough and that the team will be more motivated than ever to learn from the past and give their best for this Spring season.
The Saint Leo Lions open up their season in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with two games on Feb. 3 against Auburn University Montgomery and University of West Alabama. The Sunshine State Conference slate will start on Feb. 17 in West Palm Beach, Florida, against Palm Beach Atlantic University. Their first home event in the Saint Leo University Softball Stadium is on Feb. 24 against Barry University.
Men’s Lacrosse
In 2022, the men’s lacrosse team had a 6-8 overall record and a 1-6 in the Sunshine State Conference record. The team is led by Head Coach Brad Jorgensen, who completed his 17th year at the helm in 2022.
The schedule for Spring 2023 includes seven contests at Saint Leo at the University Turf Stadium. The Lions will have back-to-back home games twice this Spring season, eight night games, and one morning contest. Jorgensen is full of confidence that the team will attack every game with toughness and grit.
The Green and Gold start their season with a home event on Feb. 11 against Limestone University. The team has the Sunshine State Conference Semifinals on April 27 and Finals on April 30. The NCAA tournament starts on May 10, and the NCAA National Championship is on May 28 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Women’s Lacrosse
The Green and Gold women’s lacrosse team had a 7-11 overall record, finishing fourth in the conference in 2022. Freshman midfielder Maria Palomba was named the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Freshman of the Year, and sophomore Fiona McLaughlin was on the All-SSC Second Team for her work as an attacker.
Under the lead of Head Coach Caitlin Hansen, the team will play 17 games, with nine home games at University Turf Stadium in 2023.
For their first event, the Lions are traveling to Wilson, North Carolina, on Feb. 9 to compete against Barton College. The Sunshine State Conference Championship has the same timeline as the men’s team, and the NCAA tournament for the women’s starts on May 10 as well. However, their NCAA National Championship is on May 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
Both teams are supervised under Head Coach Chad Berryhill, and they have concluded their fall portion of the 2022-23 season. Both programs return this season after finishing in the top five in the nation last year. The 2023 spring schedule includes ten home matches for the men’s team and nine home matches for the women’s team at the Saint Leo Tennis Center.
Berryhill states that both teams are very excited to participate in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Indoors this year, and he thinks that it will be one of the highlight weekends for them. The date for this tournament is Feb. 17-19 in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the men’s team, and the woman will conquer this challenge in Kearney, Nebraska, on Feb. 24-26.
Both Green and Gold teams will start their season on Feb. 3 with a home event. The SSC Championship will be from April 20-22 in Bradenton, Florida, for both programs, and they have the NCAA Regions a week after, from April 28-29. The NCAA National Championship will be held May 11-16 in Lake Nona, Florida.
Men’s and Women’s Swimming
The men’s team has concluded an overall record of 2-2, and the women’s team has a 0-4 overall record for their fall portion of the 2022-23 season. During the Spartan Invite meet at the Riseman Aquatics Center in December, the men lost 133-53, and the women lost 145-38 against the University of Tampa.
The female and male Lions will start the 2023 spring season under Head Coach Michael Southward’s lead on Jan. 13 in Lakeland, Florida, against Florida Southern College. Their SSC Championship will be held in Clearwater, Florida, during Feb. 15-19. The Green and Gold teams have the 2023 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships from May 8-11 in Indiana.
Women’s Golf
The women’s golf team started well into their 2022-23 last September in Denton, Texas, at the Wild Horse Golf Club. The team placed tied third out of 16 strong teams with a total score of (+1). Head Coach Lyndsey Bevill is hoping for good scores and a lot of Eagles and Birdies on the golf course from the women for the spring portion of their season.
The Green and Gold will start on Feb. 6-7 in St. Augustine, Florida, on the Slammer and Squire Golf Course. A highlight of the spring will be the SSC Championship at their home course, Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club, from April 16-18. The NCAA Regional Championship will take place at the Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainesville, Georgia, and the NCAA National Championship on the Fox Run Golf Course in Eureka, Missouri, from May 16-20.
Men’s Golf
The Lions finished their Fall season and are excited to start into the second half of their 2022-23 season. Under the lead of Head Coach Chris Greenwood, the men are looking forward to playing good golf during Spring 2023.
Their first tournament of the season will be from Feb. 5-7 at the Lone Palm Golf Club in Lakeland, Florida. The men’s golf team will compete in the SSC Championship from April 23-25 at the Normandy Shores Golf Club in Miami Beach, Florida. The NCAA Regional Championships will be held May 10-13 at the Grande Oaks Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. If the team qualifies for the NCAA National Championship, they will compete May 21-26 at the Avalon Lakes Country Club in Warren, Ohio.
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
After a week break for Christmas, both men’s and women’s basketball teams returned to the gym to begin preparations for their next tournaments. The women’s team played against Flagler University on Dec. 30 at Saint Leo in the Marion Bowman Activities Center and defeated them (72-41). Both teams traveled to Miami Shores, Florida, for games against Barry University on Jan. 1, where the women’s team lost (72-79), and the men’s team lost (67-95).
As of Jan. 7, the women’s team has an overall record of 9-6 and conference 2-5; the men’s team has an overall record of 12-5 and conference 4-3.
The female and male Green and Gold have their next tournament shortly before the winter break ends on Jan. 11 in Lakeland, Florida, against Florida Southern College. Classes on campus will begin on Jan. 17, and, the day after, on Jan.18, the Lions’ basketball game against Rollins College will be held in the Marion Bowman Activities Center at Saint Leo.
Unfortunately, Men’s and Women’s Track, Acrobatics and Tumbling, and Beach Volleyball have not officially released their schedules for the 2023 Spring season yet.
