ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine softball team is set to open up the 2024 season this weekend at the Kajikawa Classic, hosted by Arizona State University.
 
The Black Bears will play four games, facing Weber State and Grand Canyon on Friday, Feb. 9 before taking on Wisconsin and Arizona State on Saturday, Feb. 10. Friday's game against Grand Canyon (ESPN+) and Saturday's game against Arizona State (Pac-12 Network) will be streamed.

The full Kajikawa Classic Tournament page can be found here.
 
Kajikawa Classic (All times listed EST).
Game 1 | Maine vs Weber State
Friday, Feb. 9 | 3:15 p.m. | Phoenix, Ariz.
 
Game 2 | Maine vs Grand Canyon 
Friday, Feb. 9 | 8:30 p.m. | Phoenix, Ariz.
Streaming available on ESPN+
 
Game 3 | Maine vs Wisconsin
Saturday, Feb. 10 | 3:15 p.m. | Tempe, Ariz.
 
Game 4 | Maine at Arizona State
Saturday, Feb. 10 | 8:30 p.m. | Tempe, Ariz.
Streaming available on Pac-12 Network/Pac-12 Live
 
ABOUT THE KAJIKAWA CLASSIC

• The Kajikawa Classic is hosted annually by Arizona State … in addition to the Sun Devils and Black Bears, this year's tournament features Boise State, Grand Canyon, Northwestern, St. Thomas, Weber State and Wisconsin.
• This is the 19th edition of the tournament.
• The tournament is named in honor of Sun Devil legend and ASU graduate Bill Kajikawa … he began his coaching career at ASU with the Arizona State Teachers College freshman football team, served as head basketball coach from 1948 to 1957 and was head coach of ASU's club baseball team from 1947 to 1957.

 
BLACK BEARS VERSUS…

• Maine and Grand Canyon played three games in March 2017, with the Black Bears going 1-2 against the Lopes in Phoenix, Ariz.
• Wisconsin and Maine last met on March 11, 2022, with the Badgers picking up a 10-2 win in six innings.
• The Black Bears faced Arizona State on March 8, 2017 … the Sun Devils earned a 9-0 win in five innings.
• Maine and Weber State have never met.

WHAT'S BACK FOR THE BLACK BEARS
At the Plate

• Five of Maine's top nine hitters from 2023 return to the 2024 roster.
• Krista Francia is Maine's leading returner at the plate after hitting .246 as a freshman, good four fourth on the 2023 squad … she earned 20 walk to lead the team and tie for third in America East … Francia had a .348 on-base percentage while also knocking seven doubles and one triple … she had 17 RBI, good for 20th in the conference.
• Katie Jo Moery led the team and tied for the America East league with four triples … her 15 runs scored were second on the team and 15th overall in the conference.

In the Circle

• Maine returns 81 percent of its innings pitched, with both Alysen Rieth and Caitlyn Fallon throwing over 120 innings a season ago.
• Fallon appeared in 36 games with 27 starts and went 8-16 … she threw a career-high 71 strikeouts, good for ninth in America East, and had a 4.22 ERA in 121.0 innings pitched ... she threw four complete games, including two in America East play, and threw at least 7.0 innings in six games.
• Rieth appeared in 37 games with 16 starts and had a 7-8 record and 3.60 ERA across 124.1 innings of work … she threw a team-leading 78 strikeouts, good for eighth in the league … she went 4-4 with a 2.82 ERA and 44 strikeouts across 57.0 innings in America East play.

 
MEET THE CAPTAINS

• Caitlyn Fallon, Katie Jo Moery and Anna Margetis will captain the Black Bears for the 2024 season.
• Fallon, a graduate student, has appeared in 70 games as a pitcher for the Black Bears and has stepped to the plate in 82 … in addition to pitching, Fallon will also see time at first base.
• In her first season at Maine in 2023, Margetis appeared in 46 games and made 41 starts, splitting time between the corner positions and DH … she had 20 hits, including five doubles and two home runs ... knocked in 16 RBI and earned eight walks while scoring 12 runs.
• Moery, a junior, has played in 82 games as a Black Bear … as a sophomore, she appeared in 48 games and made 43 starts, primarily in left field ...Moery hit .225 with one home run, four triples, four doubles and 11 RBI while going 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts 

THE 2023 REWIND

• The Black Bears went 16-39 overall and 4-15 in America East play in 2023.
• Maine advanced to the third day of the double-elimination America East Tournament before ultimately falling to UAlbany, 5-3.
• Grace McGouldrick led the team with a .353 batting average and .413 slugging percentage … she went 36-40 in stolen base attempts.
• Krista Francia had a team-leading 17 RBI … her .348 on-base percentage trailed only McGouldrick (.426) and Drews (.455).