DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Softball opens the 2023 season this weekend as the Wildcats travel south to Boca Raton, Florida to compete in the Paradise Classic hosted by Florida Atlantic. The season gets underway Friday, Feb. 10, with the Wildcats taking on Iowa at 2 p.m., followed by a matchup with Mississippi State at 4:30 p.m.
 
BCU takes on five teams at the Paradise Classic, with the first four (4) games set to be streamed by FloSports with a subscription to FloSoftball.com. The final game against the host FAU Owls will be streamed by Conference USA TV at C-USA.tv.
 

Friday, Feb. 10
2 p.m. – vs. Iowa | Live Stats | FloSports | Tickets
4:30 p.m. – vs. Mississippi State | Live Stats | FloSports | Tickets
 
Saturday, Feb. 11
4:30 p.m. – vs. Stony Brook | FloSports | Tickets
9:30 p.m. – vs. Loyola | FloSports | Tickets
 
Sunday, Feb. 12
2 p.m. – at Florida Atlantic | Live Stats | C-USA.tv | Tickets
 

Head Coach Laura Watten is set to begin her 17th year at the helm of the Wildcats program when the Wildcats travel to FAU competing in the Paradise Classic. With more than 700 wins under her belt, the veteran head coach now eyes another conference championship after the Maroon and Gold claimed the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Eastern Division title in 2022.
 
In 2022, BCU captured the SWAC Eastern Division title after turning in a 17-7 record in its first season as a member of the SWAC. Overall, the Cats finished the year 24-26.
 
Last season, BCU hit .276 as a team against SWAC pitchers. In reverse, the Cats kept opponents to just a .216 average against. For BCU, Haley Parks led the charge with a .281 batting average in 2022, followed by Joslynn Davis with a .271 average. In the pitcher's circle, Gonzalez held a 3.12 earned run average last season, with the addition of a team-high 124 strikeouts.
 
Bethune-Cookman was predicted to finish third in the SWAC Eastern Division for the 2023 campaign. Alabama State and Jackson State were tabbed to finish ahead of the Cats, respectively.
 
Halyne Gonzalez was named to the All-SWAC Preseason First Team, while teammates Desirae Martinez and Haley Parks were named to the All-SWAC Preseason Second Team.
 
Gonzalez, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, was named to the 2022 All-SWAC First Team after a stellar rookie season for the Wildcats. She turned in a 3.12 earned run average, appearing in 34 games and making 16 starts in the pitcher's circle. The La Mirada High product tossed five complete games with three shutouts, working a total of 127 innings and collecting 124 strikeouts.
 
Martinez, a 5-foot-7 second baseman that also saw action at shortstop a season ago for BCU, played and started in 50 games as a rookie. The sophomore registered a .262 batting average to go along with a .303 slugging percentage. She tallied 38 hits with six of those going for extra bases. Additionally, she plated a team-high tying 23 runs. Defensively, the California High alum amassed 87 putouts and 61 assists.
 
Parks, a 5-foot-3 senior from Houston, led the Wildcats in batting average across the 2022 season, carrying a .281 average on the campaign. She also led the Wildcats with 43 hits and 27 runs. A product of St. Pius X High, she was one of three players to record a triple for the Maroon and Gold. She was also second on the team in stolen bases with 10.
                                                                                                                                   

"The Paradise Classic will give us a good indication of where we are as a team, right off the bat. Not only are we going to see some really good arms, but we'll see some really good hitters as well. There's a ton of talent in this weekend's tournament field, and I'm excited to see what we can do."
 
"The team energy at practice the last few weeks has been really good. They're just so excited and energized. They're ready to compete against someone other than themselves every day at practice."
 

SCOUTING IOWA (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Renee Gillispie (5th season)
2022 Batting Average: .258; Runs Per Game: 3.94; Hits Per Game: 6.58; Slugging Percentage: .367
2022 ERA: 4.56; K/BB Ratio: 1.39; Opp. Batting Avg: .258
 
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – 23 | ESPN.com/USA Softball – RV
Head Coach: Samantha Ricketts (4th season)
2022 Batting Average: .274; Runs Per Game: 4.88; Hits Per Game: 7.02; Slugging Percentage: .459
2022 ERA: 2.92; K/BB Ratio: 2.15; Opp. Batting Avg: .233
 
SCOUTING STONY BROOK (0-0, 0-0 Colonial)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Megan Bryant (5th season)
2022 Batting Average: .272; Runs Per Game: 2.9; Hits Per Game: 5.2; Slugging Percentage: .409
2022 ERA: 2.40; K/7: 9.0; K/BB Ratio: 3.6; Opp. Batting Avg: .212
 
SCOUTING LOYOLA
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Alicia Abbott (4th season)
2022 Batting Average: .284; Runs Per Game: 3.0; Hits Per Game: 5.5; Slugging Percentage: .304
2022 ERA: 4.03; K/7: 5.4; K/BB Ratio: 1.9; Opp. Batting Avg: .294
 
SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Jordan Clark (1st season)
2022 Batting Average: .238; Runs Per Game: 3.5; Hits Per Game: 5.9; Slugging Percentage: .349
2022 ERA: 3.51; K/7: 5.1; K/BB Ratio: 1.3; Opp. Batting Avg: .238
 
ADMISSIONS
Tickets for the Paradise Classic can be purchased online or at the FAU Softball Stadium ticket window beginning one hour prior to first pitch. Fans may also purchase a three-day Paradise Classic pass for $20, or single day admission for $10.
 

Bethune-Cookman travels to the Jacksonville University Tournament for a three-day event beginning Friday, Feb. 17. The Cats will take on teams from Memphis, Penn State, North Florida and Jacksonville University, respectfully.
 

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