ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College softball team will begin its journey to return to the Empire 8 Championship for the third consecutive season on Friday, March 11 when it begins the 2016 season at the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.

The Bombers, who have qualified for the postseason 13 times since 2002, will feature several key returners from last season's squad that posted a 21-14 overall mark and an 11-2 record in conference play before falling in the third game of the Empire 8 Championship tournament.  Head coach Deb Pallozzi's lineup boasts 22 student-athletes in all comprised of five seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and 10 freshmen which will take part in 40 games this season.

"I think we have a great mix this year," remarked Pallozzi, who enters her 28th season at the helm of the program.  "Our senior class are all on the same page.  They've been leading us really well up to this point and they're going to be on the field and so will some of our young kids so we've got a great veteran group and we've got a great youthful group that will give us that energy that you always need."

Offensively, Ithaca, which ranked fifth in the conference last season with a .294 batting average, will be led by Kelly Robichaud, Emily Bloom and Allie Colleran, each of whom was named First-Team All-Conference at the conclusion of the 2015 campaign. 

Robichaud led the Bombers a season ago with a .417 batting average and 45 hits in 108 at-bats. The Vernon, Conn. native's batting average ranked fifth in the conference, while her hit total marked the fourth highest output in the Empire 8.  Robichaud paced Ithaca with six home runs and tied for the team lead with 12 doubles, both of which ranked among the best in the conference.  Robichaud led the team with 75 total bases and paced the Bombers in slugging percentage (.694) and on-base percentage (.467).  The catcher was also named All-Region by the NFCA.

Bloom returns to the outfield after making 32 appearances including 26 starts in her first season as a Bomber. She ranked third on the team with a .375 batting average, and tied for fifth on the team with 27 hits. Bloom recorded six doubles and a triple, while also picking up 14 RBI with 12 runs scored. She ranked third on the team in slugging percentage (.486) and on-base percentage (.446), with her on-base percentage ranking 10th in the conference. She was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.

Colleran started all 35 games for the Bombers in her freshman campaign last season and finished with a .320 batting average after collecting 40 hits in a team-high 125 at-bats. Colleran ranked third on the team with eight doubles, while her three home runs marked the second-highest total on the roster. She paced team and ranked 10th in the conference with 28 runs scored and was a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts.

A Second-Team All-Empire 8 and an All-Region selection during her junior year, Casey Gavin also returns to the fold in 2016 after starting all 35 games for the Bombers last year.  She ranked second on the team with a .393 batting average, while her 42 total hits also ranked second on the roster.  She recorded 15 extra-base hits on the season, including a team-high 12 doubles, a team-high two triples and one home run. Gavin paced the Bombers with 30 RBI, a total that ranked eighth in the Empire 8. She ranked second on the team in on-base percentage (.464) and slugging percentage (.570). Gavin will also play a significant role in the field after having gone 35 games without an error at first base.

In the pitching circle, Ithaca is led by a pair of talented hurlers including Laura Quicker and Allison Macari, each of whom garnered Empire 8 recognition following last season.

A First-Team All-Conference and an All-Region honoree last season, Quicker returns to the circle having made 22 appearances with 19 starts for the Bombers in 2015. She finished the year with a 12-8 record, ranking third in the conference in wins.  Quicker ranked second in the conference and first on the Bombers with a 1.47 ERA, while her 81 strikeouts marked the fourth highest total in the Empire 8. She pitched 16 complete games and recorded five shutouts while holding opponents to a .222 batting average.

Macari earned an Honorable Mention after having finished the 2015 season with a 9-6 record. She made 19 appearances, including 16 starts with 12 complete games and two shutouts. Macari pitched 95.1 innings, which marked the sixth highest total in the conference. She recorded a 3.08 ERA and recorded 76 strikeouts, ranking eighth and fifth in the Empire 8, respectively. Macari held opponents to a .279 batting average, which also ranked among the best in the Empire 8.

Haley Congdon and Payton Cutting round out the core of Ithaca's pitching staff and should have a significant impact down the stretch.

Also set to don the Blue and Gold this season are freshmen Hannah Anderson, Nikkey Skuraton, Daphne Burdeaux, Vanessa Brown, Alex Wright, Alex Kimmel, Samantha Velez, Ellie Murray and Annie Cooney.  Marissa Smith and Hannah Peters are poised for breakouts in the sophomore season while Erin McQuillan, Gabbie Litz and Jessie Fleck are expected to have big roles for the Bombers.

After playing 12 games in all between Columbus, Ga and Clermont, Fla., the Bombers will take part in a pair of non-conference doubleheaders including their home-opener against the University of Rochester on March 31 before embarking on a tough conference schedule.

"I think the Empire 8 conference is going to be one of the strongest conferences," said Pallozzi, who was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2011 and owns 755 career wins.  "With St. John Fisher's pitching and Alfred getting to the World Series, I think our conference is strong and it makes us strong because of it.  Whoever wins the Empire 8 is going to do well both regionally and nationally."

Ithaca will open conference play with three straight road doubleheaders beginning on April 2 at Nazareth before taking on St. John Fisher on April 3 and Elmira on April 9.  After that, Ithaca will host six twin billings from April 10-23 including conference doubleheaders against Utica, Houghton, Alfred and Stevens.  The Bombers will conclude the 2016 regular season schedule with three out-of-conference matchups against Keuka (4/26), Union (4/27) and Buffalo State (5/1).

Click here to view the Bombers' complete schedule.