Longwood University Athletics

FARMVILLE, Va. - After an opening weekend against tough competition, Longwood is not lightening the load going into week two. The Lancers are preparing for the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where they will be competing with two team nationally ranked who dove deep into the 2021 College World Series. 

LONGWOOD LANCER GAME NOTES 
RAZORBACK INVITATIONAL LIVE STATS 
Unfortunately there will be no live stream for any games in the tournament due to a plethora of events hosted events this weekend at Arkansas. "Apologies in advance as I know this can be an inconvenience."

The First Pitch:

• Longwood is entering their second weekend of play in Arkansas for the Razorback Invitational. The team is scheduled to play two Power 5 schools (Arkansas, Illinois) along with another nationally ranked Wichita State (#25), and Western Illinois. 
• In the team's first appearance of 2022, the Lancers came from behind to beat Fresno State 8-7 with a solo home run from freshman Emily Vinson that helped seal the deal. During it's opening weekend Longwood played two other Power 5 schools, along with Top 25 contenders of UCF and Fresno State. 
• New to the roster, Emily Vinson shined in week one for the Lancers. Vinson earned her first Big South Co-Freshman of the Week honor after a spectacular Lancer debut. The freshman from South Carolina hit her first career home run, grabbed two doubles, and circled the bases six times for the Lancers. 
• Longwood returns a wealth of experience, especially in the circle. Two huge arms coming back, Regan Kanagawa and Sydney Backstrom the reigning Big South Pitcher of the Year coming back both playing over the last weekend. 
• Since joining the Big South in 2013, Longwood has never lost back-to-back games in the conference tournament, including the 2013 Big South Championship run in which they rattled off five straight wins after falling in the first round. 
• Longwood has won five of the past eight Big South Championship tournaments since joining the conference in 2013 (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019). 

By The Numbers: 

• After seeing an upset in the 2021 Big South Tournament, Longwood returns in the 2022 season with a wealth of experience returning, and ranked third in the Big South Preseason Poll.  
• Sydney Backstrom is one of several returning arms for the Lancers, and was also picked as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in the conference. Backstrom flourished in the previous season writing her name in the Longwood record books. The 2021 Big South Pitcher of the Year struck out nine batters in one of the last games for the Lancers, which ties for the second-most punch outs by a Lancer in a Big South tournament game. The performance matched Big South Tournament MVP Libby Morris and two-time Big South Pitcher of the Year Elizabeth McCarthy, who struck out nine in a game, and trails only former Big South Tournament MVP Sydney Gay who fanned 10 against Presbyterian on May 13, 2016.
• With 130 steals last season, Longwood is only the second team in program history to surpass the century mark in that category. Only the 1999 Lancer squad stole more bases in the program's history, swiping 136 in 53 games.
• Sydney Jacobson is bringing back her hot hands and First Team Big South status, following a season finishing second in double-doubles in the Big South (12), and first in extra-base hits. Jacobson led the Lancers in batting average (.254), hits (44), doubles (13), triples (4), and slugging percentage (.462). 
• Longwood won six of its seven Big South regular-season series ast season, including three-game sets against fellow tournament participants USC Upstate and Radford. Longwood's lone Big South series loss in 2021 was to league champion Campbell, who pulled off a 3-0 sweep on April 2-3.
• Looking on Longwood's watch list, they have returning wealth, and Big South Pitcher of the Year Sydney Backstrom, First Team selections Sydney Jacobsen, Lauren Taylor, and Second Team selection Mason Basdikis.  

Quoteables: 
"We are really looking forward to another great weekend of softball against great competition. We learned a lot after last weekend and we're looking to continue to build and grow as a team." -Head Coach Megan Brown 

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