ST. PAUL, Minn. -  After playing four games on the turf of West St. Paul dome, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (7-1) will be back playing on outdoor fields, this time in sunny Florida. The Bears set out on their trip later this week and will play ten games in five days, facing ten different opponents.
 
The Bears will play all of their games in Clermont, Florida, playing the majority at Legends Way fields, and their last two contests will take place at Hancock Park. The trip opens with CSP taking on Cedarville (Ohio) and Kentucky Wesleyan on Friday, March 2^nd. Concordia has never played Cedarville and has taken on Kentucky Wesleyan only once, when they lost back in 2009 at the Rebel Spring Games.
 
The following day, the Bears will face Notre Dame (Ohio) and West Virginia Wesleyan, both of whom CSP has never faced. Urbana (Ohio) and Georgian Court (N.J.) are the opponents for March 4^th. Urbana is a new adversary for Concordia, but the Bears have faced Georgian Court once in 2003, losing 4-1 in Kissimmee, Florida.
 
CSP plays their last games at Legends Way against Ashland (Ohio) and Ferris State (Mich.). When facing Ashland, the Bears have posted a 3-1 record, winning in 2009, 2010, and 2011, but falling in their most recent contest in 2012. Concordia is 2-1 against Ferris State, being victorious in 2009 and 2010, but losing 4-0 in 2012.
 
To conclude the trip, the Bears will finish their ten-games taking on Seton Hill and Holy Family, who are both from Pennsylvania. CSP has faced both of these opponents before, defeating Seton Hill in 2012 and defeating Holy Family once in 2011 and once in 2012.
 
The Bears are coming off a 4-0 week, defeating Southwest Minnesota State, Bemidji State, and MSU Moorhead in the Dragon Beaver Bash and are 7-1 to start the year, which is the best start that Concordia has had since the 2004 season. The offense exploded during the four games, hitting .470 and outscoring their opponents 38-7. Three of the Bears' four wins were won by eight or more runs, as those games finished in five innings.
 
Freshman Cam Veenbaas went nine for 11 in the past four games, batting an impressive .818 and now leads the team with a .524 batting average. The Woodbury native also continued her streak of playing errorless softball, making it eight games in a row. Senior Nicole Thompson continued her hit streak as well, tallying at least one hit in each of her eight games played, including recording four multi-game hits. Thompson is currently second on the team in batting average at .483.
 
Juniors Carlie Hart and Justine Schattner also had impressive days at the plate. Hart hit .500, compiling eight hits and eight runs, while driving in four runs and stealing four bases. Schattner hit .417, registering four hits, including hitting a double and a homerun, while driving in a team-best nine runs.
 
When the Bears return from Florida, the Bears will take part in the Hy-Vee Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri before opening conference play against Minnesota State on March 27^th at Carlander Field.