MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Softball team is set to begin the 2016 season as they open up with a six-game slate in the eight-team SAU Softball Invitational on February 5-7 in Magnolia. The tournament consists of 23 games scheduled for Friday through Sunday at the SAU Softball Complex.
The seven other teams converging on Southwest Arkansas this weekend include a pair of programs from the Lone Star Conference in Cameron University (Okla.) and Texas Woman's University (Texas), a pair of teams from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association in Lincoln University (Mo.) and Southwest Baptist University (Mo.) and two teams from the Heartland Conference in Newman University and Rogers State University. Delta State (Miss.) represents the Gulf South Conference, while Southern Arkansas is a member of the Great American Conference.
Friday and Saturday's action will consist of four games played on both Field One and Field Two with seven games being played on Sunday. For full tournament details including game times, opponent rosters, ticket prices and other information regarding the three-day event, follow this link:
http://muleriderathletics.com/sports/2015/12/8/SAU_Softball_Invitational.aspx?path=softball.
The first pitch of SAU's season will come at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 5, against Lincoln University and will be followed by a 4 p.m. contest with Southwest Baptist. On Saturday, the Lady Muleriders will again begin play at 2 p.m. with a matchup against Newman University before concluding the day against Rogers State. Southern Arkansas finishes up play in the invitational on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. with Texas Woman's, while the final game of the tournament will be against Cameron at 4 p.m. SAU will be the home team and will play all six of their matchups on Field One, while a coin toss will decide the home team for the remaining 17 games.
The Lady Muleriders enter into their second season under the direction of head coach
Jason Anderson. Coming off a 26-24 campaign a year ago, in which the program finished 16-16 in Great American Conference play earning a trip to the league tournament, Southern Arkansas is poised to compete among the GAC's and Division II's best in 2016.
After finishing eighth in GAC regular season in 2015, this year's Lady Mulerider team has been billed by the league's head coaches to place third in the GAC, behind conference tournament finalist Henderson State and tournament champion East Central.
Southern Arkansas returns three players that started in all of the team's 50 games a year ago and four more players that started a combined 117 games, while roster additions include 13 newcomers.
Southern Arkansas will benefit from the addition of several key players in their pitching rotation. A trio of Division I-transfers in
Kimmy Beasley (Arkansas),
Peyton Jenkins (Central Arkansas), and
Kaylee Garner (Texas State) will provide added production in the circle for a Lady Mulerider staff that finished 2015 with a team-ERA of 4.99.
Chancy Williams and
Miranda Cuff return for the Lady Mulerider pitching staff after combining for 13 wins and nine complete games, with 78 strikeouts.
Offensively, SAU will remain in good hands as 2015 All-GAC Honorable Mention selection
Ashton Atwell,
Darian Harris and
Maddie Dow all return after posting batting averages above .325, while combining for 125 hits, 85 walks, 33 homeruns, 34 doubles, and 123 RBI.
Liz Hudgins and
Taylor Guin return in the outfield for Southern Arkansas, after starting a combined 89 games for the Lady Muleriders a year ago.
The Lady Muleriders will profit from the return of redshirt-sophomore
Brooke Goad who started the first nine games last year before being sidelined with an injury. Through those nine games, Goad collected 11 hits with seven being extra-base knocks as she hit .393, while slugging .786.
Other additional returners for SAU include
Summer Ehrig (22 starts), while
Shyanne Nichols and
Tyler Casada will return after sitting out a year due to transfer rules.
Check out the 2016 SAU Softball Quick Facts:
https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/saumag.sidearmsports.com/documents/2016/1/26/SAUSB_Quick_Facts_2016.pdf as well as SAU's full roster:
http://muleriderathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=softball&, and their complete 2016 schedule:
http://muleriderathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball&.
Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for pregame and postgame recaps, coach's shows and other information and news regarding the 2016 Lady Mulerider Softball team.
