Ladyjacks Open Season In Houston
2/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 10, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team will open the 2011 season this weekend with a tough lineup of games at the Hilton Houston Plaza Invitational, hosted by the University of Houston. SFA will play five games in three days, squaring off with Ohio, Michigan, Southern Illinois and Houston.
The Ladyjacks take on Ohio Friday in a 1 p.m. contest. SFA will then play No. 8 Michigan Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by a game against Southern Illinois at 5. SFA wraps up its first tournament of the season Sunday with a rematch against Ohio at 11 a.m. and a tilt with Houston at 1.
The Ladyjacks are coming off their first-ever Southland Conference championship in 2010. SFA posted a 29-20 overall record and won a share of the league title with a 20-10 mark in conference play.
SFA returns seven letterwinners from that squad in head coach Gay McNutt's fourth season at the helm. Pitching figures to be the Ladyjacks' strength as they return their top two arms from a year ago in senior Monika Covington and sophomore Angela White. Covington is coming off her third straight First-Team All-Southland selection -- a first for the Ladyjack program. SFA also added blue-chip pitcher Carlie Thomas in the offseason. Thomas was a four-time all-state selection who led her Huntington High School squad to a pair of state tournament appearances, including a title in 2008.
Junior shortstop Jessica Arana posted the best 2010 batting average of the four returning position players. She hit .309 with 15 RBI. Junior outfielder Amber Price has the next best returning average after hitting .267 and driving in 14.
Ohio put up a 20-32 record a year ago, but the Bobcats return 13 letterwinners and are projected to finish second in the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division. Ohio went 14-8 in league action last season.
Michigan is the heavyweight in this tournament. The Wolverines open the season ranked in the top 10 nationally after reaching the NCAA Super Regionals in 2010. Michigan went 49-8 a year ago on the way to a Big 10 championship. The Wolverines bring back 13 players, including three All-Americans.
Southern Illinois won the 2010 Missouri Valley Conference title. The Salukis went 38-20 overall and are projected to win the league again with seven players back from that squad.
Houston went 30-24-1 a year ago and finished fifth in Conference USA. The Cougars return all nine starters from that squad and are picked to win the C-USA title in 2011.
The full schedule for this weekend's action, along with links for live stats coverage can be found at the tournament central web page on uhcougars.com.
-- SFA --
