Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern softball program begins its season tomorrow on the road, taking part in the Edmond Regional Festival. This is the first of back-to-back weeks where the Lions will participate in the festival playing five games each weekend.
 
Southern was picked to finish fourth in the MIAA preseason coaches' poll after a 30-15-1, 19-6-1 MIAA season that saw preseason expectations by some exceeded. The Lions return 13 players from last season adding five freshman to round out the roster this season. Six returners were All-MIAA performers headlined by Josie Tofpi a 1^st team All-MIAA shortstop. Kara Amos and Ashlynn Williams were 2^nd team All-MIAA selections a season ago and figure to continue being one of the better pitcher-catcher duos in the MIAA along with Bailey Lacy who finished with 87 strikeouts a season ago.
 
Leighton Withers, Yazmin Vargas, Adrianna Young and Sidnie Hurst will also have major roles once again as Withers finished with 34 RBI's a season ago to lead the team and Vargas and Young formed one of the best stolen base duos in the MIAA and Hurst's timely hitting and defensive flexibility will be key for the Lions once again. Kristen Wade and Tori Frazier are the seniors on the team and will be key figures once again in the lineup and defensively. Grace Parrott, Izzy Medrano and Kayla Arzate offer their experience and provide a good bat and defensive ability to help solidify the core of a team that has gone from a below .500 team to one that challenges for an MIAA title under coach Hallie Blackney.
 
The Lions play Midwestern State tomorrow at noon to begin the season, the mustangs finished last season with a 15-27 record going 8-20 in the Lone Star Conference (LSC). Picked to finish 12^th in the LSC preseason poll in Brittanie Talley's first season at the helm of the Mustangs that has 22 on the roster and no seniors. Ashley Turner is back after having team-highs of an .344 batting average, scored 27 runs, 42 hits, and a .533 slugging percentage. Turner also added nine doubles, four home runs, 18 RBI's and drew 13 walks. Hanna Hetherington was second on the team with 20 RBI's last season as a freshman while also recording 92 putouts and a .963 fielding percentage as a catcher or at first base. Addi Hanna and Kathryn Wells return to the circle this season with Hanna owning a 4-9 record last season in 24 appearances throwing 74.2 innings with opposing batters having a .343 batting average. Wells had a 0-1 record last season in nine appearances pitching in 14.1 innings with opposing batters having a .364 batting average.
 
Southern begins Saturday with a matchup with Southwestern Oklahoma State (SWOSU) at 12:45pm, the Bulldogs finished last season with a 9-29 record going 9-24 in the Great American Conference (GAC). SWOSU was picked to finish 11^th in the GAC preseason poll and returns its lone All-GAC selection from a season ago. Hannah Franklin was an honorable mention All-GAC honoree after leading the Bulldogs with a .366 batting average, 11 home runs, a .802 slugging percentage and 173 putouts. Franklin also had 24 RBI's 21 of her 37 hits were extra base hits and was walked 15 times. Brianna Cryer and Alisa Friesen are back in the circle once again for the Bulldogs, Cryer had a 2-6 record last season in 16 appearances pitching in 59.2 innings while opposing batters had a .320 batting average. Friesen had a 2-8 record in 23 appearances pitching in 82 innings and held opposing batters a .326 batting average.
 
To wrap up Saturday the Lions will be taking on Cameron at 3:00pm, the Aggies are off to a 6-0 start to the season already that included a 3-2 win over Emporia State. Breley Webb leads the team with a .450 batting average collecting nine hits already and two RBI's to go with 22 putouts. Karis Clark has two home runs in the early going and five RBI's as well. Mikayla Richmond is busy on the base paths going 7-of-8 in stolen base attempts already and has drawn a team-high seven walks. In the circle Josie Swafford has picked up the win in all three of her appearances so far to own a 0.53 ERA after pitching in 13.1 innings striking out 12 batters and holding opposing batters to a .167 batting average. Webb, Jocelyn Bright and Robyn Bales have all started a game and are 1-0 on the season with Bright pitching in 13.1 innings and has 12 strikeouts while holding opposing batters to a .283 batting average.
 
On Sunday the Lions will face off with Southern Nazarene at 10:30 am, the Crimson Storm are off to a 0-4 start after participating in the Arkansas Tech Classic to begin the week. Karrah Dean leads the team with a .429 batting average in three games, Caitlyn Curlee has a team-high five hits and two RBI's, Liana Heshiki has collected 18 putouts and has an assist to go with three hits and three walks so far. In the circle Jennifer Romero-Ivarson has appeared in three games going 0-2 in 10.2 innings of work so far, striking out 13 batters and has held opposing batters to a .255 batting average. 
 
Closing the first weekend of the Edmond Regional Festival for the Lions will be the one of the host teams in #15 Oklahoma Christian at 12:45 pm, the eagles are off to a 4-1 start that included an opening game 5-3 win over #2 Augustana down in Conroe, Texas along with a 3-2 win over #25 Central Missouri as well. Hannah Pate leads the team with a .389 batting average with seven hits and has four RBI's along with two stolen bases. Aaliyah Brown has the lone home run this season for the Eagles and leads the team with four RBI's. Kali Crandall has a 2-1 record and a 1.53 ERA after pitching 18.1 innings and striking out 16 batters while limiting opposing batters to a .167 batting average. Lindsey Stoeckel and Grace Anderson have also started in the circle this season and are 1-0 with Anderson appearing in three games for 11.2 innings of work, has struck out 12 batters and limits opposing batters to a .286 batting average.

Every game this week will be at Tom Heath Field with links provided for live stats and the stream above in the live coverage linked page.