CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta State University Lady Statesmen softball team opens its season on Friday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. in Decatur, Ala., at the UAH Charger Chillout. The tournament features 23 other teams, including six Gulf South Conference institutions.
 
The Lady Statesmen return six starters and two pitchers from a team the finished 29-31 and advanced to its first Gulf South Conference Championship Series since 2006.
 
DSU opens with Kentucky Wesleyan College at 11 a.m., before taking on the Quincy University Hawks at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the Green-and-White take on Bellarmine at 1 p.m., and finish the day with a 5 p.m. matchup with Ohio Dominican.
 
The final day of the tournament, on Sunday, will see DSU face Palm Beach Atlantic at 9 a.m., before closing out the competition at 1 p.m. versus Southern Indiana.
 
OUTFIELD
 
The outfield consists of three returnees and five newcomers. Raina Stiffler and Amber Mitcham return following season-ending injuries in 2012. Kayla Wilson also returns after appearing in 49 games with 23 starts last season. Stiffler started 39 games in 2012, and was hitting .258 before her injury. Newcomers Kassidy Tally, Megan Mayfield, Memrie Corley and Mariah Alvarez each expect to see playing time this season. Freshman Kaitlin Moore could also split time between the outfield and first base.
 
Tally, Mayfield and Corley offer head coach Casey Charles three athletic speedsters, while Alvarez and Moore should be able to add some power to the lineup.
 
INFIELD
 
The infield will be anchored by three year starter Taylor Hughes at catcher. The Morton, Miss., native started all 60 games last season, and finished with 28 RBIs. Hughes also led the GSC with 12 runners caught stealing. Brook Cline looks to build upon a solid freshman season at third base, after batting .242 in 54 games last season. Second Team All-Region selection Amber Adcock is the projected starter at shortstop, following a great freshman season, in which she finished with a .332 batting average, with a team leading 17 doubles.
 
A competition has been held since the start of fall practice for the second base position. Senior Kendall Sizemore, who is also the backup catcher, could see time there, as could Wilson. Taylor Holland, who finished a solid freshman campaign with a .317 batting average in 56 games, is the projected starter at first base.
 
UTILITY
 
Emily Todd, Caroline Womack and Katie Hebert could each see playing time at a few different positions, but each are solid options at the designated player spot. Todd, who was an All-Gulf South Conference performer as a freshman, missed all of last season due to injury, while Womack and Hebert combined for 33 starts last season. Womack made her presence known with a clutch seventh inning triple versus West Florida in the GSC Tournament, while Katie Hebert hit her first career home run in a big win over Alabama-Huntsville that helped the Lady Statesmen advance to the GSC Championship.
 
PITCHER
 
Preseason All-GSC selection Brittany Gonzales anchors a pitching staff that also returns Lauren Kendall from last season. Gonzales finished last season 16-11 with 95 strikeouts and 55 walks in 199.2 innings, with a 2.98 ERA. Kendall finished 3-6 with a 3.36 ERA with 16 appearances and six starts. Corley, Hebert and newcomer Miller Maddox round a solid pitching staff for the Lady Statesmen.
 
The Lady Statesmen open Friday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. versus Kentucky Wesleyan College. Following the Charger Chillout, the Lady Statesmen will travel the following week to Florence, Ala., for the North Alabama Invitational.