SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University softball team begins the 2016 season at Lady Tiger Softball Field with the 1^st Annual Lady Tiger Classic this weekend starting on Friday.
 
The four teams traveling to Savannah are College of Charleston, Drexel University, Jacksonville State University and Western Carolina University to play a total of 11 games over three days.
 
The tournament starts with Western Carolina and Jacksonville State at 10 a.m. on Friday, followed by Savannah State's opener against JSU at 1 p.m.  The day concludes with two games with WCU and Drexel at 4 p.m., followed by SSU and Drexel at 7 p.m.
 
Drexel bounces back in the morning against WCU at 9, followed by back-to-back games for the Lady Tigers with Western Carolina at noon and College of Charleston at 3 p.m.  The day concludes with JSU and CofC at 6 p.m.
 
The final day of the tournament begins at 10 a.m. with Drexel and JSU, followed by College of Charleston and WCU at 1 p.m. and Savannah State's final game of the tournament against CofC at 4 p.m.
 
The Lady Tigers have posted a 4-4 record in season openers, but has won the last four openers and have posted a 5-3 record in home openers, including winning the last four home openers over the last eight seasons.
 
Last season, the Lady Tigers went 22-17 overall and 13-1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, including posting an 11-1 record at home.  During the MEAC tournament last season, SSU went 2-2.
 
This season, SSU was picked second in the Southern Division behind Bethune-Cookman by seven points.  Savannah State received the most first place votes with 10 in the division.   
 
Senior Torrian Wright was named the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year last month as well as being named to the Top-50 "Watch List" by USA Softball. 
 
Last year, The McDonough, Ga., native led the National Collegiate Athletic Association in batting average (.566), slugging percentage (1.229), on-base percentage (.748) and walks per game (1.44). 
 
Wright also led SSU in runs scored (43), home runs (17), runs batted in (50), total bases (102) and walks (56). 
 
In conference play, the first basemen led the team with a .633 (19-for-30) batting average with two doubles, six home runs, 22 RBIs and 20 walks.  Wright also sported a 1.300 slugging percentage and a .784 on-base percentage.
 
Junior Amanda Hallman was also named on the MEAC Preseason First-Team with Wright.   Hallman batted .343 (37-for-108) last season with 26 runs scored, 11 doubles and eight RBIs overall and batted .400 (16-for-40) in conference play with 17 runs scored, five doubles and 12 RBIs.
 
Junior Alexis Singleton was named on the MEAC Preseason Second-Team as she batted .364 (51-for-108) last season with 28 runs scored, four doubles and 18 RBIs overall and batted .407 (22-for-54) in conference play with nine runs scored and 14 RBIs.
 
Jose Gonzalez returns for his ninth season as the head coach and has posted a career-record of 151-196, including a record of 99-86 (.535) over the last four seasons with a 42-17 (.712) MEAC record.
 
This season, the Lady Tigers return nine players with sophomore Brianna Harris, Singleton, junior Tia Bolden, Wright, senior Antonette Smith, senior Molly Lillis, Hallman, sophomore Ashley Eichenlaub and senior Tamara Jones.
 
SSU welcomes 12 newcomers, including two transfers.  The two transfers are junior Chasney Jenkins and sophomore Shelby Eccles, while welcoming 10 freshmen of Allye Sneed, Cortni Jones, Kelsey Cyrus, Danielle Maysonet, Peyton Mitchell, Kasie Johnson, Asia Wiles, Faith Dickerson and Ashleigh Dennis. 
 
The Lady Tigers are looking to replace Amber Hallman, who batted .419 (49-for-117) with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs last season and Kylie Teirce, who batted .252 (26-for-103) with six home runs and 22 RBIs.
 
After the tournament, the Lady Tigers travel to Spartanburg, S.C., for the USC Upstate Tournament from Feb. 19-20.  SSU starts the tournament with Akron University on Saturday at noon, followed by Furman at 4 p.m. and finishes with Akron on Sunday at 11 a.m. and host USC Upstate at 3 p.m.
 
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