SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University softball team begins the 2017 season with a doubleheader against Charleston Southern University Thursday starting at 1 p.m. at Lady Tiger Softball Field.
 
The Lady Tigers travel to DeLand, Fla., for the Stetson Lead Off Classic from Friday until Sunday and faces the University of Kansas at 1:30 p.m. and host Stetson University at 6:30 p.m. Friday.  SSU continues the tournament with Kansas at 11 a.m. and the University of Akron at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and finishes with Stetson at noon Sunday. 
 
The Lady Tigers have posted a 4-5 record in season openers and has won four of the last five openers and have posted a 5-4 record in home openers, including winning four of the last five home openers over the last nine seasons.
 
Last season, the Lady Tigers went 26-23 overall and 12-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and went 2-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament last season.
 
This season, SSU was picked third in the Southern Division behind Florida A&M University, who has won the MEAC the last four season, and Bethune-Cookman University by seven points.  FAMU received 15 first place votes and 136 points, while B-CU received two first place votes and 120 points and SSU received eight first place votes and 115 points.    
 
Sophomore third baseman Cortni Jones was named the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year earlier last month after being named the MEAC Rookie of the Year last season.  Jones was named on the All-MEAC Preseason First Team as a third baseman.   
 
In her rookie season, Jones ranked tied for second in the MEAC with 42 RBIs, fourth in the conference with 94 total bases, second in home runs with nine and third in the MEAC with a slugging percentage of .662. 
 
Senior catcher Tia Bolden and sophomore shortstop Brianna Harris were also named on the MEAC Preseason First Team.  Last season Bolden batted .284 (25-for-88) with 17 runs scored, four doubles, three triples, three home runs and 15 RBIs, while Harris batted .301 (49-for-163) with 32 runs scored, 12 doubles and four triples.
 
Senior outfielders Chasney Jenkins and Alexis Singleton were named on the MEAC Preseason Second Team. Jenkins batted .348 (46-for-132) with 35 runs scored, three doubles, two triples, a home run and 33 RBIs with 39 walks, which ranked second in the MEAC and 14^th in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, while Singleton batted .417 (68-for-163), which ranked fifth in the MEAC, and was tied for second with 68 hits.
 
Jose Gonzalez returns for his 10^th season as the head coach and has posted a career-record of 177-219, including a 125-109 (.534) over the last five season with a 57-19 (.750) MEAC record. 

This season, the Lady Tigers return 12 players with Jenkins, sophomore Allye Sneed, Jones, Harris, sophomore Wiles, sophomore Cyrus, Singleton, junior Shelby Eccles, Bolden, sophomore Dickerson and redshirt freshman Ashleigh Dennis. 
 
SSU welcomes four newcomers, including three transfers of sophomore Elizabeth Humes (Radford University), junior Drea Lesure (Butler CC) and junior Chelsea Malcolm (Sante Fe CC) and welcomes freshman Alysha Bolling. 
 
The Lady Tigers are looking to replace two starters of first baseman Torrian Wright, who has been named the MEAC Player of the Year the last three seasons and second baseman Antonette Smith and replaces shortstop Tamara Jones, pitcher Ashley Eichenlaub, outfielder Molly Lillis, pitcher Kasie Johnson and catcher Danielle Maysonet. 
 
Charleston Southern went 22-34 last season as the Lady Tigers went 2-0 against the Buccaneers with 3-1 and 8-5 at the CSU Tournament.  CSU is picked fourth in the Big South Conference. Returning for the Bucs are Lexie Vanada (.366 batting average), Jada Gandara (.348 batting average) and Caitlyn Emberson with a .344 batting average.  CSU will be replacing the only pitcher on the team last season of Hayley Elkins, who recorded a 4.36 ERA.  The Bucs batted .273 with 45 home runs and 226 runs scored and on the mound, posted a 4.09 ERA with two shutouts and 237 strikeouts. 
 
Akron went 30-25-1 last season and the Lady Tigers split the series with the Zips at the USC Upstate Tournament.  SSU won 6-3 in the first meeting and UA won 5-4 in nine innings in the second meeting.  UA was picked fourth in the East Division The Zips replace Gabrielle Fredericks, who led the team with a .319 batting average, but Savannah Fruin (.305 batting average) and Caitlin Gambone (.293 batting average) returns. Erin Seiler, who threw 266.2 of the 375.0 innings, left the squad with a 1.89 ERA.  As a team, the Zips batted .274 with 101 extra bases hits and 196 runs scored and on the mound posted a 2.46 ERA with 15 shutouts and 284 strikeouts. 
 
Kansas finished 31-20 last season and is picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 Conference this season.  The Jayhawks lost three of the top four batters from last season of Chaley Brickey (.387 batting average), Shannon McGinley (.344 batting average) and Daniella Chavez (.318 batting average), but returns Erin McGinley (.320 batting average).  As a team KU batted .284 with 49 home runs and 266 runs scored.  On the mound, Andie Formby (2.26 ERA), Alexis Reid (3.88 ERA), Ania Williams (2.45 ERA) returns.  As a team, the Jayhawks recorded a 2.90 ERA with 12 shutouts with 228 strikeouts.
 
Stetson finished 30-24 last season and is picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference.  The Hatters return three top batters of Jessie TenBroeck, who was named to the ASUN Preseason Team and was named ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, with a .343 batting average, Kelsey Waters, who was named to the ASUN Preseason Team, with a .308 batting average and Ashly Smith with a .296 batting average and returns the top two pitchers of Tori Perkins with a 2.57 ERA and Brooke Hutto with a 2.59 batting average.  As a team, SU batted .271 with 195 runs scored with 72 extra base hits and posted a 3.08 ERA with 11 shutouts and 147 strikeouts on the mound. 
 
After the Stetson Tournament, the Lady Tigers return to Florida for the "Strike-Out Cancer" Tournament in Boca Raton from Feb. 17-19. 
 
Tigers Online
www.ssuathletics.com
Twitter | @savstatetigers
Facebook | Instagram
YouTube | Pinterest