CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College softball team will travel to Memphis this weekend for their first Gulf South Conference games in 18 years as they face Christian Brothers in a three-game series. The teams will play a doubleheaer on Saturday beginning at 1:00 pm with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

The Lady Choctaws are led by head coach Brooke O'Hair, who earned her 200th win in her 8th season at the helm in 2014. The Lady Bucs are led by head coach Mandi Balduf.

MC opened the year with three wins in four games at the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational in Arkandelphia, Ark. The Lady Choctaws dropped the first game to Missouri Western, 5-3, but bounced back with three wins, outscoring their opponents, 21-6.

On Thursday, MC played their home opener against NAIA #2 William Carey. Despite holding early leads in both games, the Lady Choctaws lost two, including an extra-inning defeat in the second game. Senior Macey Lee had two hits and a stolen base in each game.

Senior Brooke Smitherman leads the offensive attack with a .588 batting average, putting up 10 hits and five RBI. Macey Lee leads the team with six RBI, while senior Shay Mickens has a team-high six runs scored.

The Lady Choctaws have used five pitchers this season, with senior Lacie Patterson (0-1, 4.88 ERA) and junior Carlie Sargent (2-1, 1.31 ERA) drawing all six starts. Senior Elissa Kelly pitched in both games on Thursday, allowing just one unearned run.

The Lady Bucs are led offensively by Amy Gracia with a .400 batting average, while Leigh Ward leads the team with seven hits and six stolen bases. Three pitchers have been in the circle for CBU this season with Kasey Beekman leading the team with 18.0 innings pitched and a 5.06 ERA and eight strikeouts.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SERIES
The Lady Choctaws and Lady Bucs have played three previous times with MC winning all three matchups. The teams played all three games in 2011 with MC outscoring CBU, 18-5. The teams have played just one time in Memphis with the Lady Choctaws picking up a 3-0 victory.

RECORD WATCH
Senior Brooke Smitherman is already MC's all-time leader in home runs (24), runs batted in (108), slugging percentage (.761) and walks (118). She ranks 2nd in school history in batting average (.427), just two points behind Renee Brown-Sumlin (.429). Smitherman and senior Macey Lee are MC's allt-ime leader in doubles (38).

Senior Shay Mickens set a school record with 44 stolen bases in 2014 and is currently third in school history in career stolen bases (46). She is 38 swipes behind record-holder Jennifer Jones, who stole 84 bases from 2008-11. Macey Lee is ranked second with 59 in her four-year career.

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH
Juniors Madison Oliver and Carlie Sargent were named to the Gulf South Conference Preseason Top Newcomers List, honoring the top fresh faces for each program in the league. The two transferred from Southern Union State CC in Alabama and wil make an immediate impact on the program. Sargent is a left-handed pitcher expected to earn a starting spot, while Oliver should crack the lineup from the first game.

NCCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK    
Sargent earned the National Christian College Athletic Association Student-Athlete of the Week award in her first appearances in the circle for the Lady Choctaws. She went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 14 strikeouts over two games at the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational in Arkadelphia, Ark. last weekend.