ARKADELPHIA, Ark. --- The Mississippi College softball team opens the 2016 season this weekend (Feb. 6-7) at the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational, hosted by Ouachita Baptist University.

The Lady Choctaws will get things started early Saturday morning as they face Arkansas-Monticello (9:00 am) and OBU (11:00 am). They will close things out on "Super Bowl" Sunday by facing Harding (12:00 pm) and the Lady Tigers (3:00 pm) for a second time.

"We are excited to get this season started," said head coach Brooke O'Hair. "The girls have been steadily improving in the off-season, and I think we are in a good place heading into the weekend. This is an extremely talented team that can really do some great things this season."

Coach O'Hair and her husband Tony gave birth to their second child, Cooper Anthony, on Wednesday, January 20th. The 10th-year head coach is making every effort to be available at the season-opening tournament.

"I have all the confidence in the world that Kim (Mason) and Troy (Best) can handle everything," said O'Hair. "They have been doing a great job since stepping on campus, and if I'm not able to go, the team will be in great hands."

This will be the 9th all-time meeting between MC and UAM with the series being tied, 4-4. The Lady Choctaws and OBU faced off in the same tournament to open the 2015 season with MC coming away with a 2-1 victory. Macey Lee hit a two-run home run in the 6th inning as Carlie Sargent struck out 10 and allowed just three hits and one unearned run in the complete game victory.

This will be MC's first-ever contests against Harding and Ouachita Baptist.

Sargent (Oxford, Ala.) returns as MC's top pitcher from a season ago, going 18-13 with a 2.17 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 177.1 innings pitched. The senior already ranks 8th in school history with the 146 punchouts last season.

Also returning to the lineup from last season's team that advanced to the NCCAA World Series is junior Megan Everett (Pearland, Texas), who has the top batting average (.326) coming back. The outfielder did not make an error in 63 chances last season and led the team with 35 RBI.

Senior Madison Oliver (Ragland, Ala.) also comes back after a solid junior campaign that saw her tie for the team lead with four home runs and finish second with 12 doubles.

Senior Kimmie Conley (Kenner, La.) will wrap up her four-year career this season and currently ranks 9th in school history with 67 runs batted in.

After missing most of last season due to injury, senior Lauren Mulligan (New Orleans, La.) will return to the infield looking to get back to her form from 2014 where she hit .350 with six doubles, a triple and 25 RBI.

Junior Tylan Buckley (Philadelphia, Miss.) and freshman Alexia Harmon (Madison, Miss.) highlight a top-flight recruiting class that is poised to make an immediate impact. Buckley and Harmon were each named to the Gulf South Conference Top Newcomers List in the preseason.

The Lady Choctaws will open their home schedule on Thursday (Feb. 11) by hosting William Carey for a doubleheader at 3:00 p.m. at the MC Softball Complex.