CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College softball team will open Gulf South Conference play this weekend at the GSC Opening Weekend Festival, held at Lagoon Park in Montgomery, Ala.

The Lady Choctaws will face Auburn Montgomery on Saturday at noon before coming back Sunday to face Valdosta State at noon and Montevallo at 2:30 p.m.
 

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THE SERIES

The GSC Opening Weekend Festival marks the first Gulf South Conference games of the season in softball. The Lady Choctaws will take on two teams that picked up first-place votes in the preseason poll in Auburn Montgomery (7th) and Valdosta State (2nd). They will also take on Montevallo, who was selected to finish 12th in the GSC preseason poll.

This will be just the 2nd all-time meeting between MC and AUM and Montevallo after playing both GSC newcomers last season. The Lady Choctaws dropped a contest to the Warhawks in Gulf Shores before going on the road to beat the Falcons.

MC and VSU have met 23 previous times with the Blazers holding a 14-9 edge in the series. Last season saw an epic three-game set in Georgia with every game being decided by one run, including an 11-inning win for MC. The Lady Choctaws bounced back from a series-opening loss to take 2-of-3 on the road. VSU answered back in the NCAA Regionals in Pensacola, defeating MC twice to eliminate them from postseason play.
 

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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
Record: 3-3, 0-0 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Lady Choctaws are back in action after splitting four games last weekend at the Charger Chillout 2.0 in Huntsville, Ala. They opened things with a 9-6 win over nationally-ranked Missouri-St. Louis and wrapped up the tournament with a 9-5 come-from-behind win over Henderson State.

Sophomore Shayla McKissock (.438) leads the MC offensive attack as the only player to hit safely in all six games, despite batting in the 9th spot in the lineup. Senior Katherine Lee (.381) and junior Kristen Qualls (.300) each have a team-high six RBI, while sophomore Carly Crawford (.389) has a team-best .667 slugging percentage after going 4-for-4 in the win over HSU.

Junior Adrianna Morgan (3-0, 3.29 ERA) leads the MC pitching staff with a team-high eight strikeouts in 17.0 innings. Senior Kristen Gardner (0-1, 4.67 ERA) tallied her first career save by getting the final six outs in the win over Henderson State. Freshman Madi Lancaster (0-1, 2.33 ERA) leads the team in earned run average after giving up just two earned runs in a complete game effort loss to McKendree.
 

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AUBURN MONTGOMERY
Record: 3-1, 0-0 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Warhawks opened the season by taking 3-of-4 games at the Gulf Coast Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala. The only loss for AUM came in extra innings against #7 North Georgia.

Four players are hitting .300 or better on the season, led by Hannah Dailey (.444), who has scored a team-high five runs. Gracie Harris (.400) leads the team with two doubles, while Morgan Duschell (.333) is tied with Abby Krueger (.111) for the team-lead with four RBI. Parker Pinholster (.300) leads the team with five stolen bases.

Five different pitchers have seen time in the circle this season, with Chanel Newcomer (2-1, 2.33 ERA) recording a team-high 12.0 innings pitched and 10 strikeouts. Natalie Johnsey (0-0, 1.56 ERA) has started a team-high two games this season.
 

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VALDOSTA STATE
Record: 10-2, 0-0 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Blazers had a seven-game winning streak snapped in their last outing, a home doubleheader split against Flagler. Last weekend, they traveled to Florida and took four games from Eckerd and Tampa, outscoring their opponents 32-15.

Jessica Mohl (.476) is the reigning GSC Player of the Week and leads the team with 20 hits, five doubles and nine stolen bases. She is tied with Taylor Hartenbach (.382) for the team-lead with 13 RBI, while Hartenbach leads the squad with five home runs and 14 runs scored.

Kathryn Carter (4-0, 2.63 ERA) leads the team with 40.0 innings pitched, tossing three complete games over the early season. Avery Lamb (3-0, 1.95 ERA) has seen action in a team-high seven games, while Ashtin Strickland (2-0, 2.88 ERA) leads the way with 25 strikeouts in just 17.0 innings.
 

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MONTEVALLO
Record: 5-1, 0-0 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Falcons come into the GSC Opening Weekend Festival winners of five straight after a season-opening loss to Embry-Riddle (FL). The swept a pair of doubleheaders from Talladega College and Stillman this weekend, outscoring their two opponents, 43-10.

Montevallo (.378) ranks 2nd in the GSC in hitting on the early season and leads the league with 36 stolen bases. Kelsey Vining (.579) has a team-high 11 hits and 13 runs scored with two doubles. Darbi Duke (.474) has stolen a team-high seven bases in seven attempts, ranking 2nd on the team with 10 runs scored.

Alexis Bonanno (2-1, 2.71 ERA) and Mychael McMilan (1-0, 2.71 ERA) have each tossed a team-high 10.1 innings with 12 strikeouts. Jessica Boyd (2-0, 1.00 ERA) has given up just one earned run over 7.0 innings.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC is recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.