LEADOFF
Midwestern State opens the 2014 campaign at the West Florida Spring Tournament this weekend in Pensacola, Fla. The Mustangs take on No. 6 Valdosta State in a twin bill on Saturday before battling host West Florida for doubleheader on Sunday. MSU closes the tournament with single games against Southern Arkansas and West Florida on Monday. All tournament games will be played at the UWF Softball Complex.
 

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Midwestern State vs. No. 6 Valdosta State
Saturday, Feb. 1 | 9/11 a.m. (DH)
UWF Softball Complex | Pensacola, Fla.
2013 Records: Midwestern State (43-17); Valdosta State (46-13)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: None
Live Stats: GoArgos.com
 
SCOUTING THE BLAZERS
Perennial powerhouse Valdosta State rolled to its second straight NCAA Division II World Series appearance in the last four seasons by finishing with a 46-13 mark in 2013. The Blazers rolled to a national championship with a 58-5 mark in 2012. Valdosta State is paced by a trio of 2014 Preseason All-Gulf South Conference performers in senior infielder Shelby Altman, senior pitcher Brianna Hancock and junior infielder Courtney Albritton. Altman garnered All-South Central Region second-team honors in 2013 by hitting .333 with 55 RBIs. Hancock posted a 20-5 mark with a 3.08 ERA in the circle for the Blazers last spring. Albritton was a Daktronics first-team and NFCA second-team All American last season hitting .417 with 17 doubles, 20 homers and 57 RBIs to earn Daktronics South Region Player of the Year honors. Albritton is a two-time GSC Player of the Year.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Valdosta State meet for the first time on the diamond Saturday at the UWF Softball Complex.
 

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Midwestern State at West Florida
Sunday, Feb. 2 | 1/3 p.m. (DH)
Monday, Feb. 3 | 9 a.m.
UWF Softball Complex | Pensacola, Fla.
2013 Records: Midwestern State (43-17); West Florida (21-25)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: GoArgos.com
Live Stats: GoArgos.com
 
SCOUTING THE ARGONAUTS
West Florida posted a 21-25 mark in 2013 finishing fifth in the Gulf South Conference (12-16). The Argonauts, led by 2014 All-GSC preseason pick Danielle Sanders, are favored to finish fifth in the league again this season. Sanders, a senior outfielder from Leesburg, Fla., hit .344 last season with seven doubles and two triples while stealing a team-high 28 bases. Junior third baseman Lou Barnard, a transfer from Lake Sumter State College, and freshman pitcher Jessica Wilkinson were named amongst top newcomers in the GSC.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and West Florida meet for the first time on the diamond Sunday at the UWF Softball Complex.
 

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Midwestern State vs. Southern Arkansas
Monday, Feb. 3 | 11 a.m.
UWF Softball Complex | Pensacola, Fla.
2013 Records: Midwestern State (43-17); Southern Arkansas (27-30)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: None
Live Stats: GoArgos.com
 
SCOUTING THE MULERIDERS
Southern Arkansas finished the 2013 campaign at 27-30 and the Muleriders were picked to finish fifth this spring in the race for the Great American Conference title. Junior pitcher Hanna Gill, a two-time All-GAC performer, leads SAU into the 2014 season, posting a 19-15 record with a 2.75 ERA while boasting 29 complete games and three shutouts. Junior catcher Sarah Higginbotham, who earned All-GAC honorable mention in 2013, is the Muleriders top returner at the dish after hitting .355 with six home runs and 33 RBIs.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State and Southern Arkansas meet for the 10th time on the diamond Monday morning at the UWF Softball Complex. The Mustangs own an 8-1 edge in the series which dates back to 2004. The Muleriders claimed their first win in the series by claiming an 8-4 victory in the last meeting on Feb. 12, 2012 in Kingsville, Texas.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
Southern Arkansas' Hanna Gill held MSU to three earned runs on 10 hits to help the Muleriders claim an 8-4 win over the Mustangs on Feb. 12, 2012 at the Texas A&M-Kingsville Invitational. MSU junior outfielder Elena Bennett paced the Mustangs by going 3-for-4 with a stolen base, while freshman shortstop Kelley Schaefer was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
 

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ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State returns six starters and seven letter winners off of last season's 43-17 NCAA Division II South Central Region qualifier. NFCA Division II Catcher of the Year Kim Jerrick (.417, 17 2B, 19 HR, 54 RBI, 16 SB) leads a trio of returning All Americans and comes into the season as the program's all-time home run leader with 40. Daktronics South Central Region Player of the Year Katelyn Vinson delivered one of the best offensive seasons in Lone Star Conference history as a freshman last season. The Southlake Carroll High product ranked fifth in NCAA Division II with a .503 batting average and was third in the nation with 22 home runs while driving in 67 runs. Junior third baseman Kelley Schaefer earned NFCA and Daktronics first-team honors after hitting .420 with six doubles, a triples and 13 homers while driving in a team-high 69 runs. MSU also returns sophomore outfielder Haley Howerton (.319, 3 2B, 1 3B, 15 SB) and sophomore infielder Shelby Carter (.319, 8 2B, 10 HR, 42 RBI) while sophomore infielder/outfielder Chelsey Wall (.288, 4 2B, 5 HR, 26 RBI) split 35 starts at designated player, right field and second base. Sophomore Kat Batey (16-8, 5.34 ERA) is MSU's lone returner in the circle. The Mustangs added a three transfers in junior infielder Katy Vandewater (Weatherford College), junior infielder Katelyn Potts (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) and redshirt-freshman outfielder Demi Thompson (Arkansas Tech) and a strong freshman class which includes infielder/outfielder Taylor Bermudes (Houston Bellaire HS), infielder Krisha Hamm (Graham HS), pitcher Katlyn Holmes (Gunter HS), outfielder Claire Hopkins (Pampa HS), pitcher Erin Knox (West HS), infielder/outfielder Jennifer Quintero (Fredericksburg (Va.) Stafford HS) and catcher/infielder Baylee Voigt (Iowa Park HS).
 
MUSTANGS PICKED THIRD IN LSC PRESEASON POLL
Midwestern State was picked third in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. The Mustangs received 146 points and a first-place vote to settle in behind defending champion Texas Woman's (166 points, 13 first-place votes) and West Texas A&M (159 points, 8 first-place votes). Angelo State (145 points, 2 first-place votes) was picked fourth followed by Tarleton State (95), Cameron (76), Eastern New Mexico (40) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (37). TWU's Katie Hines and Brandie Lander were selected preseason player and pitcher of the year, respectively.
 
TRUE HORSEPOWER
Midwestern State set numerous hitting records in 2013 and finished the campaign second in NCAA Division II in team batting average (.359), second in home runs per game (1.43), second in team slugging percentage (.578) and sixth in scoring (7.45 runs per game). The seven MSU returners accounted for 69 of the 86 home runs to go along with a combined batting average of .380.
 
MSU UNDER BRADY TIGERT
Brady Tigert begins his 11th season at the helm at Midwestern State and is the program's lone head coach since it was resurrected in 2004. The Mustangs have averaged just over 40 wins a year under Tigert, who boasts a 401-180 (.690) record which includes NCAA Division II postseason trips in eight of 10 seasons. MSU finished as national semifinalists in 2011, claimed two regional titles (2010, 2011) and two Lone Star Conference championships (2006, 2007).