ULM Softball Plays Host to Season-Opening ‘Best On The Bayou Classic’

Softball Feb 10

MONROE, La. – The ULM softball team, which returns 19 players from last year's roster, opens the 2023 schedule by playing host to the "Best On The Bayou Classic" Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 12. The Warhawks will play five games over the next three days at the ULM Softball Complex, beginning with Western Michigan on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

ULM will play a pair of games on Saturday, first against Lindenwood at 3 p.m. followed by a rematch against Western Michigan at 5:30 p.m. The Warhawks will conclude weekend play with a Sunday doubleheader against HCU at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Fifth-year ULM head coach Molly Fichtner welcomes back 19 players from last year's team that finished 27-27, including 10-17 in Sun Belt Conference play. This season's 24-player roster also features five newcomers.

Three returning All-Sun Belt Conference players, in first-team selection Kennedy Johnson (.342, 14 doubles, 31 RBI) and second-team picks Lourdes Bacon (.337, 32 runs, 18 stolen bases) and Alexis Chavez (.335, 8 doubles, 16 RBI), provide a solid nucleus for Fichtner to build her lineup around.

"It's great to have three returning all-conference players on the 2023 roster," Fichtner said. "Almost everybody came back from last year's team, so we've got a lot of experience under our belts, and they're more energized than ever before. It's going to be a really fun season … at least on paper.

"Right now, the depth that we have in the circle is the strength of our team. We've got six really good arms on this pitching staff, and that's something that we haven't had in a long time. We'll be able to utilize them in a variety of ways, even if all six have to throw in one game. Now, we can do that because they all have different tools to be successful. That's one of the most exciting things about this year's team."

A trio of pitchers – Kinsey Kackley (9-9, 2.86 ERA, 114 strikeouts), Adrianna Chavarria (6-6, 2.94, 57 strikeouts) and Victoria Abrams (7-10, 3.50, 61 strikeouts) – combined to account for 83 appearances and 22 wins in 2022. Returning utility player Kassidy Giddens (4-0, 2.55) also saw action in the circle a year ago as did Gianni Hulett (1-2, 4.34), who had her 2022 season cut short by a shin injury. Maddie Nichols, a freshman from West Monroe High School who was named 2022 District 2-5A Pitcher of the Year, also is expected to have an immediate impact in the circle.

"Nationally, one of the biggest transitions in softball has been the move away from just one pitcher taking the circle every day," Fichtner said. "We haven't quite gotten to baseball's level yet, with 20 arms on the team, but it's getting more and more challenging each year for pitchers to be able to shut out opponents."

Fichtner, who has not yet named a starting pitcher for Friday's season opener against Western Michigan, said, "We're definitely looking forward to getting all of the pitchers some time on the mound to get innings in this weekend. We'll also probably look at different combinations in the lineup."

ULM's opening-day position lineup should look like this: Bacon in left field, Kennedy Page in center field, Korie Kreps in right field, Jacelyn Buck at third base, Madelyn Fletcher at shortstop, Chavez at second base, Johnson at first base and Madison Blount at catcher. Bacon is expected to bat leadoff.

"You'll see from our lineup that we want tons of speed on the bases all weekend," Fichtner said.

Here's a glance at the "Best On The Bayou Classic" field:

Western Michigan, which finished 22-32 last season including 12-16 in the Mid-American Conference, is led by first-year head coach Jenny Rohn. Three of WMU's top four hitters, who combined to drive in 61 runs, return, led by infielder/outfielder Alyssa Kramer, who ranked second on the team in batting average (.275) and RBI (25). The Broncos' 21-player roster features 11 newcomers.

Lindenwood, located in suburban St. Louis, is making the transition to NCAA Division I this spring under second-year head coach Erin Brown. The Lions went 35-13 in their final season in NCAA Division II, including a 21-7 record in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while advancing to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. Lindenwood's top returning player is Amanda Weyh, a third-team All-American and first-team All-GLVC selection who posted a 22-5 record, including 20 complete games, a 1.00 ERA and 183 strikeouts. Her .293 batting average also ranked fourth on the team. Infielder Whitney Kinser finished second on the team in hitting at .341, including nine extra-base hits, and recorded 12 multi-hit games.

HCU, which produced a 19-29 worksheet last season including 4-13 in Southland Conference action, is led by Mary-Ellen Hall, the third-longest tenured NCAA Division I coach who enters her 32nd season with 860 career victories. The Huskies welcome back two All-Southland Third-Team selections, in pitcher Lyndie Swanson (9-8, 3.27 ERA, 74 strikeouts) and utility player Haylie Savage (.278, 10 doubles, 20 RBI).

The "Best On The Bayou Classic" features a total of 10 games at the ULM Softball Complex during the three-day weekend schedule. General admission tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 4-12).

Friday, Feb. 10
11:30 a.m. – HCU vs. Lindenwood
2 p.m. – Western Michigan vs. Lindenwood
4:30 p.m. – Western Michigan vs. ULM

Saturday, Feb. 11
10 a.m. – Lindenwood vs. HCU
12:30 p.m. – HCU vs. Western Michigan
3 p.m. – Lindenwood vs. ULM
5:30 p.m. Western Michigan vs. ULM

Sunday, Feb. 12
9 a.m. – Lindenwood vs. Western Michigan
11:30 a.m. – HCU vs. ULM
2 p.m. – HCU vs. ULM

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ULM Softball Plays Host to Season-Opening ‘Best On The Bayou Classic’