ADA – For the second straight season, the East Central University softball team will begin its season a short ride from home, playing in the Southeastern Regional Invitational. The tournament will be hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant, Okla., Feb. 2-4.
The Tigers will play two games each of the three days starting with a Friday, Feb. 2 game against Missouri Southern State at 12 p.m. Later that day ECU will face Cameron at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 will feature games against Rockhurst (9:30 a.m.) and Central Missouri (2:30 p.m.), while Sunday, Feb. 4 will see games against Tarleton State (9:30 a.m.) and Pittsburg State (12 p.m.).
The Tigers finished the 2017 season with a 31-26 overall record and a 22-21 mark in the Great American Conference, finishing fifth. ECU was picked to finish sixth in the 2018 GAC Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Tigers return 10 players from a year ago, but will not have any familiar pitchers in the circle. Of the 10 returners five earned All-GAC honors in 2017. Senior
Alissa Taylor was named to the All-GAC First Team, juniors
Mariah Ewy and
Aundrea Hamric earned second team honors and senior
Claresha Clemons and junior
Breecia Crawford were honorable mentions.
Taylor finished the year with a .402 batting average, 19 runs, 78 hits, 16 doubles, seven home runs and 28 RBIs, to lead ECU returners. Ewy added 37 hits and 18 RBIs, while Hamric tallied 30 hits, Clemons tallied 45 hits and 27 RBIs and Crawford netted 40 hits.
In the first season of the Southeastern Regional Invitational, the Tigers finished 5-1, including wins over MSSU and Rockhurst and a loss to Pittsburg State.
| Competition at a Glance |
|
MSSU Lions |
Cameron Aggies |
Rockhurst Hawks |
Central Missouri Jennies |
Tarleton State Texanns |
Pittsburg State Gorillas |
| 2017 Record |
27-30, 16-10 MIAA |
33-20, 20-8 LSC |
31-22, 19-7 GLVC |
28-27, 17-9 MIAA |
35-22, 18-12 LSC |
42-19, 18-8 MIAA |
| Record at 2017 Invitational |
1-5 |
3-3 |
3-3 |
3-3 |
Did Not Attend |
5-1 |
| Returners |
10 |
8 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
7 |
| Returning Pitchers |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
