CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina softball makes the first of two trips to Alabama to open the 2024 season on Friday at the Stinger Classic hosted by Alabama State.
WCU opens the tournament battling Hampton on Friday at 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT before facing Austin Peay at Noon ET / 11 a.m. CT. The weekend wraps up with single games on both Saturday at 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT against Houston Christian and 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT on Sunday against the host Hornets. All four scheduled games will have live stats on CatamountSports.com.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Western Carolina vs Hampton
WHERE: Barbara Williams Softball Complex (Montgomery, Ala.)
WHEN: 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT (Friday)
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Western Carolina vs. Austin Peay
WHERE: Barbara Williams Softball Complex (Montgomery, Ala.)
WHEN: Noon ET. / 11 a.m. CT. (Friday)
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Western Carolina vs. Houston Christian
WHERE: Barbara Williams Softball Complex (Montgomery, Ala.)
WHEN: 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT (Saturday)
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Western Carolina at Alabama State
WHERE: Barbara Williams Softball Complex (Montgomery, Ala.)
WHEN: 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT (Sunday)
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
FOLLOW THE ACTION
LIVE VIDEO: Hornet Sports Network ($)
TWITTER: @CatamountSB
GAME NOTES
Under the direction of 13th year head coach Jim Clift, Western Carolina embarks on the 2024 season led by junior infielder Natalie Henry, who was named to the Preseason All-Southern Conference second-team as part of preseason awards unveiled on Feb. 1. Henry posted a strong performance at the plate in 2023 with a .286 average including a double, four home runs, and 19 runs batted in. She ranks as the top offensive returner in 11 major categories for WCU including batting average (.286), homers (4), runs scored (20), hits (30), slugging pct. (.410), and games played (40).
Collectively, WCU returns 11 players from a season ago while adding five newcomers to the squad as freshman Reagan Janney (Marietta, Ga.), Lily Bell (Woodstock, Ga.), Becka Wonsick (Jefferson, N.C.), Maya McPherson (Lancaster, Calif.) and Sydney Dirks (Mocksville, N.C.).
Slated as WCU's season-opening opponent, Hampton posted a 15-31 record including a 4-19 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) a year ago. The Pirates top offensive returner is Camryn Thompson who finished with a .289 average with 39 hits on the season. Carmynn Bonner finished with a .273 average, totaling eight doubles, a triple, and a homer. Hampton's top pitcher returns for the 2024 campaign as Jada Evans finished with a 4-10 record and a 4.15 ERA.
Hampton was tabbed 12th in the CAA preseason poll as Bonner and Janae Lyles were named to the league's Preseason Watch List as the Pirates are under the direction of Monique White, who begins her fourth season at the helm for Hampton.
Austin Peay, Friday's second opponent, finished 27-24 while going 12-12 in ASUN play during the 2023 season. The Govs top offensive player from last season is Kylie Campbell, who finished the year hitting .316 with 50 hits, two doubles, and five triples. Megan Hodum totaled 48 hits in 2023 with nine doubles and eight stolen bases. In the circle, Jordan Benefiel returns for her senior season as she led Austin Peay with an 18-12 mark, including 21 complete games, tallying 188 strikeouts.
The Governors were selected fourth in the league's preseason poll, with Benefiel and Campbell being named to the league's all-conference team. Austin Peay is led by Kassie Stanfill, who begins her sixth season.
Providing Saturday's opposition is Houston Christian which went 20-33 a season ago while tabulating a 9-15 mark in the Southland Conference. The Huskies are led by their top hitter from the 2023 campaign, AB Garcia, as she totaled a .419 average with 62 hits, including six doubles, two triples, and a team-high 19 stolen bases. Haylie Savage finished the 2023 season hitting .341 with a team-high 11 doubles and seven homers. In the circle, Ronni Grofman is the top arm for the Huskies back for the 2024 season as she went 5-6 with a 2.74 ERA, totaling a team-high 60 strikeouts in 94.2 innings.
Houston Christian was picked seventh in the 2024 Southland Conference Preseason Poll as the Huskies had Garcia and Savage earn preseason all-conference accolades. Mary-Ellen Hall leads the Huskies as she embarks on her 33rd season leading Houston Christian in 2024.
The host Alabama State comes off a 30-21 season during the 2023 campaign as the Hornets finished 18-7 in the SWAC. The Hornets are led by the Preseason Player of the Year selection in Kindall DeRamus, who posted a .400 average with five doubles, four triples, and 34 RBIs last season. Jaeda Gardner (.361 average) and Alexia Denby (15 Homers) were also named to the All-SWAC preseason team. Bailey Greenlee returns as the top pitcher in the circle for the Hornets as she went 19-8 with a 3.01 ERA and tallied 144 strikeouts last season.
Alabama State was picked to win the East Division and tied with Prairie View A&M for most first-place votes overall in the SWAC as the Hornets are led by Todd Bradley, who embarks on his fifth season directing Alabama State in 2024.
WCU squares off with Hampton and Houston Christian for the first time in program history on Friday and Saturday, respectively, for the Catamounts. Western Carolina and Austin Peay have met four prior times with both squads grabbing two wins as WCU earned two victories in 2016 in Athens, Ga., and the Governors returning the favor in 2021 in Troy, Ala. WCU has claimed the six prior meetings with the Hornets including a 1-0 shutout a season ago in the same Stinger Classic.
Following Sunday's finale in Montgomery, the Catamounts return to Alabama beginning on Friday, February 23, at the Green & Gold Classic hosted by UAB in Birmingham. WCU will square off in five games over three days, facing North Alabama, Alabama, Bradley in a pair of games, and the host Blazers. All five games will have live stats available on CatamountSports.com.
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