HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team will open its first season under new head coach Rick Fremin this week when it hosts the three-day, seven-team Lion Classic at North Oak Park.
 
The tournament field includes the host Lady Lions, as well as Nicholls, Tennessee-Martin, Southern Illinois, Tennessee State, Buffalo and Mississippi Valley State. The games will be played on multiple fields. Live stats and live video (LionVision subscription) required will be accessible at LionSports.net for all games on Field One.
 
Southeastern will play all six of its games on Field One. On Friday, the Lady Lions will play Buffalo at 3:30 p.m. and Tennessee State at 5:30 p.m. Saturday's SLU action will open with a 2:30 p.m. game versus Southern Illinois, followed by the nightcap versus Tennessee-Martin at 4:30 p.m. Southeastern will close out tournament play on Sunday, facing Tennessee State at 11 a.m. and Mississippi Valley State at 2:30 p.m.
 
Southeastern returns four All-Southland Conference players from a team that finished fourth in the Southland and advanced to the league tournament a season ago.
 
All-Region senior Katie Lacour is the top returner for the Lady Lions, having finished fifth in Division I with a .484 batting average to go with 89 hits and 46 runs scored – all three single-season school records. Lacour, senior Amber Sather (7 HR, 31 RBI, 43 BB) and sophomore Kinsey Nichols (.340, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 7 3B, 39 runs) are the other top returners in the SLU lineup.
 
Lacour and Sather enter their senior years having already etched their names in the school career record books. Lacour's 99 runs scored and 203 hits are both SLU school standards, while Sather has drawn an all-time high 109 walks. Lacour, who enters 2016 with a .426 career batting average, is within striking distance of the best career batting average in school history – a mark currently held by Southeastern Athletics Hall of Famer Voncia Bookman.
 
In the circle, senior Taylor Bishop is the top returning arm for the Lady Lions. The Sugar Land, Texas native earned All-Southland honors after finishing with a 14-9 overall record – including an 11-3 mark in conference games – and a 3.11 earned run average in 2015. Bishop, senior Madison Vige', freshman Peyton Pigniolo, freshman Caitlyn VanHemelryck and junior Kasey Nielson make up the Lady Lion pitching staff.
 
Southeastern will play its first 11 games of the season at home. Following this weekend's tournament, SLU welcomes Alabama A&M to Hammond for a four-game series. The series opens with a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Friday and concludes with a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
 
2016 Lion Classic - February 12-14, 2016 - North Oak Park
Home teams listed in bold and will occupy first base dugout
 
Friday, February 12
 
Field One
1 p.m. – Tennessee-Martin vs. Buffalo
3:30 p.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Buffalo
5:30 p.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Tennessee State
 
Field Two
11 a.m. – Tennessee-Martin vs. Southern Illinois
1 p.m. – Nicholls vs. Southern Illinois
3:30 p.m. – Mississippi Valley State vs. Tennessee State
5:30 p.m. – Nicholls vs. Mississippi Valley State
 
Saturday, February 13
 
Field One
10 a.m. – Mississippi Valley State vs. Tennessee-Martin
12 p.m. – Mississippi Valley State vs. Southern Illinois
2:30 p.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Southern Illinois
4:30 p.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Tennessee-Martin
 
Field Two
10 a.m. – Tennessee State vs. Buffalo
12 p.m. – Tennessee State vs. Nicholls
2:30 p.m. – Buffalo vs. Nicholls
 
Sunday, February 14
 
Field One
11 a.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Tennessee State
1 p.m. – Southeastern Louisiana vs. Mississippi Valley State
 
Field Two
10 a.m. – Southern Illinois vs. Buffalo
1 p.m. – Tennessee-Martin vs. Nicholls