JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A new era of Lincoln softball opens this weekend when the Blue Tigers travel to Bentonville, Ark. for the Alvy Early Memorial Classic. Lincoln, led by first-year head coach Jason Ollison, will play a pair of games on Saturday (Feb. 11) and two more on Sunday (Feb. 12) to begin the 2023 season.

The first game of the season will take place on Saturday, as the Blue Tigers play Illinois-Springfield at 11:00 a.m. CST. At 1:30 p.m. CST, LU will take on the host school, Arkansas-Monticello. The Blue Tigers will play Henderson State on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. CST, then close play in the tourney against Southern Nazarene at 1:30 p.m. CST.

Lincoln returns 12 starters from the 2022 squad which went 12-35, led by Leslie Callahan, who batted .353 with 42 hits, 32 RBI, 31 runs, 10 doubles and four homeruns. Emily Williams returns after scoring 20 runs on 27 hits with 18 RBI while Jacqueline Marquez, who hit .288 for the year, posted a .356 on-base percentage. Emma Rakes, meanwhile, tallied 32 hits and scored 20 runs to cap off a successful freshman season.

Jordan Galliher won three games in the circle and struck out a team-high 87 batters, while Maddie Welker fanned 10 batters and Ashton Stalling, who picked up two victories, notched 12 strikeouts. Chloe Olson returns after driving in 20 runs on 27 hits a year ago, and Kori Bullard had 21 hits while Leah Wagner finished with 14. The other returning Blue Tigers are Qwynn Marquez, who scored seven runs, and Katie Blair, who had eight hits and five RBI.