HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The University of Central Arkansas softball team will kick off the 2011 season at the Mizuno Classic hosted by Southern Miss on Saturday. The Bears will take on Kennesaw State at noon on Saturday, followed by the host Golden Eagles at 2:30. UCA will face both teams again on Sunday.

The Bears, under third-year head coach David Kuhn, return 14 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's team that went 25-31. Among the returnees are five players that were named All-Southland Conference last season - senior designated player Shay Ristau, junior first baseman Kasey Britt, sophomore center fielder Candice Gauntt, sophomore catcher Melanie Bryant and sophomore pitcher Kelsie Armstrong.

Last year's team set several offensive school records, including runs (232), hits (405), doubles (81), home runs (39) and runs batted in (212). Ristau set a new UCA mark with 48 RBI, while Gauntt set a record with 45 runs scored.

Armstrong also broke a record with 212 strikeouts, while earning 17 wins with a 2.59 earned run average.

Live stats for all four games can be found on www.ucagameday.com.