Conway – The Central Arkansas softball team will begin its quest for a seventh consecutive Southland Conference Tournament appearance on Thursday, featuring a blend of faces both familiar and new.The Bears, who finished last season one win shy of a Southland Conference Tournament Championship Game appearance, return 14 players from last year's squad and have nine new players.

Central Arkansas returns the most experience on the infield, where they return at four players who made at least 44 starts last season, led by senior shortstop Kate Myers (.248 batting average, 37 hits, 20 RBI), who has led the Southland Conference in assists each of the past two seasons. Sophomore Kaylyn Shepherd (.284 avg., 44 hits, 19 RBI), junior Krissy Fontillas (23 BB, 3 doubles), and senior Audrey Pratt (5 doubles, 1 triple) round out the returners. The Bears also return All-Southland Conference Second Team selection Cylla Hill (.252 avg., 29 RBI, 5 doubles), who started 12 games at second base and 11 at third base last season. And behind the plate, the Bears feature a pair of catchers in sophomore Lauren Brooks (.231 avg., 16 RBI) and senior Ryan McTaggart (4 extra base hits, 11 RBI) that combined to make 40 starts and catch 15 runners stealing.

"We feel strong behind the plate with Brooks and McTaggart, they did a good job back their last year," said UCA head coach David Kuhn. "Shepherd did a good job at first offensively and defensively. We've got experience at second base with Krissy and Libby Morris (.419 avg., 10 home runs, 58 RBI at Northeast Oklahoma A&M in 2017). Kate has been our shortstop for two years and is just flawless on defense, we're deep at third with Audrey and Cylla. I feel good about our infield and where they're at to start the season."

It's in the outfield, where Central Arkansas must replace four-year starters Briana Whisenhunt and Hannah Stirton, that the Bears will look for players to step up. Junior Morgan Felts (13 doubles, 32 walks, 20 runs scored) made 29 starts in centerfield and right field last season, and looks to start the season in right, but the Bears return just 16 other outfield starts (13 for sophomore Kayla Crutchmer and 3 for senior Brianna McArthur) from a season ago.

"Morgan did a good job late in the season last year, and she seems to be the front-runner to be playing in right field this season," said Kuhn. "Right now [freshman] Reagan Sperling looks to be playing in center, and left field could be a couple of girls. It could be Oakley Sisemore (.492 avg., 94 runs scored, 71 stolen bases at Crowder College in 2017), possibly Brianna, maybe Crutchmer."

Central Arkansas' biggest question mark is in the pitching circle, where the Bears return 115.2 innings pitched, just 29% of the innings thrown last season. Junior Ellie Reaves (3-8 W-L, 66.2 IP, 5.67 ERA) accounts for over half of that total, while sophomore Kailla Searcy (3-5, 42.0 IP, 5.57 ERA) and sophomore Jordan Ward (0-0, 7.0 IP, 7.00 ERA) account for the rest.

"The big question is pitching," said Kuhn. "We've got a little over 100 innings coming back, but the biggest question mark is how are the pitchers going to be able to perform? But hopefully we'll hit a lot better this year to take some pressure off of them, because we didn't hit well last year. We played defense and we pitched, but we have to hit better."

The Bears open the season with a pair of games at the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, Louisiana this afternoon. UCA will take on Tennessee-Martin at 2:00 PM and North Texas at 8:00 PM, before closing out the weekend tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM against Grambling State.