CONWAY, Ark. – The 2022 Central Arkansas softball team is ready to make its season debut on Friday, participating in LSU's Tiger Classic tournament. While in Baton Rouge, the Bears will face South Alabama and Illinois on Friday, Illinois and LSU on Saturday, before closing the weekend against the hosting Tigers on Sunday. Central Arkansas' first game of the tournament is Friday at 10 a.m. CT.
 
There are several new pieces for the Bears as they embark on this campaign, most notably a new conference and head coach. After 15 years in the Southland, Central Arkansas officially joined the ASUN Conference last summer. In a new conference, the Bears look forward to facing a new slate of competition in the late spring.
 
After spending the last 10 seasons as an assistant coach, Jenny Parsons takes over a program that has seen growth and success over her tenure. Now in the driver's seat, Parsons leads a team with 16 returners and four newcomers, looking to build upon last season's 37 wins.
 
Central Arkansas brings back a group of quality players from last season, including Preseason All-ASUN selections Jenna Wildeman and Mary Kate Brown. An absolute thief on the basepaths, Wildeman was the first freshman since 2013 to lead the country in stolen bases, swiping 56 bases a year ago. Her total almost doubled the second place in the Southland, at 30. One of the top hitters in the Southland last year, Brown batted .386, good for sixth place in the conference, while leading the league with 15 doubles and placing third with 64 hits.
 
In the circle, the Bears return Kayla Beaver and Jordan Johnson, a couple of pitchers that helped Central Arkansas earn the 15^th-best ERA in the country, allowing only a 1.92 ERA. Beaver was second in the Southland with 21 wins, with 19 complete games and six shutouts. Her counterpart, Johnson, tossed a pair of perfect games last season, the third and fourth perfect games in UCA history.
 
Central Arkansas plays in a field of teams that each had seasons better than .500 a year ago, including two teams that won over 30 games. South Alabama, the first team on deck for the Bears, won 31 games last season, earning a spot in the NCAA tournament. After falling in the Sunbelt Championship game against Louisiana, the Jaguars received an at-large bid to the Tournament, where they defeated Florida in their opening game.
 
Illinois, whom the Bears face twice, went 24-20 last season in a Big 10-only schedule. Returning 18 letter winners, the Illini bring back four All-B1G honorees to a squad that has eight newcomers.
 
Lastly, the hosting Tigers of LSU ended 2021 with a 35-22 record, having one of the toughest schedules in the country. LSU also brings back a wealth of talent, including a pair of 2022 Preseason All-SEC players, an All-American, along with last year's SEC Newcomer of the year.
 
First pitch of the weekend is set for 10 a.m. on Friday, as the Bears play South Alabama. Immediately following that performance, Central Arkansas will face Illinois at approximately 12:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Bears will take on Illinois again at approximately 12:30 p.m., before playing LSU in the final game of the day at around 5:30 p.m. Finally, another game against LSU on Sunday is set for 12:30 p.m.