MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball returns to Jaguar Field this weekend when it hosts the 2016 South Alabama Invitational.
 
Bowling Green, Dartmouth and Wichita State, all new opponents for the Jaguars, will attend the nine-game event, which kicks off Friday at noon. South Alabama opens its weekend account at 5 p.m. versus Bowling Green.
 
Links to live stats, video and ticket information can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates for all South Alabama contests can be found by following the program @USAJagsSoftball.
 
USA (6-4) will look to reverse a string of negative results, as the Jags have lost four of their last five games, including a 1-3 showing at last weekend's Mardi Gras Invitational in Mobile and a 5-0 loss at No. 5 LSU on Wednesday.
 
South Alabama's lone win in the recent period was a 10-2, mercy-rule victory over Southern Miss last Sunday, in which the Jags recorded a season-high 12 hits, following a season-low two-hit outing in a 1-0 loss to SIU-Edwardsville on the previous day.
 
Senior third baseman Emily Messer has been USA's primary source of offense this season, as the Mobile, Ala., native is batting a blazing .615 (24-for-39) on the year with a .692 slugging percentage and .634 on-base percentage.
 
Sophomore right-hander Devin Brown fell to an even 3-3 in her loss to LSU on Wednesday, despite fanning more Tiger batters than anyone else this season, tying her season high with 11 strikeouts in the contest. USA was only out hit by LSU, 7-6, but the Jaguars failed to capitalize on their opportunities against pitcher Allie Walljasper.
 
USA is 2-3 at home on the year and is batting .302 as a team. The Jaguar pitching staff owns a 1.91 ERA, led by junior Destin Vicknair (3-0), who owns a 1.27.
 
After losing its first three games of the season, Bowling Green brings a 3-5 record into the weekend after splitting four games at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial in Kennesaw, Ga., last weekend. Bowling Green opened the event with a 6-1 win over Rutgers and bookended losses to Kennesaw State and Bradley with a run-rule victory over Morehead State.
 
Dartmouth's season begins this weekend. The Big Green are coming off a 25-18 year in 2015, going 16-4 to win the Ivy League and appear at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, where it fell 5-1 to host Florida State and 3-1 to South Carolina.
 
Wichita State is 4-6 heading into the weekend, most recently winning two of its five at the DeMarini Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. The Shockers run-ruled San Jose State to start the event and ended it with a 6-5 win over Boise State, but fell to Hawaii, Cal State-Northridge and Oregon State.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).