CLEARWATER, Fla. | After several weeks and months of preparation, South Alabama is set to open the 2024 campaign this weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic held at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. 

The Jaguars will open up with a pair of games on Friday – vs. North Carolina Central at 9 a.m. (CT) and vs. Notre Dame at 12 p.m. (CT) – and then face St. John's at 3 p.m. (CT) and Missouri (6 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, before closing out the tournament on Sunday with a single game versus Central Arkansas at 12 p.m. (CT). 

South Alabama enters the 2024 campaign after finishing with a 39-14 overall record and a program-record 20 Sun Belt Conference victories. 

Leading the way among the list of returners are Mackenzie Brasher, Gabby Stagner and Sasha Willems. Brasher, who was a second-team all-SBC selection a year ago and a preseason all-league honoree last month, was third on the team in batting with a .309 average. Her 27 stolen bases – 17 of which came against league foes – led the club and were third-most in the Sun Belt.

In her first season in Mobile, Willems batted .291, with 41 hits, eight doubles, a pair of triples, three home runs, and 34 RBI, and had a .440 slugging percentage. Stagner batted .286 with a .517 slugging percentage, recorded 42 hits with 22 of those going for extra bases, scored 29 runs and drove in a team-best 36 runs. Her 16 doubles were tied for the most in the Sun Belt Conference, while she also had 13 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI games.

Once again, South Alabama looks to be led in the circle by senior righty Olivia Lackie, who in addition to preseason all-Sun Belt honors, has been named to a pair of national Top 100 lists – Softball America (No. 49) and D1Softball (No. 50) – as well as ranked as No. 21 on Softball America's Top 25 Pitchers list. Last season, Lackie became the first player in program history to be named the Sun Belt's Pitcher of the Year after finishing with a 21-6 record, two saves, a 1.52 earned run average and 214 strikeouts, and earned six SBC Pitcher of the Week selections.

GAME INFORMATION
Site: Eddie C. Moore Complex (Clearwater, Fla.)
Game Notes

vs. North Carolina Central
Date: 2/9
Time: 9 a.m. (CT)

THE SERIES
All-time series: First Meeting

vs. Notre Dame
Date: 2/9
Time: 12 p.m. (CT)

THE SERIES
All-time series: Notre Dame leads 1-0
In Mobile: --
In South Bend: --
At Neutral Site: Notre Dame leads 1-0
Current Streak: ND 1

vs. St. John's
Date: 2/10
Time: 3 p.m. (CT)

THE SERIES
All-time series: South Alabama leads 2-0
In Mobile: --
In New York City: --
At Neutral Site: South Alabama leads 2-0
Current Streak: USA 2

vs. Missouri
Date: 2/10
Time: 6 p.m. (CT)

THE SERIES
All-time series: Missouri leads 3-0
In Mobile: Missouri leads 1-0
In Columbia: --
At Neutral Site: Missouri leads 2-0
Current Streak: MIZZ 3

vs. Central Arkansas
Date: 2/11
Time: 12 p.m. (CT)

THE SERIES
All-time series: South Alabama leads 7-0
In Mobile: South Alabama leads 5-0
In Conway: --
At Neutral Site: South Alabama leads 2-0
Current Streak: USA 7

NOTES
•    As a sophomore, Stagner finished the 2023 campaign tied with Texas State's Sara Vanderford for the Sun Belt Conference lead in doubles with 16
•    Brasher (59) is one stolen base from moving into a tie with Britany Campbell (60, 2010-13) for third in the career category and is also one run scored shy of matching Amanda Minahan (109, 2014-17) for eighth
•    South Alabama has competed twice at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., doing so at the 2020 tournament and the 2023 tournament, both of which were on the opening weekend of those respective seasons
•    Seven of South's nine games at the event have been decided by three runs or less
•    The meeting versus North Carolina Central marks the fifth straight season that the Jaguars have opened the season outside the state of Alabama
•    The meeting versus N.C. Central will also mark the first ever between the two programs
•    The lone meeting between the Jaguars and Notre Dame came during the 2020 season where the Irish picked up a 3-1 win at the NFCA Leadoff Classic
•    South Alabama and Missouri have meet three of the last four seasons, and met each other at the 2020 NFCA Leadoff Classic

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