MARSHALL, Texas – After lots of preparation, the East Texas Baptist University softball team is set for their upcoming 2019 season with a home game on Monday night at Taylor Field against Centenary College. They will play just one game against the Lady Gents and play two other double headers later this week. ETBU will host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. and Pacific University at 12:00 p.m.
 
ETBU returns nine members from last season's 2018 squad that went 33-13 and reached the NCAA Regional Tournament in Seguin, Texas. This group includes All-ASC first-teamers in senior MacKenzie Anderson and junior Morgan Arst. Anderson was third on the team last season with 47 hits to compliment her .338 batting average while driving in 32 RBI. Arst finished second on the team with a .398 batting average and 45 hits with a team-leading 52 runs scored.
 
Also back are juniors Madison Prince and Sabrina Salts. Prince finished last season batting .337 and had 17 runs batted in on 29 hits. Salts was ETBU's home run leader with 14 and RBI leader (55) while finishing third batting .350 and picking up All-ASC Third Team honors.
 
Sophomores Liz Adams, Grace Camacho, Jeanette Galvin, Nikki Gil, and Daniella Solis round up the returners. Adams finished hitting .235 last season in 19 games while stealing three bases. Camacho batted .300 with 12 hits and eight RBI along with two homers. Galvin started all 46 games behind the plate and collected 19 hits and six RBI. Gil finished with 15 hits and scoring 18 runs while stealing seven. Solis, an All-ASC second teamer, was fifth on ETBU's team with 43 hits and third with seven homers.
 
Along with the returners, the Tigers also welcome 12 newcomers to the squad including eight freshmen, one sophomore, and three juniors. ETBU spent quality time during the fall season getting to prepare for the upcoming season while bonding as a team. As head coach Janae Shirley explains, having a solid core of returners along with fresh new faces can be vital to another run for the conference tournament. "One of the things for us that is nice here is having the fall season as it has given us a chance to get to know them a little bit better," said Shirley. "It was great for us to get to see the new faces and get to know them a little better as athletes and how they fit into the pieces of the puzzle. Even though it wasn't a long amount of time, it was still a good amount of time to get to know them and get to prepare for the spring season."
 
ETBU, who is predicted to win the American Southwest Conference, will start their season at home against the Ladies of Centenary College. This marks the second straight season ETBU opens up at home with CC as last season saw the Tigers start off 1-0 with a 7-5 win against the Ladies. ETBU then completed a season sweep with 5-1 triumph down in Shreveport, La.
 
 
The first pitch will be tossed at 6:00 PM at Taylor Field.