Harding (2-4)

Friday
vs. Truman State (0-0), 9 a.m.
vs. #18 Emporia State (0-0), 11 a.m.

Saturday
vs. Nebraska-Kearney (0-0), 11 a.m.
vs. William Jewell (0-0), 3 p.m.

Sunday
vs. Pittsburg State (0-0), 1 p.m.
vs. Fort Hays State (0-0), 3 p.m.

Location: Bentonville, Ark.

Live Stats available on HardingSports.com

HARDING

- Harding looks to rebound after its trip to Florida this weekend as it takes part in the Division II UAM Softball Classic held in Bentonville, Ark. The Lady Bisons will play Truman State and Emporia State on Friday, Nebraska-Kearney and William Jewell on Saturday and Pittsburg State and Fort Hays State on Sunday.

- All six games this weekend will be considered regional games. The Division II Central Region is made up the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), the Northern Sun and the Great American Conference. Truman State and William Jewell are both members of the Great Lakes Valley conference but since both schools are located in Missouri they are considered regional games according to the NCAA.

- The Lady Bisons are coming off a 0-4 weekend in the Eckerd Spring Invitational held in Clearwater, Florida. Harding was led by sophomores Brookelynn Moon and Amanda Berdon who both had three RBIs. Berdon knocked her first homerun of the season against Lynn.

- Harding is led on the season by sophomore Marley Edwards who is hitting .471 on the season with five RBIs. She has hit two doubles and one triple this season. Sophomore Mackenzie Jones is also hitting above .400. In 16 at bats, Jones is hitting .438 with four doubles. Berdon leads the Lady Bisons in RBI's with six and is hitting .286.

- Harding is led in the circle by senior pitcher Amber Rollins who has a 2.85 ERA. She has struck out 16 batters in 19 2-3 innings pitched. Sophomore pitcher Danielle Hubbard has a 3.27 ERA in 15 innings of work.

- The Lady Bisons will play their final neutral site games this weekend.

- Last season in the Classic, Harding went 4-2, hitting .376 with 67 hits and 43 runs. Brookelynn Moon led the Lady Bisons hitting .529 with three doubles and four RBIs. Sophomore Kimmy Hendricks hit .348 with two homeruns and drove in a team-high nine runs. Kinsey Beck, Jessica Greene and Amanda Berdon all drove in over five runs for Harding. Pitcher Danielle Hubbard had a 3-1 record last season in 20 1-3 innings pitched. She gave up six walks but struck out 14.

- Harding has scored the majority of its runs this season in the third inning. The Lady Bisons have eight in the first, six in the second, 14 in the third, three in the fourth, five in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh this season.

TRUMAN STATE

- Truman State is a NCAA Division II member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.  The Bulldogs will be playing their first games of the season at the tournament.

- Last season Truman finished second in the West Division in the GLVC with a 30-6 record. The Bulldogs went 43-13 overall last season.

- Truman State returns five position starters and both starting pitchers from a team that went to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament last season.

- Returning in the circle for the Bulldogs is junior pitcher Kindra Henze who had a 23-7 record last season and a 1.21 ERA. She was named GLVC's co-pitcher of the year last year.

- Top position player returning for Truman State is Andrea Klipsch who hit .376 last season with 16 doubles, and eight homeruns.

- Truman State is coached by Erin Brown who is in her 9th season. She has compiled a 187-204 record at the helm of the Bulldogs.

- It will be the first time Harding has met Truman State.

No. 18 EMPORIA STATE

- Emporia State is a NCAA Division II member of the MIAA. The Hornets will also be opening its season at the tournament.

- Emporia State returns ten players from last year who won the MIAA with a 23-3 record. The Hornets went 49-14 overall last season and advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament for the 11th straight year.

- Pitcher Kaitlyn Caston returns for her senior season after going 36-9 last season with a 2.31 ERA.

- Stephanie Goodwin and Jessica Gragg are the top returners for Emporia State. Both were selected as Daktronics All-Americans last season. Goodwin hit .416 with 19 doubles and eight homeruns and Gragg hit .374 with 12 homeruns and 62 RBIs.

- Emporia State is coached by Julie LeMaire who is in her fourth season. She has compiled a 129-45 record at the helm of the Hornets.

- Emporia State leads the series over Harding 1-0. The Lady Bisons fell to the Hornets 5-1 in Bentonville last season.

NEBRASKA-KEARNEY

- Nebraska-Kearney is also a NCAA Division II member of the MIAA and will be playing its first games of the 2015 season at the tournament.

- Last season the Lopers went 13-28 overall and 9-17 in the MIAA to finish 12th in the standings.

- Nebraska-Kearney has 12 newcomers this season.

- Junior Kate Ruwe is the top returner for the Lopers. She hit .384 with 12 doubles, four homeruns and 31 RBIs. 

- Nebraska-Kearney lost both of its starting pitchers from last season.

- The Lopers are coached by Holly Carnes who is in her 14th year at the helm.

- It will be the first time Harding has met Nebraska-Kearney

WILLIAM JEWELL

- William Jewell is a NCAA Division II member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. It will also be opening its season at the tournament.

- Last season William Jewell had a 26-22 overall record and a 21-15 GLVC record which earned them third place in the conference standings.

- Senior Rachel Potvin is the top returner for Cardinals. She hit .340 last season with 54 hits.

- Senior Faith Song is the top returning pitcher for William Jewell. Last season she had an 11-12 record in 139 1-3 innings pitched.  

- Dustin Combs is in his 9th season as head coach of the Cardinals.

- It will be the first time Harding has met William Jewell.

PITTSBURG STATE

- Pittsburg State is also a NCAA Division II member of the MIAA and will be playing its first games of the 2015 season at the tournament.

- Last season the Gorillas went 30-24 overall and 12-14 in the MIAA. Pittsburg State finished 9th last season in the MIAA standings.

- Top returner for the Gorillas is senior catcher McKenzie Rynard who was named an All-American last season. Rynard hit .436 with 11 doubles, one triple and 17 homeruns. She also drove in 56.

- Pittsburg State doesn't return a pitcher from last season.

- The Gorillas are coached by Elizabtha Economon who is in her fourth season at Pittsburg State.

- Pittsburg State leads the series against Harding 1-0. The Gorillas defeated Harding 6-2 last season in the classic.

FORT HAYS STATE

- Fort Hays State is also a NCAA Division II member of the MIAA and will be playing its first games of the 2015 season at the tournament.

- The Tigers return nine players from a team that went 29-20 (17-9 MIAA) last season and finished fourth in the MIAA Standings.

- Fort Hays State returns junior pitcher Paxton Duran who was named Daktronics All-Central Region last season. Duran had a 17-9 record in 153 1-3 innings pitched. She also had had a team-high 148 strikeouts.

- Top returning hitter for the Tigers is Courtney Dobson who hit .346. She had 53 hits, seven doubles and two homeruns. She also drove in 28 base runners.

- Fort Hays State is coached by Adrian Mohr who is in her first season at the helm of the Tigers. She was the assistant coach at Emporia State last season.

- It will be the first time Harding has met Fort Hays State.