The WVSU softball team gets its season under way today at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke Tournament.

The Yellow Jackets face Kutztown at 2 p.m. today followed by Winston-Salem State at 6 p.m.

Saturday WVSU takes on the host Braves at 10 a.m. followed by a noon contest against Shippensburg.

Live Stats for all tournament games are available here -- UNC Pembroke Tournament Live Stats

The Yellow Jackets return 13 players from last season's squad that finished 26-28.

WVSU lost leading hitter Sydney Kaplan. Kaplan hit .371 with nine home runs and drove in 33 runs, all team highs.

Third baseman Dee Dee Loftis was the only other starter to graduate and leaves a hole at the hot corner after starting all 54 games in 2016.

Otherwise WVSU has a strong group of young players back who gained valuable experience a year ago.

"We have a strong pitching staff returning with a solid defense behind them," WVSU Head Softball Coach Kerri Blackwell said.  "The addition of six freshmen -- Cheyenne Herrera (outfield), Amanda McDonald (pitcher), Madee Rafuson (catcher), Shian Meeks (infielder), Callie Huck (utility), and Kelsey Moore (utility) will make us well-rounded in all areas." 

Among those returning is centerfielder Brookelyn Hale ( at right) who is back for her sophomore season after hitting .323 last season mainly from the leadoff spot. She was the second leading hitter on the team and started all 54 games in her rookie season.

Catcher Brittany Allison also had strong freshman outing. The Parkersburg native finished with a .303 batting average and was second on the team with five home runs and 31 runs batted in mainly from the cleanup spot in the batting order.

Behind the plate Allison played error-free ball with 186 putouts and 13 assists.

Another sophomore returning who started all 54 games is second baseman Kayleigh Thompson. She batted .280, was solid in the field, and was successful on nine of 10 stolen base attempts.

Junior outfielder Allyson Funk hit .330 in just 97 trips to the plate while playing in 39 games.

First baseman Summer Sword, shortstop Micca Mirabela, outfielder Zoey Carte, and designated hitter Shandell Curtis are also back.

Sword is the lone senior and started 53 games last season while Mirabella, a junior, started 50 and led the Jackets with 18 stolen bases in 20 attempts. Carte, another sophomore, started 32 times, Curtis 27, and Funk 35.

The returning pitching staff is composed of a trio of juniors.

Calli Norton finished 9-7 with a 2.66 earned run average, Allyson Burgess wound up 6-5 with a 2.56 ERA, and former Buffalo High star Chelsey Parkins went 10-16.

Others fighting for playing time include red-shirt freshmen Emily Thompson, and pitcher, and MacKenzie Dunlop, and outfielder.

 The Yellow Jackets follow this weekend with a weekend off before returning to action in the "February Freeze" Tournament at Shippensburg February 17-19.