SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The 2016 Lincoln Memorial University softball season commences this weekend, as the Lady Railsplitters head to Savannah, Ga. for the Armstrong State hosted Pirate Classic. Here's everything you need to know:
 
Schedule/Game Day Links:
 
Saturday, February 6 vs. Catawba (10 a.m.) - Live Stats
Saturday, February 6 at Armstrong (Noon) - Live Stats | Video
Sunday, February 7 at Armstrong (1 p.m.) - Live Stats
 
Quick Hits:
-The Lady Railsplitters were selected seventh in the South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll after finishing in that exact spot last season with a 24-24 overall record. Lincoln Memorial ended the 2015 campaign on a high note, winning 10 of the last 14 games of the regular season before advancing to the third day of the SAC tournament. Head coach Natalie Layden is entering her fourth season at the helm for the Lady Railsplitters, as she has compiled a career 80-63 record.
-Preseason All-SAC selection Meredith Johnson (Kenly, N.C.) is expected to play a key role for the Lady Railsplitters' offense. The junior left-handed slugger hit .301 last season with eight doubles, six home runs and 25 RBIs.
-2015 SAC Championship All-Tournament team pitcher Samantha Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) is back for her final season in the Blue and Gray. Smith went 12-12 last season with a 3.03 earned run average and 82 strikeouts over 175.1 innings. She enters her senior season on the cusp of joining an elite group, as the Knoxville, Tenn. native needs three wins to become only the fifth player in program history with 50 career victories. Smith needs 19 wins this season to match Nicki Miller (1998-01) and Brittney Walker (2004-07) for the program's all-time record of 66 wins.
-Getting the offense revved up will be a top priority for the Lady Railsplitters this season. Lincoln Memorial ranked near the bottom of the SAC last season in batting average (.255), on-base percentage (.316) and scoring (3.65 runs/game), but the offense stepped it up a notch over the last 20 games, batting .268 and averaging right at four runs per game.
-The Lady Railsplitters are carrying nine new players on the roster this season, so expect a number of players to make their debut in the Blue and Gray this weekend. Check out the 2016 LMU Softball season preview for a more comprehensive look at the fresh faces.
 
Notes on the Opponents:
-Armstrong State opened the 2016 season last weekend in Columbus, Ga. by going 2-2, defeating Delta State (10-9, 8 innings) and Alabama-Huntsville (1-0) while falling to North Alabama (1-2) and Valdosta State (9-13). The Pirate offense looked lethal over that four-game stretch, hitting .325 as a group with four doubles and seven home runs. But Armstrong State's opponents accumulated a .381 on-base percentage with eight doubles and four home runs over that same span.
-Armstrong State junior pitcher Tori Bates was selected as the Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week after the right hander tossed a four-hit shutout against No. 18 nationally-ranked Alabama-Huntsville. She ended the weekend with a 1.05 ERA, 10 strikeouts and eight hits allowed over 13.1 innings pitched.
-Senior utility player Peyton Roth paced the Pirate offense this past weekend, going a ridiculous 10-for-14 at the plate for a .714 clip. Not to be outdone, senior Michelle Breen hit .636 in four appearances with two home runs and three RBI, while Hannah Reppert was 7-for-15 at the plate with a home run as well.
-Catawba - the defending SAC tournament champion - was selected first in the South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll. The Indians finished third in the league last season, compiled a 31-17 overall record and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional championship game before falling to eventual National Champion North Georgia.
-The Indians led the SAC and ranked 20th nationally in earned run average last season with a 2.02 clip, thanks in large part to workhorse Carley Tysinger, who is back for her senior season. Tysinger, a Daktronics All-Region selection, went 27-11 last season with an absurd 325 strikeouts over the course of 244.2 innings. She ranked seventh nationally in strikeouts and shutouts with 10. Her 1.60 earned run average led the SAC and ranked 27th in the nation.
-Catawba lost its top hitter off of last season's team in Natalie Naturile, who hit .419 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 17 RBIs. But senior Gina Gerone is back after batting .367 last season with a team-leading nine home runs and 29 RBIs.
 
Series History:
-Lincoln Memorial and Catawba are tied at 10 apiece in the all-time series, but the Lady Railsplitters swept a doubleheader from the Indians last season by scores of 4-1 and 1-0. However, Catawba defeated the Lady Railsplitters 3-1 in the second game of the 2015 SAC Championship. LMU owns a 3-2 edge all-time against the Indians in neutral site games.
-The Lady Railsplitters are 1-7 all-time against Armstrong State, as Lincoln Memorial will be looking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Pirates and notch its first win in the series since 1999. The Lady Railsplitters and Pirates last played in 2014, when then No. 6 nationally-ranked Armstrong came away with 4-1 and 10-6 victories.