JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven Softball team will officially open up the 2016 season and the NCAA and ASC eras with its series against East Texas Baptist University this weekend. The Blazers will face the No. 5 ranked Lady Tigers in a single game on Friday before playing a doubleheader on Saturday.

Belhaven and East Texas Baptist have played one another four times in program history heading into this weekend's series. The Blazers and Tigers first met in late April of 2005, playing a doubleheader in Marshall, Texas, with the hosts winning both games 7-1 and 3-2. In 2006, the Blazers hosted the Tigers in mid-February with Belhaven winning 3-1 before falling 0-5 in the second game.

The Blazers have played their fair share of ranked opponents in recent history, coming from arguably the top conference in the NAIA, which has crowned three of the last four national champions. In 2015, Belhaven played 11 games against top-25 ranked teams, posting a 5-6 record, with a pair of wins against No. 2 and two more wins against No. 5 in the country. The Blazers defeated the eventual national champion in each of the last two seasons, posting a 2-1 record against them.

Belhaven had three players named to the American Southwest Conference preseason watchlist last month. Seniors Julienne Broussard and Haley Yasses were joined by junior newcomer Brooke Laigast on the ASC Preseason Watchlist announced last month. 

Broussard was an All-SSAC Selection in 2015, posting a 14-6 record with an earned run average of 1.79. She allowed just 90 hits with 489 total batters faced and compiled 128 strikeouts. Yasses started all 50 games, hitting .285, with five doubles, two home runs and seven runs scored.  Yasses also had 15 RBIs with a .326 on base percentage. Laigast hit .374 in 42 games with Co-Lin as a freshmen, including two home runs and 17 RBIs.  As a sophomore, Laigast played 27 games, hitting .310 with six RBIs and three extra base hits.

The Blazers also return all of their starting pitching from last season, including sophomore Jordan Herring. Herring posted 14 wins in her freshman season with a 2.78 earned run average.The Belhaven pitching staff had a sub 3.00 era as a team in 2015.

Along with Haley Yasses, the Blazers return three other regular starters in the field. Twin sister Carly Yasses played in 49 games behind the plate with 44 starts.

Dani Craft and Makenzie Hawkins also return for the Blazers. Hawkins had 50 starts at second base, hitting .287 in her first year with the Blazers. Craft had 45 starts all over the field for Belhaven, mostly playing in right field, third base and behind the plate for head coach Kevin Griffin.

With Belhaven's season opening win against Hinds, Griffin is just 10 wins shy of 200 for his career at Belhaven. The sixth year coach took over as the winningest coach in program history toward the end of last season, surpassing his predecessor, Rick Fremin.

First pitch for Friday's single game is set for 6 p.m. at Taylor Field in Marshall, Texas.
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