20180125-LSUE-PreviewSoftballDoucet

Softball

Softball Starts 2018 Campaign With Rugged Weekend

EUNICE, La. – The two-time defending NJCAA National Champion LSU Eunice softball team opens the 2018 season with a tough opening weekend beginning at home against Galveston College on Friday.  The doubleheader against the Whitecaps is scheduled to begin at 1:00PM.
 
The Bengals will travel to Blinn College (Saturday, January 26) and San Jacinto College-South (Sunday, January 27) over the weekend for a pair of doubleheaders.
 
The Bengals will face a "Who's Who" list of NJCAA softball coaches.  Ken Delcambre (Galveston College), Rick Church (Blinn College) and Kelly Saenz (San Jacinto College-South) have combined for 57 years of coaching experience and more than 2,000 wins.  All three teams are in Region 14, Division I and each enjoyed a 30-win season a year ago.  San Jacinto College-South made the NJCAA Division I World Series a year ago.
 
LSUE begins its defense of back-to-back National Championships.  The Bengals return three everyday starters with Emily Henderson, Mima Doucet and Haley Godeaux back to lead the five-time champs.  Henderson earned NJCAA First Team All-American honors after belting 19 home runs (3rd in LSUE single season) and 6 triples (1st in LSUE single season) a season ago.
 
LSU Eunice is 7-2 in season openers under Andy Lee.  The Bengals have won the last six openers under the now 10th year head coach.
 
Fans can find the latest Bengals information on social media via Twitter (@LSUEBengalsSB), Facebook (@LSUEuniceSoftballl) and Instagram (@LSUEBengals).    
 


Games 1-2: LSU Eunice (0-0) vs. Galveston College (0-0)
Date/Time: January 25, 2018 | 1:00PM, 3:00PM
Site: Eunice, La.
Stadium: Lady Bengals Field
 
Games 3-4: LSU Eunice (0-0) vs. Blinn College (0-0)
Date/Time: January 26, 2018 | 3:00PM, 5:00PM
Site: Brenham, Tx.
Stadium: Hohlt Park
 
Games 5-6: LSU Eunice (0-0) vs. San Jacinto College-South (0-0)
Date/Time: January 27, 2018 | 12:00PM, 2:00PM
Site: Houston, Tx.
Stadium: Lady Coyote Field
 
Radio:                   Galveston College – Bayou Sports Network (pxp – Randy Guillory)
                                Blinn College – None
                                San Jacinto College-South – None
 
TV/Internet:       Galveston College – Bengals All-Access
                                Blinn College – None
                                San Jacinto College-South – None
 
Social Media: @LSUEBengalsSB (Twitter), @LSUEuniceSoftball (Facebook), @LSUEBengals (Instagram)
 
MEET THE COACHES
LSU EUNICE
Head Coach: Andy Lee (Delta State)
Career Record: 573-146 (14th Season), Record At LSU Eunice: 481-81 (10th Season)
 
GALVESTON COLLEGE
Head Coach: Ken Delcambre (Univ. of Houston-Clear Lake)
Enters 19th Season
 
BLINN COLLEGE
Head Coach: Rick Church (Kearney State)
Career Record: 823-343 (22nd Season), Record At Blinn College: 749-309 (19th Season)
 
SAN JACINTO COLLEGE-SOUTH
Head Coach: Kelly Saenz (Eastern Kentucky)
Career Record: 527-329 (16th Season), Record At San Jacinto College-South: 524-309 (15th Season)
 
STORYLINES
  • LSU Eunice begins its 13th season of NJCAA softball.  The Bengals have an all-time record of 543-148 which includes six World Series appearances and five National Championships.
  • The Bengals have been dominant at home under Andy Lee, amassing a 206-19 record in nine seasons.  LSUE went 19-0 at Lady Bengal Field during the 2017 season.
  • LSU Eunice is home to five national championships, including four in the last five years.
 
 
HOME, SWEET, HOME: Lady Bengal Field has been very kind to LSUE under Andy Lee.  The Bengals an eye-popping 206-19 (.915) inside the friendly confines including three undefeated home seasons.  LSUE went a perfect 19-0 last year with a high water mark of 29-0 back in 2014.
 
D2 DOMINANCE: LSU Eunice recently won its fourth NJCAA Division II National Championship and fifth in the last seven years.  The Bengals only trail Phoenix College (8) in titles won in Division II.  In fact, the two schools have captured 13 of the 18 championships in NJCAA Division II history.
 
ELECTRIC EMILY: Emily Henderson enjoyed one of the most successful freshman seasons in LSUE history.  The outfielder blasted 19 home runs to lead the team and rank 3rd all-time in Bengals single-season history.  Her six triples set the record for one year.  For her breakout campaign, Henderson was named to the NJCAA All-American First Team.  She joins Rebecca Skains (2016), Destin Vicknair (2014) and Tina Shulz (2011) as LSUE freshmen to earn First Team All-American honors.  All three went on to First Team All-American honors the next year.
 
MILESTONES IN SIGHT: LSU Eunice head coach Andy Lee will have a few win milestones he could surpass in 2018.  Lee is just 19 wins shy of capturing his 500th win as the head coach of the Bengals.  He is also 27 victories away from his 600th as a junior college head coach.  The 10-year head coach of LSUE is 481-81 all-time on campus while holding an all-time record of 573-146.
 
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