CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah Softball team heads to Las Vegas this Friday for the UNLV Rebel Kickoff. The Thunderbirds will battle Baylor University and UNLV on Friday, the #7 University of Arkansas and Baylor again on Saturday, and wrap up the tournament with the host Rebels on Sunday. 

GAME INFORMATION

Southern Utah at the Rebel Kickoff

Friday, Feb 10, 2023-Sunday, Feb 12, 2023

SUU vs. Baylor 10 a.m. MT Friday

SUU vs. UNLV 5:30 p.m. MT Friday

SUU vs. #7 Arkansas 12:30 p.m. MT Saturday

SUU vs. Baylor 3:00 p.m. MT Saturday

SUU vs. UNLV 2:30 p.m. MT Sunday

Watch Friday's Games Here: watch

Watch Saturday's Games Here: watch

Watch Sunday's Game Here: watch 

COACH DON DON WILLIAMS SAYS…

"We like going down to UNLV because it makes a good opening weekend for us. It is always a good chance for us to dip our toes in the water especially since we don't typically get a lot of field time in before our first game." 

"Baylor University will be our opening game and then we turn around the next day and play #6 Arkansas, and UNLV is also a tough Mountain West opponent, so it could be a tough weekend for us but we are ready for the challenge and we are excited for the opportunity" 

CHECK OUT THE SEASON PREVIEW 

SOUTHERN UTAH

The Thunderbirds have brought in some fresh new talent to fill out the lineup card including four outstanding transfers and five incoming freshmen. Look to see these new faces make an immediate impact on the program. 

The T-Birds also return a few key players from last season's roster. Sophomore second baseman Jayne Sepulveda earned an All-Big Sky Honorable Mention for her play last season. Sepulveda had a strong freshman campaign, leading the Thunderbirds in a multitude of categories, including batting average (.256), slugging percentage (.388), hits (33), at-bats (129), and runs (18), while finishing tied for first in home runs (3).

Sepulveda was one of two players on the team to start in all 43 games this season, holding down the second base position for the T-Birds. Defensively, she recorded 75 putouts and 73 assists, earning a fielding percentage of .914.

The Thunderbirds are also returning junior pitcher Capri Franzen who apart from helping the team out in the circle, was also tied for the most home runs with three. Franzen ate up some innings last season and will get a chance to do so again this year. Sophomore pitcher Keimon Winston is also back for Southern Utah. Winston pitched nearly 90 innings for the Thunderbirds last season as a freshman and held down the circle well racking up 37 strikeouts. 

BAYLOR

When the season kicks off on Friday, the Bears come back to the diamond young but experienced. After ending the 2022 campaign as champions at the National Invitational Softball Championship and going 4-0 during the tournament, the Bears were able to get four extra games and 10 extra practice days in. With the goal to make it back to the NCAA tournament this season, BU was grateful to end last year with a win. 

This Baylor team is still young with 14 of the 22 players on the roster being classified as underclassmen. The Bears have faced all four opponents they will take on at least once in Baylor history. Baylor has the advantage or is tied in each of the all-time records over the teams this weekend. Baylor is 3-2 all-time over Arkansas, 1-1 against Southern Utah, 3-0 against UNLV, and 1-0 against Weber State. 

ARKANSAS

Arkansas Checked in the preseason polls at #7 due in large part to its outstanding finish last season and a great returning team. The Hog's redshirt senior Chenise Delce, graduate Kristina Foreman, and junior Hannah Gammill have been selected as preseason All-Americans by Softball America. Gammill was named a Preseason First Team All-American while Delce and Foreman were tabbed Preseason Second Team All-Americans by the outlet.

The Razorbacks finished last season with a 48-11 overall record and made a run in the NCAA tournament before falling to the University of Texas. They will look to run it back this year and complete the three-pete as SEC Champions. 

UNLV

UNLV was ranked third in the 2023 Mountain West Softball Predicted Order of Finish, as voted by the league's nine head coaches.

UNLV returns 14 players, including six of its eight starting position players, from last year's team that won 43 games, set 14 program records, and finished as the runner-up at the National Invitational Softball Championship.

The Rebels enter 2023 with a stacked lineup. Denise Armendariz, Janyssa Martin, Ariana Martinez, Sofia Morales, and April Visser are five of the league's top-10 returning sluggers. 

FOLLOW US

Stay up to date on the Thunderbird Softball team by following @SUUSoftball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah softball page on Facebook.