DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University softball team will be tested against three strong opponents in five games over the weekend of Friday-Sunday, Feb. 19-21 at the USC Upstate Invitational that will be played at Upstate's Cyrill Stadium and Furman's Pepsi Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
 
The Lady Eagles will play the host Spartans and Kent State twice and Oakland University once. USC Upstate is receiving votes in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, Kent State enters the event a perfect 5-0 on the early season and Oakland is the preseason favorite in the Horizon League.
 
Upstate Invitational Website
 
NCCU Schedule
 
Friday, Feb. 19
3:00 PM – NCCU at USC Upstate, Cyrill Stadium (Live Stats)
5:00 PM – NCCU vs. Kent State, Cyrill Stadium (Live Stats)


Saturday, Feb. 20
11:00 AM – NCCU vs. Oakland, Pepsi Stadium (Live Stats)
5:00 PM – NCCU vs. Kent State, Pepsi Stadium (Live Stats)
 
Sunday, Feb. 21
3:00 PM – NCCU vs. USC Upstate, Cyrill Stadium (Live Stats)
 
North Carolina Central University Softball
 
The Lady Eagles started the season 0-2 in the shortened KSU Kickoff Classic. NCCU lost to Loyola University Chicago and host Kennesaw State University. The Lady Eagles were supposed to play a third game last weekend but extremely cold temperatures cancelled the final game against Murray State University.
 
Freshman outfielder Janeen Reynolds was the only NCCU player to have multiple hits on NCCU's opening weekend, going 2 for 4 (.500) with a walk.
 
NCCU returns five veteran bats that started both games so far including (last year's stats): senior catcher Casey Hargett (.361, 27 runs, 9 doubles, 22 RBI), junior pitcher/designated player Dominique Wilson (.331, 8 home runs, 25 RBI, 21 runs), senior third baseman/outfielder Kayleigh Brueck (.239, 18 runs, 13 RBI), junior second baseman Jenny Tracy (.291, 16 runs), junior first baseman Brianna Hampton (.247, 26 RBI).
 
Hargett and Wilson are 2016 preseason All-MEAC selections.
 
Wilson (0-1, 1.17 ERA) and senior London Booker (0-1, 12.92 ERA) both tossed complete games in their first pitching appearances of the season.
 
USC Upstate Softball
 
The Spartans are receiving five votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll that was released on Tuesday after starting the season 2-0 with a doubleheader sweep of Gardner-Webb University last Thursday. Upstate went 44-10 last season and have played in the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons.
 
Junior Lindsay O'Steen (.750, 4 RBI, HR) and freshman outfielder Brittany Case (.714, 4 runs, 3 RBI) led USC Upstate to the sweep of the Runnin' Bulldogs.
 
Sophomore middle infielder Karla Beasley (.333) was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year last season after batting .396 with 50 RBI and 24 extra-base hits.
 
The Spartans also return the A-Sun Pitcher of the Year in junior Lexi Shubert (1-0, 3.86 ERA), who went 34-7 last season with 225 strikeouts last season. Junior transfer Holly McKinnon (1-0, 0.00 ERA) made a strong debut for USC Upstate last week with a complete-game shutout.
 
Kent State University Softball
 
The Golden Flashes went 5-0 in the Florida Gulf Coast University Kickoff Classic last weekend. KSU's win included victories over the University of Memphis and Michigan State University. Kent State (Kent, Ohio) was 41-13 last season and are co-favorites in the Mid-American Conference in 2016.
 
KSU returns two NFCA All-Mideast Region selections in the infield. Junior Maddy Grimm (.188, 2 HR) is the preseason Mid-American field player of the year after batting .373 with 19 home runs last season. Senior Michele Duffy (.294) provided 31 RBI and a .307 batting average in 2015.
 
Senior utility Arika Roush and freshman infielder Bailey Brownfield paced the Golden Flashes last weekend as both players went 8 for 15 (.533 batting averages) with 5 RBI apiece.
 
Junior Ronnie Ladines serves as Kent State's ace. Ladines is 3-0 already with a 0.88 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched.
 
Oakland University Softball
 
The Golden Grizzlies will be making their 2016 debut this weekend after going 27-24 in 2015. Oakland (Rochester, Mich.) won the Horizon League last season to advance to the NCAA Tournament and is the preseason favorites to repeat in the conference.
 
Senior infielder Sarah Hartley is Oakland's top returning bat after posting a .361 batting average, 41 runs, 40 RBI, 11 home runs, nine doubles, five triples and 22 stolen bases.
 
The Golden Grizzlies had seven Horizon League postseason award winners last season but only has two of those players are in their active lineup in 2016. Three of KSU's top four bats last season were seniors while and the Golden Grizzlies ace from 2015 is sitting out this season due to injury.
 
Hartley was a second team selection while sophomore pitcher Haley Zemmer was an all-freshman honoree a year ago. Zemmer was 5-5 with a 2.74 ERA in her rookie campaign.