This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
St. George— Southern Utah University opens its softball season this weekend when the Thunderbirds face Utah Valley University at the Dixie State College field in St. George.
Games are set at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
SUU lost 10 athletes to graduation last year, but returns 12 including second-team all-Summit League pitcher Heather Black and Summit League all-tournament team member Madison Resley. Newcomers include Canadian National team member Tessa Loewen, Canadian Kelsey Bryant and two-time junior college all-American Mikkel Griffin.
A year ago, SUU qualified as the fourth seed in the Summit League tournament, finishing the season with a 25-24 record, including a 14-10 league record.
UVU finished third place in the Mountain Division of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference a year ago with a 12-8 conference mark and an overall record of 20-30.