CHATTANOOGA --- The 26^th edition of Chattanooga Mocs softball begins this weekend at the 2019 Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament hosted by Kennesaw State inside Bailey Park in Kennesaw, Ga. UTC joins Ohio, Morehead State and Eastern Illinois in addition to the tournament-host Owls as participants.

Chattanooga heads into the 2019 season with high expectations as they return 16 letter winners to a team that won nine of its final 12 regular season Southern Conference games last year. UTC garnered a first-place vote in the league's preseason poll, ultimately finishing in the third-place slot, as voted upon by the coaches.
 
PHYLLIS RAFTER MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT | CENTRAL
Participating Teams: Chattanooga, Kennesaw St., Ohio, Morehead St., E. Illinois
Fri, Feb. 8            vs. Ohio - 2:30 p.m.                 (LIVE STATS)
Sat, Feb. 9           vs. Morehead St. - 10 a.m.      (LIVE STATS)
Sat, Feb. 9           vs. Eastern Illinois - 3 p.m.      (LIVE STATS)
Sun, Feb. 10        vs. Morehead St. - 10 a.m.      (LIVE STATS)
Sun, Feb. 10        vs. Kennesaw St. - 3 p.m.       (LIVE STATS) (LIVE VIDEO)
 
Admission is FREE. All games held at Bailey Park. Directions & Parking  HERE.
 
NOTEABLE | GAME NOTES
- Junior Aly Walker earned Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year honors… batted .451 in SoCon games last season… currently 9^th all-time with .343 career batting average.
- Senior Devan Brown landed on the All-SoCon Preseason first team at third base… senior Emma Sturdivant (1B) and juniors Taylor Chadwick (UTL) and Celie Hudson (P) earned second team laurels.
- Chattanooga has won three of its last four season openers… won 12 of its last 14 against MAC opponents (last: 3/9/18, W 6-3 vs. Central Mich.).
- UTC's four opponents this weekend went a combined 143-77 (.650) in 2018 including a pair of NCAA Tournament participants… Ohio (40-17, 20-3 MAC) & KSU (39-17, 14-3 ASUN) both appeared in the postseason after winning their respective conference's tournament title.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEWS
Ohio | Friday, 2:30 p.m. | 2018: 40-17, 20-3 MAC (NCAA Regional)
The Bobcats finished 40-17 overall and 20-3 in MAC play, capturing both the regular season and tournament titles. OU advanced to the Knoxville Regional hosted by Tennessee before suffering elimination by the host school. The team returns 13 letter winners to the squad in 2019 under the direction of first-year head coach Kenzie Roark.
 
Morehead St. | Sat. & Sun., 10 a.m. | 2018: 28-23, 8-14 OVC (8^th)
Morehead State finished with a 28-23 overall record with a 8-14 mark in conference play, finishing eighth in the OVC. The Eagles lost quite a bit of their offensive attack and almost its entire pitching staff from a season ago, but welcome in nine newcomers including a pair of transfers from Ohio and Kansas.
 
E. Illinois | Saturday, 3 p.m. | 2018: 36-20, 13-9 OVC (6^th)
Eastern Illinois is only opponent that UTC had faced in 2018. EIU claimed a 4-3 win over the Mocs during the Frost Classic. The Panthers played to its best season since 2014, finishing 36-20 overall and 13-9 in OVC action. The team returns nine letter winners and adds in 10 newcomers to the program in 2019.
 
Kennesaw St. | Sunday, 3 p.m. | 2018: 39-17, 14-3 ASUN (NCAA Regional)
The tournament-hosts took home the ASUN regular season and tournament titles in 2018 after finishing the season 39-17, 14-3. The Owls earned a trip to the Tallahassee NCAA Regional before bowing out to Jacksonville State in extra innings. 16 returners and seven newcomers make up the roster for KSU this season.

QUOTEABLE 
"We loved the last couple 70-degree days we had here because it really allowed us to see which way we want to go heading into the season. We hope our enthusiasm from practice carries over to the weekend and it equates to some solid wins. We're really excited to finally get the season started."
- Frank Reed, Head Coach


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