Warhawk Invitational Schedule (Feb. 16-18 | Monroe, La.)
Feb. 16 vs. Louisiana Tech (11:00 a.m. CT)
Feb. 16 at Louisiana-Monroe (2:00 p.m. CT)
Feb. 17 vs. Louisiana Tech (11:00 a.m. CT)
Feb. 17 at Louisiana-Monroe (5:00 p.m. CT)
Feb. 18 at Louisiana-Monroe (12:00 p.m. CT)

On-Tap
Lindenwood softball continues their non-conference schedule of the season with a trip to Louisiana-Monroe for the Warhawk Invitational starting on Friday, Feb. 16th and ends on Sunday, Feb. 18th. The Lions will play five games throughout the weekend, taking on Louisiana Tech twice and Monroe three times.

Last Weekend Recap
The Lions went 2-3 last weekend at the UIW Kickoff Classic in San Antonio, Texas including two wins against Prairie View A&M. Amanda Weyh started the season with a win after throwing 6.2 innings and striking out ten Panthers.

Mya Bethany led the way for the Lions at the plate with a team-high seven hits. Bethany hit .467 last week with one double and an RBI in five games. Chloe Honcar also posted four hits throughout the week hitting .333. Madisen Noll had two doubles and a team-high three RBI at the UIW Kickoff Classic.

OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri State was selected to win the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference softball crown as voted on by the league's head coaches and communications directors last week. Lindenwood was picked to finish in seventh.

Eastern Illinois earned six first-place votes as they were selected to finish in second followed by UT Martin and Southern Indiana. The Lions finished last season with a 16-32 overall record including a 8-15 conference record. Lindenwood made the OVC Tournament during their first Division I season, losing a heart-breaker to Tennessee State in 10 innings.

Returning Statistical Leaders
Irelynn West returns as Lindenwood's best offensive player after she hit .364 last season on her way to an OVC Second-Team selection. West played in 37 games posting a team-high 44 hits and 15 doubles which ranked second in the conference.

Dallis Darnell, a sophomore infielder, started 47 of 48 games last season for the Lions. She hit .246 with an on-base percentage of .322. Darnell posted 33 total hits and scored 16 runs in her first season in a Lindenwood uniform. She was selected to the All-Newcomer season.

Morgan Gersch led the team last season in home runs with five and was second with 15 runs batted in. Mya Bethany was also tied for second in RBI with 15. Bethany hit .264 last season for the Lions while scoring a team high 20 runs.

Head Coach Erin Brown
Erin Brown is entering her third season as the head coach of the Lindenwood softball team in 2024. In 2023, the Lions went 16-32, including an 8-15 mark against OVC competition. Lindenwood finished with a winning record at home (12-10) and swept eventual conference champion Eastern Illinois late in the year at Lou Brock Sports Complex.

Under Brown's guidance, the Lindenwood softball team capped a historic 2022 season in the NCAA Midwest Regional and a 35-13 overall record. The Lions' trip to the regional tournament marked the first in program history, as the team claimed the No. 4 seed. Lindenwood earned a notable win over No. 2 UIndy in late April, the highest-ranked victory in program history.

Prior to Lindenwood, Brown was the head coach at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., where she accumulated a 348-302 record in 13 seasons at the helm of the program. Over her final seven seasons with the Bulldogs, Brown amassed 233 wins and a .643 winning percentage. Brown led TSU to five NCAA Regional Appearances, and coached three All-Americans, 12 first-team All-Conference selections, 10 second-team All-Conference honorees, and four conference major award winners in 13 campaigns. The Bulldogs made the GLVC Tournament in every season under Brown.

Up Next
Lindenwood will partake in one final road tournament next weekend as they travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. to compete in the Red and Black Classic hosted on the campus of Gardner-Webb. LU will take on Marist College, Gardner-Webb and Hampton University throughout the weekend. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.