Tournament Central

Game 1 vs. Drake – Gametracker
Game 2 vs. Eastern Illinois – Gametracker
Game 3 vs. Eastern Illinois – Gametracker
Game 4 vs. Illinois – Gametracker
Game 5 vs. Loyola-Chicago – Gametracker

INDIANAPOLIS – The 2014 IUPUI softball season gets underway on Friday, Feb. 7, when the Jaguars participate in the season-opening Total Control Sports Invitational hosted by Illinois-Chicago and Loyola-Chicago in Rosemont, Ill.

The eight-team tournament will be held at The Dome at Rosemont Feb. 7-9, and the Jaguars will open the event with a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 7, against Drake and Eastern Illinois at 2 p.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. ET, respectively. On Saturday, the Jags will meet the Panthers again at 3 p.m. ET in addition to taking on Illinois at 5:30 p.m. ET, before closing the event on Sunday, Feb. 9, against Loyola at 12:30 p.m. ET.

"Despite the fact that we haven't been able to get outside due to the weather, our kids have worked very hard over the last several months and they are excited to get going this weekend," head coach Amanda Rivera said. "Our returners have all taken that next step in their development, and our newcomers have come in ready to work giving us more depth than last year. We're excited to get out on that field on Friday."

IUPUI returns 16 letterwinners from last season's 18-31 team, including the Jags top hitter and pitcher in Ali Mosier and Jocelyn Oppenhuis. In her first season with the Jaguars, Mosier was the only player to hit above .300 posting a .306 average. She also led the team in hits (45), doubles (11), RBI (30) and stolen bases (22).

Oppenhuis went 5-12 on the season last year, but owned a 3.21 ERA. The redshirt-senior pitched a career-high 85.0 innings and struck out a career-high 94 batters, which ranked in the Top 10 in The Summit League.

In Rivera's first season with the Jags last year, she helped the Jags collectively improve their batting average by 16 points and seven individuals saw their batting averages rise from the previous season under Rivera's oversight.

The Jags first opponent of the 2014 campaign will be Drake, who was recently picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll following a second-place regular-season finish a season ago. The Bulldogs return seven starters from last year's 29-win squad, including their 2013 RBI leaders, Nicole Randel and Hayley Nybo.

Eastern Illinois and IUPUI will square off twice this weekend, and the Panthers were recently picked second in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division in the OVC Preseason Poll after claiming the conference's regular-season title last season. EIU returns three first-team all-conference performers, including reigning OVC Pitcher of the Year Hanna Mennenga.

The final two games of the tournament will be against Illinois and Loyola-Chicago, and the Illini welcome back four All-Big Ten performers from last year's 22-win squad, while Loyola was picked to finish sixth in their first season in the Missouri Valley Conference following a 28-win campaign.