SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State softball team will open its season by hosting the ASU George McCorkle Classic at Mayer Field on Friday, Feb. 5 through Sunday, Feb. 7.

The Rambelles were 33-17-1 and advanced to a ninth straight NCAA Division II South Central tournament. Head coach Travis Scott, who is 529-162-1 at ASU and 630-212-2 for his career, returns nine players from last year's squad. ASU will have four freshmen, a sophomore transfer and a junior transfer to complete the roster.

"We are excited to get started," Angelo State head softball coach Travis Scott said"Spring sports take a while to get going with an entire semester of practice and three weeks of practice to get to this point. We are ready to be out there and compete."

Ambra Hill and Lanie Robinson are the team's seniors both spending all four years at ASU. Hill hit .329 with 25 total hits. She recorded two triples and a double while scoring 19 runs. She was one of three players last year with double-digit steals with 13. Robinson played in 45 games at third base. She hit .315 with five doubles and 15 RBIs. She had the second most assists on the team with 70.

"I feel like pitching should be our strength with Kenedy Urbany and Brandy Marlett returning," Scott said. "The addition of Morgan Hill and Riley Adams gives us as much depth as we have had in quite some time. We are looking forward to seeing what they can do as a staff. We have some returners but we have a lot of youth that will play vital roles. With only two seniors, it is exciting knowing the experience the younger ones will receive this year. With Ambra Hill and Lanie Robinson being seniors, we feel like we have the elements to be pretty strong."

The pitching duo of Brandy Marlett and Kenedy Urbany return after going a combined 32-16. Marlett, 2015 LSC Pitcher of the Year, was named the LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year in a league wide vote. She went 18-6 with 164 strikeouts and a 2.52 ERA. The sophomore threw six shutouts and the program's eighth no-hitter. She pitched 169.1 innings and threw 21 complete games. Urbany was 15-10 and maintained a 3.07 ERA. She pitched 16 complete games in 148.0 innings. The junior struck out 71 batters and threw three shutouts. Urbany is the team's leading returning hitter and RBI leader. The Helotes native hit .352 with seven doubles and a team-high 10 home runs. The 34 RBIs recorded by Urbany was tops on the team along with her .641 slugging percentage.

Second team all-conference honoree Madison Greenwell hit .352 as a freshman. She led the team with 57 hits and scored 23 runs. The Flower Mound native recorded seven doubles and a team-high three triples. She is the team's returning stolen base leader with 18.

Ciara Sheppard returns at shortstop after earning a Gold Glove as a freshman. The shortstop led the team with 115 assists and a .960 fielding percentage. The Midland native hit .329 with 23 hits, five doubles and two home runs. She scored 17 runs and drew 11 walks.

Kelly Johnson, Katlyn Herzog and Brooke Mangold are the final three returners. Herzog hit .200 off the bench in 18 games. She scored five runs and hit one home run. Johnson scored 14 runs with two home runs. Mangold was mainly used a pinch runner scored 15 runs and stole four bases.

The two transfers that joined the Rambelles include junior Alexis Evans and sophomore Morgan Hill. Evans spent two seasons at South Mountain Community College and hit .420 with 12 home runs. She drove is 50 RBIs and scored 50 runs while earned NFCA Academic All-American honors. Hill was a pitcher for one season at McLennan Community College. She was 8-6 and maintained a 2.70 ERA. The Salado native struck out 102 batter in 83.0 innings pitched.

The four freshman added to the team are Bailey Wallace, Riley Adams, Taegan Kirk and Becky Wilhelm. Wallace was an all-state nominee and a two-time district MVP at Rockwall. Kirk played four years at Coronado in Lubbock and earned four straight all-district honorees. She was also an all-state selection and a key member of the team's first state tournament appearance. Wilhelm is the sister of former Rambelle Amanda Wilehlm Kraynok. She played at ORund rock and was a first team all-district selection and a Gold Glove winner. Adams went 25-3-1 in the circle at Woodcreek in Roseville, California.

ASU will play six games during the ASU George McCorkle Challenge with opponents being Adams State, Texas A&M-International and Northwest Oklahoma State. The Rambelles will play Texas A&M-International and NWOSU on Friday at 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. followed by NWOSU and Adams State at 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday will feature ASU taking on Adams State and Texas A&M-International at 10:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.

"George was an awesome individual," Scott said. "He and Ola have been wonderful to our program. I can't express the amount of gratitude that we have for what George did for me and our program. He touched many lives in a positive way. It was a big loss when he was gone but we couldn't be happier to name this tournament after him and keep his legacy going."