Softball Preview
Fri: Drury vs Arkansas Tech, 2 PM, Branson, MO, Branson RecPlex
Fri: Drury vs #20 Southern Nazarene, 4 PM, Branson, MO, Branson RecPlex 
Sat: Drury vs Oklahoma Baptist, 2 PM, Branson, MO, Branson RecPlex
Sat: Drury vs East Central, 4 PM, Branson, MO, Branson RecPlex

Game Information
Live Stats (Friday Games)
Lives Stats Final Game
 
Panthers open the 2025 season in Branson
Drury Softball opens the 2025 season in Branson for the Branson Lead-Off Classic with two games on Friday and Saturday.
 
Drury returns six of their top ten batters from last season, led by Sophia Luetticke and Brooklyn LaChappa. Luetticke hit .393 in 54 games played. LaChappa had a batting average of .299 and slugged .377. There were four Drury pitchers last season that appeared in over 20 games, two of them returned, AJ Agers and Kaley Adzick. Agers recorded a 2.90 ERA in 91.2 innings pitched. Adzick had a 2.96 in 71 innings pitched. Drury went 30-24 including six wins over national tournament teams and a third-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season.
 
The Panthers open the season with Arkansas Tech. The Golden Suns were selected to finish the season sixth in the Great American Conference (GAC). Arkansas Tech returns their top hitter from last season, Maycie Hardy. Hardy led the team in average, slugging, doubles, and home runs. The 2024 season ended with a 26-21 record for the Golden Suns.
 
The final game on Friday will be against 20th-ranked Southern Nazarene. The Crimson Storm lost to Rogers State last season in the NCAA-II Central Region Final to end their 40-17 season. SNU is the favorite to win the GAC, picking up all but three first-place votes in the preseason poll. Seven of the eight all-conference selections that SNU had last season return for another season, led by Janie Worthington. Worthington had 24 wins and 183 strikeouts from the circle.
 
Saturday opens up against Oklahoma Baptist. The Bison had a 41-14 record in 2024, including a bid to the central regional. OBU was one of the teams that stole a first-place vote from Southern Nazarene in the GAC preseason poll. The Bison are under a new head coach this season but will return three all-conference players. Ally Ryan led the GAC in home runs (18) and slugging percentage (.702) last season. She will return for her junior season on the hot corner.
 
The weekend in Branson ends with another GAC opponent, East Central. The Tigers were tabbed at tenth in the conference's preseason poll coming off a 21-27 record. East Central returns no all-GAC players from 2024. However, they do return Jami Watson. Watson led the team in batting average, slugging percentage, and RBIs last season. She is back for her senior season to call pitches from behind the plate.
 
Next weekend, Drury will head to Bentonville to compete in the Alvy Early Memorial Classic from February 7-8.
 
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