OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University softball team opens the 2020 season this weekend with a tournament in Rosemont, Ill. The RedHawks will play five games Friday through Sunday against five different opponents.

Follow Miami Softball on Twitter for updates at the conclusion of each game as live stats will not be available this weekend. Check MiamiRedHawks.com each day at the conclusion of the day's action to recap how Miami fared.

OPPONENT PREVIEW

Miami begins the season on Friday against Evansville at 1:30 p.m. ET. The Purple Aces finished 2019 with a 19-30 overall record and a 9-16 record in conference games. Evansville was eliminated in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in a 5-0 shutout against Valparaiso, despite the Purple Aces earning the sweep in the regular-season series a few weeks prior. Evansville returns junior catcher and power hitter Eryn Gould, who led the team in every hitting category last season including 10 home runs and 10 doubles. The Purple Aces also return their ace in redshirt senior pitcher Emily Lockhart, who led the pitching staff in ERA (4.03) in a team-high 137.1 innings pitched.

The RedHawks also play Loyola-Chicago on Friday in a matchup scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. In 2019, the Ramblers were an even 25-25 on the season and posted a 9-16 record in conference play. Loyola-Chicago also fell in the first round of the MVC Tournament, dropping an 11-8 decision against Indiana State. Loyola-Chicago returns junior catcher/infielder Allyson Ivey who led the team in eight categories last season, boasting a .460 batting average, but did lose both of the top pitchers on staff.

The Red and White continue play on Saturday against Western Illinois at 1:30 p.m. ET. The Fighting Leathernecks finished an even 20-20 overall last season but were 12-6 in Summit League games. WIU lost by a 7-5 margin in the first round of the Summit League Championship to Purdue Fort Wayne even though Western Illinois earned the series sweep just two weeks before the postseason began. The Fighting Leathernecks return their number two pitcher, Abby Carlin, who posted a 3.46 ERA in 81 innings pitched last season.

Miami faces IUPUI at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Jags finished the 2019 season with an 18-38 mark overall and an 11-10 record in conference games. IUPUI beat Northern Kentucky in the first game of the Horizon League Tournament but lost the next two games to be eliminated. The Jags return senior outfielder Delaney Thompson, who led the team in hits (53) and doubles (11) last season, and sophomore ace Lexi Lucas, who pitched a team-high 174.1 innings and had a 5.63 ERA last season.

The RedHawks close opening weekend with a game against Omaha on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Omaha finished 4-43 last season and 2-16 in conference play as the Mavericks missed qualifying for the Summit League Championships. Omaha returns infielder Jamie White, who led the team in six offensive categories last season, and its entire pitching staff.