ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — After weather concerns shifted the location of the UAM 8-State Classic away from Bentonville, Arkansas, earlier this week, the Henderson State softball team will now travel to Emporia, Kansas, where it will face off with four Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) opponents in two days in the renamed Emporia State Classic.

The Reddies (4-3) will tangle with Central Missouri and hosts Emporia State on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. before squaring off with Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern State at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Henderson has gotten strong pitching in the circle to start the season, led by senior Michelle Sorensen, who already has three wins to her credit in just seven games and a 1.48 ERA with 17 strikeouts. Sophomore Kaitlyn Felder claimed the other win for the Reddies against Christian Brothers and carries a 0.84 ERA in two appearances while also serving as a threat at the plate, where she is 3-for-7 this year with four RBIs.

Offensively, the Reddies have started off hot and boast three starters with a batting average above .300 through the first seven games of the year. Senior shortstop Bethany Allen has been tremendous in the lead-off spot and is batting .391 with nine hits and three doubles, while true freshman Madie Green hit the ground running in her college career and leads the team with nine RBIs to go along with her .375 average. Fellow freshman Kailey Reese is off to an equally good start to her career and carries a .375 batting average as well, along with a .563 slugging percentage.

As a team, Henderson is batting .285 so far this season and has out-scored its opponents by six runs. The Reddies have also had success early stealing bases and are 12-for-14 in the first seven games on stolen base attempts. HSU is 2-2 in neutral site games this year. The Reddies' second contest on Saturday against Emporia State at 3 p.m. is their first true road game of 2018.

Scouting Central Missouri
- UCM is 4-6 on the season and has lost its last three games — two of which came to Great American Conference (GAC) foes Arkansas Tech and Harding. The Jennies have played GAC teams six times this year and are 2-4 overall in those contests.

- The Jennies are led by Lauryn Deer and Courtney Smith, who have both started all 10 games for UCM and carry batting averages of .400. Deer has 12 hits on the year while Smith has a team-leading seven RBIs.

- Sarah Brown is the likely starter for the Jennies on Friday morning in the circle. Brown has a 1-3 record this season and an ERA of 3.32 in six appearances with four starts. She has given up 27 hits in 25.1 innings of work and has struck out 14 batters.

Scouting Emporia State
- The Lady Hornets, the new hosts for the event, are 5-4 on the year and have won their last three games — two of which came against GAC foes Harding and Arkansas-Monticello.

- ESU is led by Danielle Sprinkle, who has a .452 batting average and a team-best 14 hits and 12 RBIs with six doubles. Through just nine games played, the Lady Hornets already have six players with 10 or more hits.

- Montana Mesler has gotten the most work in the circle so far this year for ESU with four starts and five appearances. Mesler has a 2-2 record and has allowed 37 hits in 25.2 innings of action with three complete games to her credit as well as 19 strikeouts. Both Destiny Ojigoh and Kelsey Phillips have also started two games for the Lady Hornets. Ojigoh is 2-0 with a 5.57 ERA, while Phillips is 1-2 and carries an ERA of 5.79.

Scouting Pittsburg State
- The Gorillas are 5-7 this season and have lost three of their last four contests. PSU is 2-1 against GAC teams so far this year, with a loss to Oklahoma Baptist and wins against East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma State.

- Kala Holder leads the Gorillas offensively and is batting .314 so far this year with four homers, seven RBIs and a slugging percentage of .686.

- Bree Cornett is the most likely starter in the circle for PSU on Sunday. Cornett has started seven games, has a 2-5 record and a 3.96 ERA. She has given up 48 hits in 36.2 innings of work with 20 strikeouts. Brooklynne Simbeck has also started five games for the Gorillas and has a 3-2 record and an ERA of 2.63.

Scouting Missouri Southern
- The Lions are 3-3 on the year and have lost two of their last three games. MSSU is 1-2 this year against GAC competition, claiming a win against Oklahoma Baptist but falling to both East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma State.

- MSSU is led at the plate by Abi Corbett who has 11 hits in 22 plate appearances for a .500 batting average with three RBIs. Both Lexi Ferrari and Erika Lutgen each carry .444 batting averages and have eight hits on the season with three doubles.

- In the circle, Abby Atkin has the most starts for the Lions with three. She has a 1-1 record with a 1.66 ERA in 12.1 innings of work. Taurean Guzman, however, has gotten the most action of any pitcher for MSSU and is 1-2 on the year with a 1.15 ERA in 18.1 innings of action over the course of her six appearances.