GAME COVERAGE LINKS | 2022 Hawkins-McGhee Memorial Tournament Page
 
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – After the season-opening Hawkins-McGhee Memorial Tournament was pushed back and altered several times due to weather, the 2022 season for the Henderson State softball team will finally get underway Saturday, Feb. 5, beginning with a doubleheader against Northeastern State at 3 p.m. and Southwest Baptist at 5 p.m.
 
REDDIES REPORT
In head coach David Martinez's first-year at the helm of the program last season, the Reddies finished with a 13-31 overall record, including 10-23 in conference. Coming into Martinez's second season, HSU was preseason picked tenth among Great American Conference coaches as HSU opens the season with 11 of its 20-woman squad being newcomers.
 
Coach Martinez and Assistant Coach Kristen Hamilton will rely on the veteran presence of upper classmen Ashlyn Taylor, Abbie Moore and Monica Monreal. Both Moore and Monreal return as HSU's two biggest hitters on the team, with Moore, a junior from North Richland Hills, Texas, and Monreal, a junior from Ennis, Texas, combining for 69 hits and 33 RBIs last season.
 
Though only a sophomore on the field, Kaitlyn O'Quinn brings a ton of production to the Reddie lineup. O'Quinn, an outfielder from Coppell, Texas, led last year's team with a .341 batting average and a .405 on-base percentage. The Coppell High School product also led the team with 26 stolen bases in 2021, which was the second most in the entire conference.
 
After losing one of the program's most decorated pitchers to graduation in Mallory Brewer, HSU will have sophomores Savannah Carrigan and Krystal Lindsey, who each saw significant time last season, fill that role. Newcomers Erika Bittinger out of Bismarck, Arkansas, and Brooke Johnson out of Rockwall, Texas, will serve as the primary relief hands.
 
Henderson St. will play five games in three days, beginning with Northeastern St. and Southwest Baptist on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. Day two holds an earlier start for HSU, with Cameron at 9 a.m. and Emporia St. at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6. The Reddies will close out the 2022 Hawkins-McGhee Memorial Tournament with a rematch against Cameron Monday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m.
 
In the four years the Hawkins-McGhee Memorial Tournament has been played (was not played in 2021), Henderson has finished .500 or better at said tournament in all but one year. Five games will be the most games HSU has played in the multi-team challenge. Between the four opponents the Reddies will see over the next 72 hours, HSU holds a combined 21-15 series lead over, including winning 11 of the 12 all-time matchups against Southwest Baptist.
 
Henderson St. will play two more tournaments after this weekend, including playing host to the HSU/OBU Tournament Feb. 19-20. After that, HSU will begin GAC play with a three-game weekend series against Southern Nazarene at Dee White Field beginning Friday, Feb. 25.