JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State softball team will open its 2023 season on Friday and it learned this week that it will do so at home.
 
The Gamecocks will now host Buffalo and Army in a full weekend of games at University Field after their originally scheduled tournament at Mercer was altered due to the threat of rain. University Field, which features an artificial playing surface with excellent drainage, will host seven total games over the weekend to get the season underway.
 
Friday will see the Bulls and Black Knights will get things started on Friday at 10 a.m., with the Gamecocks following against Buffalo at 12:30 p.m. and against Army at 3 p.m.
 
Army and Buffalo will play again at 3 p.m. on Saturday, with Jax State and Army wrapping up the day at 5:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Black Knights and Bulls will play each other for a third time at 9 a.m., with the Gamecocks taking on Buffalo at 11:30 a.m. to conclude the tournament.
 
Admission to all games at University Field in 2023 is free, compliments of Martin's Family Clothing.
 
The early home opener comes as quite a surprise to the Gamecocks, who originally planned to play their first home game on March 10. They look to get their season off to a positive start by playing at home, where they were 17-5 last season.
 
Jax State was picked to finish sixth in the 14-team ASUN Conference this season, a season after finishing third in the Western Division with a 13-11 conference record. It will be the Gamecocks' final season in the league before joining Conference USA in 2024.
 
Junior designated hitter/first baseman Lindsey Richardson was a Preseason All-ASUN selection by the league's coaches after a sophomore campaign that saw her hit .354. She is Jax State's second-leading returning hitter behind senior infielder Camryn McLemore, who hit .363 and earned All-ASUN honors las season. The native of Saraland, Ala., bit .361 in league play last season.
 
In the circle, JSU returns a pair of ASUN All-Newcomer Team selections from a year ago in sophomores Kat Carter and Sarah Currie. Carter, the 2022 ASUN Freshman of the Year was 8-5 with a 2.94 ERA and held opponents to a .226 average in 90.1 innings against ASUN batters. She led the ASUN and was 30th in the nation with seven shutouts and was 22nd nationally in innings pitched as a true freshman.
 
Currie led the Gamecocks with 2.96 ERA and had a 13-10 record in her true freshman season. She held opposing hitters to a .243 average and tossed 12 complete games in 20 starts in the circle.
 
Head coach Jana McGinnis enters her 30^th season at the helm of her alma mater and will work with a roster made of seven newcomers and 13 returners.