Warrensburg, Mo. (Feb. 28, 2000) -- The softball Jennies of Central Missouri State University will open the 2000 campaign with a busy first-week schedule of games.

The Jennies will sandwich 3 p.m. doubleheaders against Missouri Valley College on Tuesday at Jennies Field on the CMSU campus and at Park University on Mar. 6 in Parkville, Mo., around a trip to Irving, Texas, this weekend to take part in the Schutt Sports Division II Lead-Off Classic. CMSU faces host Texas Woman's University at 1:30 p.m. and Delta State University at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, then wraps up pool play on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against Ferris State University. All 24 teams in the event will then advance to one of three double-elimination brackets to determine final places, with the championship game slated for Sunday at 2:45 p.m.

The Jennies of 13th-year head coach Rhesa Sumrell (389-197 at CMSU; 25th year overall, 597-365), are coming off a 34-16 season that saw them finish third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Tournament. They return only eight letter-winners from a year ago, including four regulars.

Returning starters include outfielder Stacy Doiron (Sr., Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional H.S.), pitcher Gwen Giffin (Jr., Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional H.S.), first baseman-shortstop Lauren Loucks (Sr., Mound City, Mo., Holt County H.S.) and shortstop-outfielder Casey McAllister (Sr., Paola, Kan., PHS). Doiron is the team's top returning hitter (.342) and run-producer (20 RBI), but is coming off a knee injury that forced her to miss the final four games of last season, while McAllister and Loucks were eighth and ninth on the squad in hitting last year with .290 and .265 averages, respectively, and Giffin compiled a team-leading 16-4 record and a 1.74 earned-run average in 132 2/3 innings of work.

Other veterans back include catcher Emily Barr (Jr., Overland Park, Kan., St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.), pitcher Kristi Butcher [Jr., Boring, Ore., Sam Barlow H.S. (Gresham, Ore.)], outfielders Noelle Casas (So., Lee's Summit, Mo., LSHS) and Shauna Ryan [Jr., North Kansas City, Mo., Oak Park H.S./Maple Woods C.C. (Mo.)], and infielder Jessie Simpson [So., Holt, Mo., Kearney (Mo.) H.S.]. Barr is the leading candidate to replace graduated All-American Julie Cobb at the catcher's spot after hitting .293 in a back-up role and as a spot starter at designated player as a sophomore, while Butcher returns to action after sitting out the '99 season with an injury. Casas, who hit .263 in spot duty her freshman year, and Ryan, who sat out the 1999 campaign with an injury after joining the Jennies as a junior-college transfer, should contend for starting berths in the outfield, while Simpson could fit in the infield mix after seeing action primarily as a pinch runner as a frosh.

This year's squad features a total of 10 newcomers. The list includes third baseman-shortstop Beth Blackburn (Fr., Ballwin, Mo. (Parkway South H.S.), catchers Cassidee Carlson (Fr., Kansas City, Mo., Oak Park H.S.) and Jen Weindel (Fr., DeSoto, Mo., DHS), second baseman Sissy Fletcher (Fr., DeSoto, Kan., DHS), pitcher Jamie Golden (Fr., Independence, Mo., Fort Osage H.S.), outfielders Crystal Groves (Fr., Grain Valley, Mo., GVHS) and Desiree' Price (Fr., Olathe, Kan., Olathe South H.S.), third baseman Brandy Remington [Jr., Brighton, Iowa, Washington (Iowa) Senior High/Kirkwood C.C. (Iowa)], infielder-outfielder Lauren Sigwing (Fr., Grapevine, Texas, GHS), and outfielder-pitcher Thea Summers [Fr., Marshall, Mo., Sweet Springs (Mo.) H.S.].