FLORENCE, S.C. – The Francis Marion University women’s softball team will open its 2007 season, Thursday afternoon (Feb. 8) with a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader at USC Aiken. The first game will begin at 2 p.m., moved up two hours from the original starting time of 4 p.m.

FMU leads the all-time series with the Pacers 31-12-1, including four straight wins.

Under the direction of third-year head coach Stacey Johnson Vallee, the Patriots return 13 letterwinners – including six position starters, the designated hitter, and two starting pitchers – from the 2006 squad that finished 27-16 and narrowly missed a bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the third consecutive year.

Thursday’s starting pitchers will be from among the group of senior right-hander Jessica Johnson, sophomore righty Serena Lim, and freshman lefty Michaela Wolf. Johnson was 16-7 last year with a 2.23 earned run average, while Lim posted a 10-9 mark with a 2.65 ERA in her first season.  Johnson owns a career mark of 45-19 with a 2.02 ERA in 87 games and 319 strikeouts in 447.1 innings.

Leading the position returnees is All-PBC and first-team All-Region designated hitter Shannan Tyson, who last year batted a team-leading .379, including an amazing .482 in PBC contests.   Also returning are senior third baseman Janine Allen (.363, 9 HRs, 37 RBIs); junior shortstop Allie Aleman (.287, 6 HRs, 29 RBIs), an All-PBC and All-Region selection in 2005; and junior first baseman Monica Wofford (.286, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs). Last year, Wofford ranked fourth in NCAA II in being hit by pitches as she was plunked a school-record 13 times.

The entire 2006 starting outfield also returns: sophomore left fielder Lakyn Bendle (.243), senior center fielder Jenna Sexton (.217), and sophomore right fielder Megan Pangburn (.297).

Four freshmen, including Wolf, and one junior college transfer comprise the squad’s newcomers for 2007.

FMU opens its home schedule on Feb. 10 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Belmont Abbey College. The Patriots' 48-game schedule includes 10 home doubleheaders and the annual Patriot Invitational Tournament, a three-day 26-team event at the Freedom Florence Softball Complex.

Francis Marion has averaged nearly 32 wins per season over the past 12 campaigns.