COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team begins a new era this weekend when it takes part in the Aggie Classic as members of NCAA Division I and also plays its first season under coach Brittany Miller.
 
LIONS' WEEKEND SCHEDULE | TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Date	Time	Opponent	Game Coverage
Friday, February 10	9 a.m.	Michigan State	Live Stats | No Video Webcast
Friday, February 10	11:30 a.m.	Northern Kentucky	Live Stats | No Video Webcast
Saturday, February 11	6 p.m.	Texas A&M	Live Stats | SEC Network+
Sunday, February 12	11:30 a.m.	Tarleton	Live Stats | No Video Webcast
Sunday, February 12	2 p.m.	Texas A&M	Live Stats | SEC Network+

 
A NEW ERA
Friday's games against Michigan State and Northern Kentucky are first for the Lions as members of NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference. The Lions compete in five non-conference tournaments before beginning their first Southland Conference season on March 17-18 at home against Nicholls. A&M-Commerce is picked to finish seventh out of nine teams in the Southland.
 
This weekend's games are also the first for coach Brittany Miller, who takes over as the leader of the Lion Softball program.
 
ENDED ON A HIGH NOTE
The Lions ended the Division II era by winning the Lone Star Conference Tournament, the program's first conference title, and served as hosts during the NCAA Regional round. It was the third straight postseason that the Lions served as hosts, and it was their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
TOUGH COMPETITION TO START
The Lions begin the season with numerous games on their schedule against ranked opponents and teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season. A&M-Commerce is slated to play six games this season that are ranked in the preseason polls. They play No. 8 Arkansas twice, No. 18 Arizona twice, and No. 24 North Texas twice as well, with all six games coming as true road games.
 
PLENTY OF NEW LIONS
A&M-Commerce retains just four players from last season, welcoming 16 new faces to the squad in 2023. The 16 new players are believed to be the most on any roster in Division I this season.
 
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE LIONS
After this weekend's five games in College Station, the Lions head over to Stephenville next weekend for the Tarleton Invitational. The Lions face Akron, Northern Colorado, Creighton, and Tarleton in the six-game tournament on February 17-19.
 
SCOUTING THIS WEEKEND'S COMPETITION
This weekend the Lions face Michigan State and Northern Kentucky for the first time as well as Texas A&M for the first time in a regular season game.
 
The Lions face Michigan State in the season opener. The Spartans went 24-28 last season, finishing 12^th in the Big Ten. Michigan State is led by first-year coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley and welcomes 12 new players to the squad this season.
 
Northern Kentucky is next for the Lions on Friday morning. The Norse are under the guidance of eighth-year coach Kathryn Gleason and went 27-29 last season. Northern Kentucky finished sixth in the Horizon League last season and is picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll this season.
 
The Lions play the Aggies under the lights at Davis Diamond on Saturday night as well as on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the weekend. Texas A&M begins a new era as well, as Trisha Ford takes over as the Aggies coach. Texas A&M went 31-28 last season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Its two losses in the NCAA Tournament came in Norman, Oklahoma, to eventual national champions, Oklahoma.
 
Tarleton and A&M-Commerce renew their rivalry on Sunday and the two teams face each other three times over the next two weekends. The Lions are 15-7 all-time against the Texans, having won three in a row. The two teams last met on May 10, 2019 in Commerce, when the Lions walked-off over the Texans in the NCAA Tournament. This is the first meeting between the two teams since both schools jumped up to NCAA Division I.
 
Tarleton went 30-25 last season and played in the National Invitational Softball Championships (NIVC) as it was ineligible for the WAC Tournament as well as the NCAA Tournament. The Texans are picked to finish sixth in the WAC this season.