ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson University softball team begins its quest for a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament when the Trojans open their 2015 schedule by playing host to Conference Carolinas'-foe Lees-McRae in a twin bill slated to start Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Smethers Field.

The Trojans, who were 26-4 in the regular season versus nonconference teams last season, open their 26-game nonconference slate with back-to-back opponents from Conference Carolinas, as AU visits Southern Wesleyan on Thursday.

The Trojans
For the second straight year, Anderson was a preseason pick to finish second in the South Atlantic Conference Coaches' Preseason Poll released on Thursday. The Trojans defied the odds-makers last season by capturing a share of the regular-season title and sweeping the conference tournament en route to a school-record 43 wins on the season.

Head Coach Tommy Hewitt is incorporating seven newcomers with seven returning letterwinners this season, including five position starters and a pair of hurlers that posted 24 wins in the circle a season ago.

Junior Molly Child earned First-Team All-SAC honors earlier this week, while senior Jessica Neidigh and sophomores Courtney Czentnar and Lauren Rudesheim were named Second-Team All-Conference.

The Bobcats
Lees-McRae was picked to finish ninth in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released last Monday. The Bobcats posted a 9-37 mark a year ago and finished eighth in Conference Carolinas with a 3-11 mark, before falling to Limestone in the opening round of the conference tournament.

The Series vs. Lees-McRae
Saturday's twin bill marks the third meeting between the two programs since the Trojans joined the South Atlantic Conference for the 2011 campaign. Both schools were members of the Conference Carolinas until that season and the teams have met 29 times overall, with the Trojans holding a 17-12 advantage in the all-time series.

The two teams were slated to meet during the 2010 campaign, but heavy fog in the high country forced cancellation of the doubleheader.

The Trojans have opened the last two campaigns against Lees-McRae, blanking the Bobcats, 8-0 and 10-0 a year ago and sweeping LMC by identical 8-0 scores two seasons ago at Smethers Field. Neidigh blasted a three-run homer to key a four-run fourth inning in the first game of last year's doubleheader, while Child was 2-for-3, with a two-run homer in the nightcap. Czentnar also ripped a three-run home run in the decisive fourth inning of the second game, with Rebecca Martin adding a solo home run.