EUNICE — A slate featuring games against the reigning Division I National Champions, five World Series teams from a year ago and LSUE’s inaugural Bengal Classic highlight the 2019 LSU Eunice softball schedule, released this week.

“This will be one of the more difficult schedules we’ve assembled,” LSU Eunice head coach Andy Lee entering his 11th season at the helm, said. “I’m excited to see how our ladies respond to the challenges ahead of them.”

A trio of Teche Area players will suit up for the Bengals in 2019 — sophomore infielders Kelci Bodin and Hannah Smith and freshman infielder Rylie Candella.

Bodin, who starred at Loreauville High School before signing with LSUE, hit .260 with five doubles, a triple, a home run, 15 RBIs and 25 runs scored. She was successful on all nine of her stolen base attempts and started 39 of the 49 games in which she played.

Smith, a five-year letterman at Catholic High, hit .138 with three doubles and three homers for South Alabama as a freshman in 2018, transferring to LSUE after the season. She started 26 of the 32 games in which she played for USA.

Candella inked with the team in November of 2017 and will be in her first season with the team.

The Bengals open the spring slate with last year’s Division I Champs, Temple College, at the Island Invitational at Galveston College on Jan. 25. The Bengals will also face Texas schools Alvin CC, San Jacinto College, Blinn College and Navarro College in the two-day tournament.

LSUE will play Alvin CC and San Jacinto College in home-and-home doubleheaders later in the spring.

The Lady Bengal Classic will bring five teams to Eunice during the second weekend of the season (February 1-2). The two-day, nine-game schedule will host games at LSUE’s home field in addition to contests at the Eunice Recreation Center. The Bengals are schedule to face Southern Union State CC, San Jacinto College and Coastal Alabama CC-North during the inaugural Bengal Classic.

The team will then head out on an 18-game, 38-day road trip featuring four different tournaments including the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. In that span, LSUE will take on three different teams that made trips to a NJCAA World Series — Central Alabama (Feb. 15), Wallace State (Feb. 16) and Lansing CC (Mar. 8).

LSUE returns home for a 14-game homestand highlighted by a doubleheader on April 1 against Division I World Series participant, Tyler JC. The Bengals will host 28 games at home concluding with an April 27 date with Baton Rouge CC. 

LSUE and BRCC play each other nine times this season.

“After a pretty difficult start to the season, it will be nice to enjoy the comforts of home as we hopefully start coming together as a team,” Lee added.

The Bengals bring back first-team All-American Madison Monson, All-Region pitcher Heather Zumo and eight other sophomores from last year’s team that placed fourth at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. LSUE will also add three sophomore transfers into the fold: Jensen Howell (Louisiana Tech), Smith (South Alabama) and Sara Tate (Baton Rouge CC).

LSUE won NCJAA Division II softball national championships in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.