PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University softball team will open the 2018 season this weekend (Feb. 2-4) at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Regional Tournament at the Durant Multi-Sports Complex at Durant, Okla.

Pitt State makes its season debut Friday (Feb. 2) at Noon against Oklahoma Christian University. The Gorillas then face Oklahoma Baptist University at 2:30 p.m. on opening day.
 
On Saturday, Pitt State will take on Cameron University at Noon and Newman University at 2:30 p.m. The Gorillas will close out the three-day tournament Sunday with a Noon game against East Central University and a 2:30 p.m. match-up against the host school, Southeastern Oklahoma.
 
The Gorillas return six position starters from a 2017 squad that posted a 42-19 overall record and earned the program's first NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance since 1995. Pitt State also returns a pair of pitchers who combined to start 23 games a year ago.
 
The Gorillas have a pair of All-MIAA performers back in sophomore infielder Kala Holder and senior utility player Lawren McKinney. Holder, the 2017 MIAA Freshman of the Year and an NCAA Division II All-America selection, hit .334 with 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 39 RBIs last year. McKinney batted .282 with 17 doubles and 26 RBIs.
 
The Gorillas are under the direction of first-year head coach Ashley Balazs. Balazs was hired in July after former Pitt State coach Elizabeth Economon left the program to become an assistant coach at Wichita State University.