CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Coach Emily Russell enters her 23rd year of directing the Lee softball program when the Lady Flames host Emmanuel University from Conference Carolinas. Lee posted a 20-27 season record and a 14-16 GSC mark while the Lions are coming off their best finish in the program's history since going NCAA D2, posting a 35-24, 19-11 league record.
 
"We are going to get it going. It's been a tough pre-season with winter weather affecting our ability to get on the field consistently," said the veteran leader. "We do have a large amount of upperclassman that have experience and have been able to prepare despite the limited time in traditional practice. We will rely on their experience and confidence this weekend."
 
The forecast of rain for Friday has pushed the season-opening contests to be moved to Saturday and Sunday. A single game on Saturday is slated to begin at 2 p.m. with the doubleheader pushed back to Sunday and game times announced for 1 and 3 p.m.   
 
Senior outfielder Javaria Smith earned a position among the 15-member All-GSC Preseason Team and will be joined by senior Alexa Scalzo as key players returning for the 2025 Lady Flames. Both Smith and Scalzo batted .384 last season. Smith paced the team in RBI (41) and Scalzo hits (61).
 
Coach Russell will also be counting on Natalie Toups, a junior transfer from Pearl River Community College (Miss.) and Rylee Price, a senior infielder who transferred from CSU-Bakersfield, Calif. Kaylee Wilson, a sophomore outfielder/utility player comes from Piedmont College and Ana Macha, a senior returns to Lee for her senior year after playing a season at Indiana State.
 
The Lions will be directed by first-year coach Kenneth Bellamy. Emmanuel lost a solid pitching staff that helped the team to a second-place finish in the Conference Carolinas tournament last spring but has a group of talented senior hitters returning in Jaryn Gibson (.399 BA, 15 HR, 58 RBI), Ellee Varner (.392 BA, 80 hits), and Gabby Buffington (.326  BA, .619 SLG%).