JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps softball team enters the 2023 season with high hopes after finishing last season in third-place in the Southern Athletic Association standings.
 
Leading the Majors will be back-to-back SAA Coach of the year Caroline DeLoach, who enters her fifth season in charge. She will be overseeing a squad of 11 returners, which totaled an 11-7 conference record last year. Millsaps will look to find contributions from four newcomers after seeing nine student-athletes graduate.
 
SAA Player of the Year and First Team member Molli Perry is also back. Perry, a center fielder from Kaplan, La., was unstoppable throughout the 2022 season. Her record-setting run saw her better three SAA and Millsaps steals record. These included overall steals (42), conference-only games (24) and six in a single game.

Perry's 42 stolen bases ranked seventh across NCAA Division III. She also posted team highs of 59 hits and 39 runs scored as well as recording a .440 batting average.

Junior classmate and 2022 All-SAA Honorable Mention Katie Norris returns as well. A right fielder from Hoover, Ala., she was second on the team in batting average (.314) and on-base percentage (.386). She was second for Millsaps with seven doubles and posted 15 RBIs.
 
Senior catcher Magen Authement is back after amassing a .991 fielding percentage and 104 putouts. The Belle Chase, La., native posted 18 hits and notched the second-most walks on the team with 13.
 
Other returners who should step into larger roles this season include sophomore Alli Nolen, juniors Camille Black and Haylie Hoffpauir along with seniors Amber Clark and Mackenzie Fleming,
 
The pitching staff will see three familiar faces in senior Hannah Derouen, junior Brianna Newman and senior Delta Claire Newman. Derouen, hailing from Lake Charles, La., has twice been named the SAA Softball Pitcher of the Week in her career. The trio won two games each in 2022.
 
New to the team is junior right-handed pitcher Abigail Smith as well as freshmen Cassidy Cannella, Tayler Gonzales and Julia Strain. Smith transfers after attending nearby Meridian Community College.
 
The Majors begin the season by hosting Austin College for a pair of doubleheaders on Friday, Feb. 10 and again on Saturday, Feb. 11. After a six-game road trip, the Majors host Rhodes College to open conference play, March 4-5. Following several non-conference and SAA games, Millsaps concludes the regular-season by hosting Berry College, April 15-16.

The SAA Softball Tournament will feature two pods, April 28-29 with the winners facing off in the SAA Tournament Final Series, May 5-6. Locations and matchups will be based on conference standing. Live video and live stats will be provided for all home games at gomajors.com.
 
2023 MILLSAPS SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
 

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (CT)
Friday, Feb. 10	vs. Austin College (DH)	5 PM
	vs. Austin College (DH)	7 PM
Saturday, Feb. 11	vs. Austin College (DH)	12 PM
	vs. Austin College (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, Feb. 12	at Huntingdon (DH)	1 PM
	at Huntingdon (DH)	3 PM
Tuesday, Feb. 21	at Centenary (DH)	2 PM
	at Centenary (DH)	4 PM
Saturday, Feb. 25	at Belhaven (DH)	12 PM
	at Belhaven (DH)	2 PM
Saturday, March 4	vs. Rhodes (DH)	12 PM
	vs. Rhodes (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, March 5	vs. Rhodes	12 PM
Tuesday, March 7	at MUW (DH)	3 PM
	at MUW (DH)	5 PM
Saturday, March 11	at Centre (DH)	11 AM CT
	at Centre (DH)	1 PM CT
Sunday, March 12	at Centre	11 AM CT
Monday, March 13	at Covenant (DH)	12 PM CT
	at Covenant (DH)	2 PM CT
Saturday, March 18	vs. Agnes Scott (DH)	12 PM
	vs. Agnes Scott (DH)	2 PM
Tuesday, March 21	at Belhaven	2 PM
Saturday, March 25	vs. Sewanee (DH)	12 PM
	vs. Sewanee (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, March 26	vs. Sewanee	12 PM
Saturday, April 1	at BSC (DH)	12 PM
	at BSC (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, April 2	at BSC	12 PM
Friday, April 7	at Hendrix (DH)	12 PM
	at Hendrix (DH)	2 PM
Saturday, April 8	at Hendrix	12 PM
Tuesday, April 11	vs. Belhaven	6 PM
Saturday, April 15	vs. Berry (DH)	12 PM
	vs. Berry (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, April 16	vs. Berry	12 PM
Friday, April 28	SAA Tournament Pod	TBD
Saturday, April 29	SAA Tournament Pod	TBD
Sunday, April 30	SAA Tournament Pod	TBD
Friday, May 5	SAA Tournament Final	TBD
Saturday, May 6	SAA Tournament Final	TBD

Home Games in Bold
 
 
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps softball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.