TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State will open the new season with four matchups in two days held in the state of Arkansas. The RiverHawks will start the schedule dueling with Arkansas-Monticello (2 p.m.) and Southwestern Oklahoma (4:30 p.m.) on Friday before finishing the slate of contests with Ouachita Baptist (12 p.m.) and Henderson State (2:30 p.m.).

NSU is at RiverHawks Park for the first time in 2024 on Friday, Mar. 1 for a non-conference doubleheader against Rockhurst, starting at 2 p.m. It is one of three non-conference doubleheaders at home for the year.

The Setup
- Northeastern State is in its first season with Rachel Rhode as the head softball coach. Rhode joined the program after Clay Davis departed NSU softball after the conclusion of the 2023 season. She brings previous experience as an assistant at Truman State (2021-22) and Bemidji State (2019-20).
- The RiverHawks enter the campaign after a 30-win result in 2023, the team's sixth straight winning season and their second 30-win effort since 2018. A 12-14 MIAA record resulted in NSU missing the league's postseason tournament for the second time in three seasons. 
- The four games this week begin a schedule of 50 games, with 26 contests against MIAA foes starting with their league opener on Friday, Mar. 8 in Claremore, Okla. against Rogers State. 

Previewing the Team
- Northeastern State's returning unit includes 12 players, with six regular starters on the roster again this season, though among the departures includes three of their top four hitters from last year's squad. 
- Addy Wolfe returns after a great 2023 season, where the Muskogee native finished second on the team with a .338 average and tied for second in the conference with 15 home runs. Wolfe was a frequent sight in the infield, starting in 47 games and working at first and third base. The senior will seek to once again provide a spark on both ends as one of the top returners for the 2024 softball team.
- Madison Heinle was the team's strikeout leader in 2023 (120, eighth in MIAA) and returns to anchor their efforts in the circle in 2024. Heinle enters her junior season after making 22 starts the previous year and winning 13, including a no-hitter against Truman State on Feb. 12. 
- Emily Sampson is back in her catcher's gear in 2024 after her stellar defense placed her on the conference's gold glove team in '23. Sampson also provided a pop from the batter's box, as the former Tahlequah Tiger hit .331 and slammed seven home runs, production that helped the then-junior get a selection as an All-MIAA Honorable Mention for her efforts. 
- Five new players join the program for the start of the season, including three transfers and two freshmen. 
- Northeastern State's non-conference schedule consists of many key matchups prior to beginning conference ball, including 14 against non-conference foes from last season, as well as 11 against in-state opponents across the 24-game list.
- The RiverHawks were picked to finish 11th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. Receiing 11 first-place votes was the presaseason faavorie, Central Oklahoma.
- NSU will seek to build off a productive conclusion to the 2023 season, as the team won 12 of their last 18, including six by five plus. 

In Action This Week
Friday, Feb. 2 | vs. Arkansas-Monticello, 2 p.m. | Live Coverage
Friday, Feb. 2 | vs. Southwestern Oklahoma, 4:30 p.m. | Live Coverage
Saturday, Feb. 3 | vs. Ouachita Baptist, 12 p.m. | Live Coverage | Live Stats |
Saturday, Feb. 3 | vs. Henderson State, 2:30 p.m. | Live Coverage | Live Stats

- For a second consecutive season, Northeastern State begins their season in Hot Springs, Ark. and Arkadelphia to face four teams from the Great American Conference (GAC) across two days. 
-  NSU posed a 3-3 record against their four opponents from this week, as they took two games out of three against Arkansas-Monticello while defeating Southwestern Oklahoma and Ouachita Baptist, while being dealt a setback against Henderson State. 
- The bats were factors in all six games last season, as the RiverHawks scored an average of 8.67 runs in those contests, including three performances of at least ten. 

Coming Up
The non-conference schedule continues into the season's second week as Northeastern State heads back to Arkansas to play in the Alvy Early Memorial Classic from Feb. 9-Feb. 11, which includes a total of six games in three days.