EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball begins the 2017 season Tuesday when it travels to Florence, Alabama, to take on defending NCAA Division II champion and preseason No. 1 University of North Alabama for a doubleheader.

USI, which is receiving votes in the NFCA Top 25 Preseason Coaches' poll, returns seven position starters and three pitchers off a team that went 35-21 overall and 21-9 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference a year ago.

Included in that list of returning players are five All-GLVC honorees, two All-Region performers and the reigning GLVC Player of the Year in senior All-American catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana).

Hodges, who was named first-team All-America by Herosports.com, the NFCA and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, is coming off a historic 2016 season that saw her set single-season school records for home runs (22), RBIs (72), walks (45) and runs scored (58).

North Alabama (4-2) will have 10 games underneath its belt when it hosts the Screaming Eagles Tuesday. The Lions have a pair of players—senior pitcher Hillary Carpenter and junior outfielder Reagan Tittle—listed on the NFCA/Schutt Sports Division II National Player of the Year preseason watch list.

Tuesday's games will be aired (audio only) on the GLVC Sports Network, which can be accessed along with live stats and video on GoUSIEagles.com.