The Penn State softball team will kick off its 2012 season down south as they compete in the Tiger Classic on the campus of Louisiana State University. They’ll face the host team no. 22 LSU on Friday at 7 p.m. before taking on Louisiana Tech on Saturday and Michigan on Sunday.

The Nittany Lions return with a surplus of experience as 8 starters come back from last year’s NCAA tournament team including 3-time all-Big Ten honoree Lisa Akamine. Akamine, a senior, posted a 1.89 ERA from the circle last year and also batted .246 for the season.

Top offensive players Cassidy Bell and Kailyn Johnson, both juniors, also return to the Penn State lineup. Bell hit .280 and led the team with 31 runs scored, 51 hits, 15 doubles, 3 triples, and 7 home runs. Johnson led the team with a .326 batting average, 29 runs batted in, and a .470 on-base percentage.

The Lions finished last year’s campaign with a 31-24-1 overall record, including a 11-8-1 record in Big Ten conference play and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 8 of the last 12 seasons. An early season meeting with defending conference champion Michigan can set the tone for the Lions early on in the season.

You can find the GoPSUSports season preview here and the ladies’ season schedule here.