The Drake University softball team is set to open their season in Cedar Falls, Iowa at the UNI Dome Tournament. The first game is scheduled for Friday Feb. 11 at 6pm against South Dakota State.
 
The Bulldogs, who were picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Preseason Coaches Poll. They received one first place vote and 66 overall votes.
 
Northern Iowa was picked to finish first in the MVC after receiving five first place vote and 93 overall votes.
 
Drake made it to quarterfinals of the conference tournament last season when they fell to Southern Illinois, 3-0. The Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 19-30, 12-14 in MVC play.
 
Returning for the Bulldogs this season is graduate outfielder Macy Johnson. She earned a number of acolades at the conclusion of last season, including: All-MVC First Team, MVC Scholar Athlete First Team, MVC Scholar Athlete of the Year, CoSIDA Academic All-District Six, and a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest All-Region First Team.
 
She batted a career-high .444, which was a new single-season program record behind a career-best 68 hits, including four triples and 10 doubles with one home run. She drove in 16 runs, tallied 29 stolen bases and scored 42 runs. Her hits total is the fourth highest for a Bulldog in one season and her stolen bases total is a program record. The Winterset native led the MVC in batting average, hits and stolen bases.
 
Also returning for Drake is graduate pitcher Nicole Timmons. She is a two-time MVC Pitcher of the week and earned MVC Scholar Athlete honorable mention last season. She records 44 wins on her career and ranks tenth in Drake history. Timmons also records 483 career strikeouts, which puts her at seventh in program history.
 
Alongside Johnson and Timmons, Drake returns 14 additional players with five new additions.
 
The Bulldogs will play two games on Saturday and Sunday after one game on Friday at the tournament.