Western Kentucky infielder Brittany Vaughn (5) just misses the tag on Southern Mississippi outfielder Samantha Reynolds (2) Monday, April 24, 2017, during Western Kentucky’s 11-6 win over Southern Mississippi at WKU’s Softball Complex. (Bac Totrong/photo@bgdailynews.com)

Western Kentucky’s softball team is set to open the 2018 season this weekend in Boiling Springs, N.C., at a Gardner-Webb-hosted tournament. Five games are on the slate with doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday and one more game on Sunday.

Weekend action is set to commence Friday with the first of three weekend games against Hampton, a team WKU has never faced. The Pirates are coming off of a 23-22 campaign in 2017. In the day’s second contest, the Hilltoppers will take on the host Runnin’ Bulldogs in a 3 p.m. game. WKU and Gardner-Webb have met once prior, back in 2002 when the Hilltoppers won a 5-3 decision in Atlanta.

On Saturday, WKU will play Youngstown State. The Penguins went 31-28 a year ago and have been predicted to finish second in the Horizon League’s preseason poll. This will mark the first meeting between WKU and YSU.

Games four and five on the weekend pit the Hilltoppers against Hampton to close out tournament play.

WKU has claimed its season-opener each of the last five seasons and will look to extend the streak. Coach Amy Tudor is 13-0 in her career in season-opening contests entering her 14th season as a head coach.

Brittany Vaughn is the lone senior on the 2018 roster for the Hilltoppers after transferring in from Memphis prior to her redshirt-junior campaign last season. Vaughn started all 62 games in her first year at WKU, primarily at shortstop. At the plate, Vaughn slashed .277/.482/.362 with nine home runs while leading the team with 38 RBIs and 43 runs scored.

Remaining upperclassmen include outfielders Kelsey McGuffin and Jordan Vorbrink – a transfer from Louisville – and infielder Rebekah Engelhardt. Redshirt-sophomore pitcher Cassidy Blackford also enters her third season at WKu.

Following this weekend’s action in North Carolina, the Hilltopper squad will hit the road again next weekend to head to Tennessee for the Chattanooga Challenge.