CHICAGO – UIC heads to the South to gets its 2018 campaign started as it is slated to play six games over four days in Louisiana. The Flames tangle with No. 8 LSU on Thursday in Baton Rouge, La., before they head to Lafayette, La., for the Mardi Gras Classic, Friday through Sunday, to face Samford, Iowa, Evansville and host No. 22 Louisiana.
 
PRESEASON FAVORITE
UIC was unanimously selected to finish at the top of the Horizon League in the preseason coaches poll released last week. Having won the last three regular-season titles, the Flames received all nine first-place votes for a total of 81 points.
 
In 2017, the Flames broke the program record for conference wins with their 20-4 record and went 39-22 overall as they won the Horizon League Tournament for the ninth time and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011, capturing their first regional win since 2004 with a 5-4 victory over Missouri.
 
RETURN OF EXCELLENCE
Second-year head coach Lynn Curylo will get to work with an All-League lineup. Back on the field is First Team honorees Lexi Watts and Karissa Frazier, along with Second Teamers Taylor Cairns, Jennah Speth and Kayla Wedl, and All-Freshman selection Allie Trudeau. The group makes up six of the returning 13 letterwinners that will combine with the five newcomers to help UIC vie for another title.
 
THREATS ON ALL FRONTS
The Flames will carry over their strong offensive production from last season after producing a .282 team batting average. They bring back 364 of the team's 455 hits, due in part to the bats from Watts, Speth and Wedl, who alone made up 176 tallies that included 11 of the team's 18 triples and 11 of 26 home runs.
 
Despite graduating three-time Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Elaine Heflin, UIC is in good hands with Frazier and Trudeau at the forefront. Frazier had a team-best 1.66 earned-run average and 14-6 record in 2017 while Trudeau (2.20 ERA) went 10-3 and limited opponents to a mere .204 batting average.
 
SCOUTING THE LOUSIANA MATCHUPS
The Flames will be faced with tough competition as they lead things off with nationally ranked LSU. The Tigers went all the way to the Women's College World Series last season and produced a 48-22 record. The squad will be led by USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List selections Allie Walljasper and Carley Hoover, a pair that went 33-14 in the circle with 270 strikeouts, along with Emily Griggs (.317) and Aliyah Andrews (.339) at the plate.
 
Samford is coming off a 25-36 campaign with a 10-8 output in the Southern Conference. Shelby Maze will be the top returning threat for the Bulldogs as she batted. 423 last season with 90 hits and was named Preseason SoCon Co-Player of the Year after earning First Team SoCon and All-Region honors last year.
 
Iowa is returning from a 19-32 turnout in 2017 as it went 9-14 in the Big Ten. With 17 letterwinners back in action, including 10 starters, the Hawkeyes will have last season's best bat from Big Ten All-Defensive Team honoree Cheyenne Pratt (.275) and the pitching prowess from Allison Doocy (2.80 ERA).
 
Evansville had a 20-33 campaign last season and tallied an 11-15 record in the Missouri Valley. The 2017 MVC Newcomer of the Year in Brittany Hay is back after hitting .309 a year ago while All-MVC Second Teamer and Preseason All-MVC selection Morgan Florey will work in the circle after acquiring a 1.99 ERA and 194 strikeouts as a sophomore.
 
Louisiana will be the second nationally ranked team UIC will face on the week as the Ragin' Cajuns had just eight losses last season for a 47-8 overall record with a near-perfect 23-1 mark in Sun Belt play. However, the Sun Belt champions were unable to get past NCAA Regionals after being eliminated by LSU. Louisiana lost its top four bats along with its two starting pitchers but will have Preseason All-Sun Belt selections Kelli Martinez, Lexie Comeaux, Kara Gremillion and Alissa Dalton.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Flames' stint in Louisiana marks the first of five tournaments this season as they will play in the Campbell/Cartier Classic (San Diego, Calif.), FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament (Boca Raton, Fla.), Racer Classic (Murray, Ky.) and Hoosier Classic (Bloomington, Ind.).