The Mount Mary University softball team is on the eve of their season opener. After a trip down to the Sunshine State, the Blue Angels are preparing for 12 games in seven days. It all starts March 7th at 12:00 pm CST at the Gene Cusic Classic, where MMU will clash first with the University of Minnesota-Morris, then they will turn right around to play Milwaukee rival Alverno College at 2:00 pm CST.

The first game will be against Minnesota-Morris, a team that has yet to play MMU since joining NCAA. Last season, the Cougars finished with their most team wins since 1986. The year was highlighted by eight Cougars making it to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference All-Honors team at the season's end, half of which will be returning for this season's opener. UMM may have lost half of their UMAC first team players, but with the strength of their underclassmen last year, they could pose as an early obstacle for MMU.

After the first game, Mount Mary will face fellow Milwaukee all-women's institution, Alverno College. The two teams have not squared off since the 2013 season, but the overall series lead belongs to the Inferno as they are 12-0 over MMU since 2009. The Inferno have cooled off a bit since their strong 18-18 season in 2013, however, which was their school's best since joining NCAA Division III. Last year, the Inferno finished at 12-25, but will return their senior pitcher Erin Dulek, who has started 51 games with a 3.36 ERA in her career at Alverno.

Since last year, Blue Angels head softball coach Tim Edwards has been active recruiting players, and working with his team to sharpen up their skills. With the addition of eight freshmen, and one transfer to the Blue Angels lineup, the MMU roster is full of potential this season.

The Blue Angels have a full plate of games this week, after tomorrow's doubleheader, it will be a quick rest for MMU. An early morning game to start things off on Sunday March 8th, when MMU will face off against Swarthmore College at 8:00 am CST. The Blue Angels will face New Jersey City College at 10:00 am CST to complete the Sunday doubleheader.