The Thundering Herd played its first games in a 25-game road stretch in the tournament that also featured Connecticut, Temple, and host University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. 

Stanton said she is excited about taking over the reigns. 

"I'm really anxious about this weekend," Stanton said. "I think that when you take over a new program you can't wait to get them out there and see what you have. You've evaluated them in practice and now you hope to get things off on the right foot." 

Natasha Johnson, a Chesterfield, Va., native and the team's lone senior, said she is excited about the season and Marshall's chances under Stanton. 

"The transition went very smoothly," Johnson said. "Coach has really been a positive force on this team. We have way more intensity and enthusiasm now. We're a totally new team." 

Stanton said a strong performance from the pitching staff and aggressiveness would be the keys to a successful weekend. 

"We're going to mix things up and look to the pitching staff to give us some good quality innings," she said. "Offensively we're going to look toward the top of the lineup for speed. We need to move runners over and get some clutch hits. 

"The biggest thing is that we can't wait for someone to come up with a big hit. We have to be aggressive at the plate and on the bases." 

Stanton said she is confident Marshall can win the tournament, or if nothing else, get a few big wins under its belt. 

"I feel very good about our chances," she said. "Chattanooga is probably the best team we'll play. They won the Southern Conference last year. UConn, Temple and Kentucky aren't traditionally strong in softball, but they're still big-name schools. 

"It's a good opportunity for us to go down there and get some big wins off of some well-known schools."

Story by Michelle James
Photos by Mike Andrick and Terri Blair