Seahawks softball team will play in Cowtown Classic / CANCELED

[LamarStatesports]

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will take their annual trip Fort Worth this Friday to compete in the two-day Cowtown Classic Tournament, which features teams from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Lamar State started the 2011 season this past weekend at the Galveston College Invitational Tournament, which was shortened due to cold weather.

The home opener, originally scheduled for Feb.3, took place Monday with the Seahawks dropping both games of the doubleheader to Temple College, the defending Region V champion.

Although his team still is looking for its first win, LSC-PA head coach Vance Edwards isn’t worried.

“Early season games count in our overall record, but they really doesn’t make any difference in how our season turns out,” Edwards said. “We didn’t get a chance to play very much in the fall, and we have a lot of talented freshman. So, we're looking to improve every game. If we can eliminate the fundamental mistakes, we will be on track to have a successful season when the conference games begin in March.”

The Seahawks open this weekend’s action at 11 a.m. Friday against Cloud County Community College from Concordia, Kansas. At 4 p.m., Lamar State plays Hill College from Hillsboro, Texas.

Saturday’s tournament pairings will be announced Friday evening.

Lamar State will be home Feb. 15 for a doubleheader with Louisiana State University-Eunice.

[LamarStatesports]

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team didn’t take their annual trip Fort Worth today to compete in the two-day Cowtown Classic Tournament, which would have included teams from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

The winter storm and remaining cold temperatures forced the cancellation of the Cowtown tournament, just as it wiped out Lamar State’s games at the Feb. 5-6 Northeast Texas College Tournament in Mt. Pleasant.

Last week, LSC-PA head coach Vance Edwards arranged for the Seahawks to play in the Galveston College Invitational Tournament, which also was shortened due to cold weather.

This week, Edwards managed to book two games on Saturday at the Angelina College softball field in Lufkin, where the Seahawks will face conference rival Trinity Valley Community College at 10 a.m. and Labette Community College from Parsons, Kansas, at noon.

“This is the second straight year that winter weather has affected our early season games,” Edwards said. “And those games are important because they help us get ready for the conference schedule, which begins this year on March 9.”

Trinity Valley and Lamar State both finished the 2010 season in the bottom half of the Region XIV standings. Neither team qualified for the post-season tournament.

Labette reached the 2010 Region VI championship game, where they lost to Johnson County College. The Cardinals are ranked No. 16 in the nation in this year’s NJCAA’s Division II pre-season poll.

Weather forecasts predict much warmer weather on Tuesday, when Lamar State will be home for a 1 p.m. doubleheader with Louisiana State University-Eunice.