ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Hampton University softball team will compete in the University of New Mexico Lobo Classic on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Lobo Softball Field, playing five games over that three-day span.

The Lady Pirates (0-4) will take on Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW) on Friday at 1:15 p.m. EST, before taking on host New Mexico at 5:45. Hampton will against face New Mexico on Saturday at 11 a.m. EST, before facing Central Michigan at 3:30 p.m.

Sunday will see the Lady Pirates square off against Bradley at 11 a.m. EST.

This will be the second of six in-season tournaments for the Lady Pirates in 2013.

Hampton opened the 2013 season this past weekend in the LSU Tiger Classic Challenge, competing tough over four games – two of which were against ranked opponents. In a 9-3 loss to No. 10 LSU, the Lady Pirates were the only team to score against the Tigers during the tournament.

The Lady Pirates also fell 10-0 to No. 22 North Carolina, while also falling 3-0 to Tulsa and 4-0 to Purdue.

Sophomore Bianca Vallejo (Chandler, Ariz.) was named to the All-Tournament Team. She's hitting a team-best .273, with three hits in 11 at-bats on the young season.

Sophomore Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) leads the Lady Pirates with a 3.55 ERA, making three appearances already this season, recording seven strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched. Of the nine runs Jackson has given up so far this season, only five were earned.

The Lady Pirates were picked to finish third in the MEAC Northern Division this season, their third under head coach Trena Peel. Hampton returns five starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad – a team that went 25-33 (a 12-win improvement over 2011) and advanced to the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament.

There are also six newcomers on the Lady Pirates roster this season, in addition to a new coaching staff; Horace Smith III and Michael Pelegrino are serving as assistant coaches starting this season, while Kendra Knight is the team's graduate assistant.

The Lady Pirates are 0-1 all-time against Central Michigan, falling 5-1 on March 4 of last season in the University of South Florida Tournament, but have never faced IPFW, New Mexico, or Bradley.

For more information on Hampton University softball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.