TIFTON — A year after qualifying for the state Final Four in Class AAAAA softball, the Tift County Lady Devils can make an immediate splash on the 2008 season.

Tift will open up a new campaign today by participating in a tournament at Sandy Creek High School in Atlanta.

After a scheduling change earlier this week, the Lady Devils’ first opponent will now be North Cobb, a team ranked 10th in the state preseason Class AAAAA poll. That game will be at 7:30 p.m. today.

After that contest, the Lady Devils will go right back out and face East Coweta at 9 p.m.

Coach Ivey Vickers’ team will then open up play Saturday at 11 a.m. with a game against Stockbridge. That will be followed at 12:30 p.m. with a game against Starr’s Mill, a squad ranked fifth in the state’s preseason Class AAAA poll.

After the pool play, the medal round will begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

“I hope we’re ready. We are going to have to play some good teams,” said Vickers. “But, I expect us to play well.”

Seniors Rachel Segers, Kelly Redlinger and Rebecca Johnson will lead the Lady Devils today. The team will have a big junior class with Kelsey Jones, Brittany Fore, Jessie Brooks, JuleeBeth Dunn, Destiny Hill, Jena Parrish and Amber McKenzie. Carly Smith, Tionna Barnes and Cadie Cleghorn will make up the team’s sophomore class, while the freshmen will be Kat Turner and Treyanna Dowdy.

The team managers are Katelyn Daniel and Jaclyn Harten.

“We are ready to play someone else,” Vickers said. “We are looking forward to the trip. It is always nice to go to Atlanta and play some of the top teams in the state.”