LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Throughout the 2016 softball season, the NFCA will feature some of the sport's highest-profile contests in our "Featured Five" Games of the Week.
Each weekly installment will be released on Thursday, providing live stat links, game notes, team info, social media accounts and any available broadcast links in hopes of becoming another reason for fans to visit us during the season for information on some of collegiate softball's best games.
As the year continues, we will attempt to expand our focus to include matchups throughout as many divisions as possible. This week's featured games come from NCAA Division I, II and III.
We may not be able to highlight every division or big game each week, but our hope is to provide a spotlight for as many different teams and games as possible throughout 2016.
Make sure you follow the NFCA on our social media (NFCAorg) through Twitter
(Periscope), Instagram and on Facebook and let us know what you think of our "Featured Five" segment.
DI - No. 1 Michigan at RV Nebraska
April 8-10 (Fri.-Sun.) | 7:30 / 1:00 / 12:00 CT | Bowlin Stadium | Lincoln, Neb. | Big Ten Series | Big Ten Network (Fri. & Sun.)
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#1 27-3, 5-1 |
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Game Notes * Head coach Carol Hutchins surpassed Fresno State coach Margie Wright (1,457, 1980-2012) as the all-time winningest coach in NCAA softball. Win No. 1,458 came on April 2 during a three-game sweep at Indiana. Hutchins has compiled a 1,459-474-4 record in 33 seasons as a NCAA head coach * Sierra Romero was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week after boasting a .875 average (7-for-8) with a 2.250 slugging percentage and .923 on-base percentage in the Wolverines' weekend sweep at Indiana. She tallied seven runs scored and six runs batted in and boasted five extra-base hits with three homers -- one in each game -- and a pair of doubles * Megan Betsa surpassed 600 career strikeouts with 17 over nine innings pitched in the Indiana series. With 616 now her career, she moved to sixth place among U-M's all-time strikeout leaders, passing Sara Griffin (602, 1995-98) |
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RV 24-11, 5-3 |
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Game Notes | Statistics Team BA: .318 | Team ERA: 3.92 | Runs Scored: 222 | Runs Allowed: 159 * Coming off a mid-week Big Ten twin bill sweep of Iowa, including a walk-off in game one* Friday’s game with Michigan will mark Nebraska’s 100th Big Ten Conference game... It will also mark the first time NU has ever hosted the No. 1 team * Rhonda Revelle became the 12th active Division I coach to win 900 games at his or her current school in Nebraska’s 26-4 win at Maryland on Sunday * The Huskers set a school record with their 26 runs, breaking the previous record of 23 runs against UMKC on April 11, 1996.. It was only the third time Nebraska has scored 20 runs in a game and the first time the Huskers have ever scored 20 runs in a conference game * MJ Knighten ranks third nationally with 17 home runs, seventh with 46 RBIs and eighth with a .903 slugging percentage |
DI - No. 10 Georgia at No. 15 Missouri
April 8-10 | 6:30 / 5:00 / 12:00 CT | University Field | Columbia, Mo. | SEC Series
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#10 |
Game Notes | Statistics Team BA: .367 | Team ERA: 2.18 | Runs Scored: 278 | Runs Allowed: 95 * The Bulldogs were defeated in two of three against LSU in their last SEC series... Prior to that, they swept Texas A&M * Georgia ranks third in the NCAA in batting average, seventh in OBP (.452) and 10th in slugging (.543) * Sisters Cortni (.465) and Sydni Emanuel (.465) pace a high-powered offense with four players at .429 or better and four more above .350... They also have identical OBPs (.514) with Cortni leading the Bulldogs in runs (42), hits (60) and stolen bases (24) * Tina Iosefa (.386) clocks in with big power numbers of 12 home runs and 51 RBI, while Kaylee Puailoa has 43 RBI and Alex Hugo has registered 32 RBI, 40 runs scored and 29 free passes |
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#15
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Live Stats (G1 Team BA: .343 | Team ERA: 3.06 | Runs Scored: 247 | Runs Allowed: 125 * The Tigers took 2-of-3 from Tennessee in Columbia last week |
DI - No. 14 Oklahoma at No. 19 Baylor
April 8-10 | 6:30 / 4:00 / 2:00 CT | Getterman Stadium | Waco, Texas | Big 12 Series | ESPN2 (Sunday)
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#14 |
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Team BA: .334 | Team ERA: 1.65 | Runs Scored: 319 | Runs Allowed: 60 * Oklahoma has a 50-12 (.806) all-time advantage over Baylor, including a 21-6 (.750) mark in Waco... The Sooners have won eight of their past 10 games in Waco... OU head coach Patty Gasso is 42-9 (.824) all-time against the Bears* The Sooners have not lost a regular season series to Baylor since being swept in the 2004 season, going 7-0-4 since then * Through April 3, among all active pitchers with at least 200 career IP, Paige Parker is eighth with a career ERA of 1.72 and 21st with 15 shutouts ... Erin Miller is tied for 18th among active NCAA players with 11 career triples ... Kelsey Stevens is eighth among active pitchers with 69 career wins, ninth with 19 shutouts, 10th with 103 career starts, 13th with 133 appearances, 15th with 7.65 K/IP (min. 400 IP), 19th with 588 strikeouts and 38th with 538.3 career innings pitched * Every one of Oklahoma's main offensive starters has a batting average of at least .333 ... the Sooners are hitting .306 in Big 12 play, while opponents are batting just .157 * Oklahoma is the only program to be ranked every week of the NFCA poll, 314 straight polls |
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#19
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Game Notes Team BA: .318 | Team ERA: 2.23 | Runs Scored: 227 | Runs Allowed: 101 * The Bears edged Lamar in a 5-4 comeback victory on Tuesday night* Baylor has won five straight and 12 of its last 13 contests... The only defeat during that stretch is a 4-3 loss at No. 5 Louisiana Lafayette, the second game of a twin bill split with the Ragin' Cajuns * Reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the week Heather Stearns is 15-2 with a 1.31 ERA, five shutous, six saves, 138 strikeouts and 28 walks in 112.1 innings... She has held her opponents to a .179 average in 26 appearances.. She is second in the NCAA in saves and 13th in ERA * Sarah Smith paces the offense with team-high .430 batting average, 37 RBI, .720 slugging percentage and .512 OBP... Jessie Scroggins (.361) has scored a team-best 31 runs and leads the Bears with 13 doubles and 12 stolen bases... Linsey Hayes (.313) has launched 10 homers and added 11 doubles, 33 RBI and 30 runs scored |
Other Notable Division I Games
April 8
6:00 ET - No. 11 Texas A&M (31-6, 5-4 SEC) at No. 17 Tennessee (28-10, 7-5) | Audio (A&M / UT) | Live Stats | SEC Network+
5:00 PT - No. 12 Washington (23-8, 4-5 Pac-12) at No. 21 Arizona State (27-10, 3-3) | Live Stats | Pac 12 Networks
April 9
12:00 ET - No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 17 Tennessee | Audio (A&M / UT) | Live Stats | ESPNU
2:00 CT - No. 16 Kentucky (31-4, 8-4) at No. 8 LSU (29-9, 5-7 SEC) | Live Stats | ESPN | Audio (LSU)
7:00 PT - No. 12 Washington at No. 21 Arizona State | Live Stats | Video
April 10
1:30 ET - No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 17 Tennessee | Audio (A&M / UT) | Live Stats | SEC Network +
3:00 PT - No. 12 Washington at No. 21 Arizona State | Live Stats | Pac 12 Networks
6:00 CT - No. 16 Kentucky at No. 8 LSU | Live Stats | SEC+ | Audio (LSU)
DII - No. 23 Southern Arkansas at No. 5 Arkansas Tech
April 8-9 | 3:00 (DH) / 12:00 (DH) CT | Chartwells Women's Sports Complex | Russellville, Ark. |Great American Conference Series
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#23 31-4, 23-4 |
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Team BA: .340 | Team ERA: 1.50 | Runs Scored: 243 | Runs Allowed: 57 * SAU is coming off a four-game league sweep of Harding* Ranked in the NFCA Division II Top-25 Coach's Poll for the first time in program history * SAU boasts league bests in team ERA (1.47), fielding percentage (.973) and batting average (.340) * Brooke Goad leads the squad, batting .423 with 16 home runs, 39 RBI, .971 slugging percentage and .538 OBP. Darian Harris is right at .400 with 10 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 36 RBI * In the circle, Kimmy Beasley is 16-1 with a 1.32 ERA, a .186 opponent's batting average and 137 striketouts in 111.2 innings... Kaylee Garner (15-3) owns a 1.70 ERA with 113 strikeouts and a .166 batting average against in 99 innings * Head coach Jason Anderson (2nd year) is a 2001 graduate of Arkansas Tech |
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#5 36-3, 26-2 |
Preview Team BA: .327 | Team ERA: 1.76 | Runs Scored: 244 | Runs Allowed: 86 * Arkansas Tech is coming off a four-game GAC sweep of Arkansas-Monticello on the road to remain ranked fifth in the NFCA Top 25 poll... Have won nine straight |
Other Notable Division II Games
April 8
6:00 ET - No. 4 Saint Leo (31-1, 14-1 SSC) at Tampa (13-14, 5-7 SSC) | Live Stats
3 & 5:00 PT - No. 9 California Baptist (32-6, 15-3 PacWest) at No. 3 Dixie State (27-7, 15-3 PacWest) | Live Stats | Video
April 9
12 & 2:00 CT | RV Pittsburg State (33-10, 17-1 MIAA) at No. 18 Missouri Western (30-10, 15-3 MIAA) | Live Stats | Audio
1 & 3:00 ET | No. 4 Saint Leo at Tampa | Live Stats (G1 / G2)
12 & 2:00 PT - No. 9 California Baptist at No. 3 Dixie State| Live Stats | Video
DIII - No. 2 Emory at No. 14 Birmingham Southern
April 9 | 2 & 4:00 CT | BSC Softball Park | Birmingham, Ala.
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#2 31-1 |
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Team BA: .363 | Team ERA: 2.24 | Runs Scored: 276 | Runs Allowed: 67 * The Eagles have a 22-game Division III win streak, second only in school history to its 26-game win streak in 2011 |
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#14 12-6 |
Statistics | Live Stat | Video
Team BA: .356 | Team ERA: 2.40 | Runs Scored: 227 | Runs Allowed: 82 * The Panthers have won eight straight and 13 of their last 15 |
Other Notable Division III Games
April 8
2 & 4:00 CT — No. 1 Texas-Tyler (28-2) at Ozarks (7-18) | Hurie Softball Field | Clarksville, Ark. | Live Stats
April 9
1 & 3:00 CT — No. 3 Texas Lutheran (29-2) at University of Dallas (16-14) | Crusader Field | Irving, Texas | Live Stats (GM 1)| Live Stats (GM 2)| Live Video ($)
April 10
1 & 3 p.m. ET — No. 5 Virginia Wesleyan (22-5) at Shenandoah (8-16) | Henkel-Harris Field | Winchester, Va. | Live Stats (GM 1) | Live Stats (GM 2)
