Throughout the 2017 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 the NCAA Division I, II & III.
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 Florida (44-3, 18-2 SEC) at No. 11 Tennessee (41-6, 13-4 SEC)
April 28-30 / 6 p.m. / 2 p.m. / 1 p.m. EST | Sherri Lee Parker Stadium | Knoxville, Tenn.
Follow: Live Stats (G1 / G2 / G3) | Watch (G1 / G2 / G3 [ESPN2]) | Listen (UF / UT [G1 / G2 / G3])
On Twitter: @GatorsSB | @Vol_Softball
Series: Florida leads the series, 47-25 with the Gators winning the last four, including a series sweep in Gainesville last year... UT did win the last three in Knoxville, sweeping UF in 2014.
Florida (Preview): The Gators wrap up SEC play this weekend... For the third consecutive week, Kelly Barnhill was tabbed as SEC Pitcher of the Week... Since 2007, Florida is the winningest NCAA Division I softball program with a total of 609 wins to 106 losses for a staggering 0.851 win percentage... The Gators hold a 20-2 record against Top 25 competition this season with a combined total of 14 shutouts... Added to the impressive statistic of 14 shutouts is the fact that Florida has held an additional six opponents to just one run... Florida currently leads the nation with 29 shutouts on the season... Barnhill alone has 10 shutouts this season which is equal to or better than 253 other Division I programs... The Gators boast one of the nation's best defenses with fielding percentage of .986... For the past two years Florida finished the season with top national marks of 0.984 (2016), a program record, and 0.981 (2015). This year's squad has improved from the past two seasons with the nation's leading fielding percentage of 0.986...The trio of Barnhill (0.17 ERA), Aleshia Ocasio (0.86 ERA) and Delanie Gourley (0.94 ERA) all rank inside the Top 10 for the nation's best ERA... The current SEC record for ERA is 0.35 set by Trinity Johnson of South Carolina in 1997, while Stacy Nelson (0.61) set the UF record in 2009.
Tennessee (Preview / Notes): UT had its 20-game win streak snapped in Sunday's series finale at No. 16 LSU after taking the first two games of the series... Tennessee has been dominant at home this season with a 22-1 record at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium... The Vols have outscored opponents, 164-40, at home and are 6-0 against ranked teams... The Big Orange are a staggering 101-11 in regular-season home contests over the past five years... The Vols have had great success against ranked opponents this season, posting a 13-4 record against such teams... Tennessee has won 12 of its last 13 games against ranked foes after going 2-1 at then No. 16 LSU last weekend... Florida will be the ninth ranked opponent UT has faced this season... UT's pitching staff boasts the NCAA's 11th best ERA at 1.62... The duo of Matty Moss and Caylan Arnold have a compbined 39 wins and 266 strikeouts, with Moss' 143 ranking fifth in the SEC, while Arnold's 123 is the most since Ellen Renfroe in 2011.
No. 5 Texas A&M (40-5, 14-3 SEC) at No. 18 Kentucky (32-13, 9-9 SEC)
April 28-30 - 6 p.m. / / 3 p.m. / 1 p.m. EST | John Crop Stadium | Lexington, Ky.
Follow: Live Stats (G1 / G2 / G3) | Watch (G1 / G2 / G3) | Listen (A&M)
On Twitter: @aggiesoftball | @UKSoftball
Series: Texas A&M and Kentucky have met six times in school history with both schools winning three games... The teams first met in 2014 in Lexington, Ky., where the Aggies won the first game, 6-1, but fell in the last two... In 2015, the Wildcats traveled to College Station where Texas A&M won the first two games of the series, but fell in the finale.
Texas A&M (Preview): The Aggies are coming off a sweep of Georgia for their sixth conference series victory of the season... Riley Sartain leads the team with a .387 average with 11 home runs and 39 RBI... Kristen Cuyos and Tori Vidales have each added 10 home runs, while Cuyos is second on the team with 37 RBI... The Aggies hold a 1.41 team ERA, led by Trinity Harrington (12-2, 1.20) and Samantha Show (16-3, 1.42 ERA)... Lexi Smith is 11-0 on the year and has a 1.46 ERA.
Kentucky (Preview / Notes): The Wildcats are riding a six-game winning streak into the weekend after a pair on mid-week non-conference victories over Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin... Kentucky's offensive prowess has found its way back the last several weeks, as the Wildcats currently have four batters hitting over .300 on the season paced by Bailey Vick, who is at .350... Abbey Cheek, who has homers in two of the last four games, is in at .333 with 10 long balls on the season and a team-leading 33 RBI... In the circle for the Wildcats, Erin Rethlake leads the way with a 1.36 ERA on the season... Meagan Prince is tops in the wins department with 16... She has thrown over 140 innings this season, walking 32 and striking out 148.
Ball State (29-21, 13-5 MAC West) at Central Michigan (31-13, 13-5 MAC West)
April 28-29 - 3 p.m. / 1 p.m. (DH) EST | Margo Jonker Stadium | Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Follow: Live Stats | Watch ($)
On Twitter: @BallStateSB | @CMUSoftball
Stats: Ball State | CMU
Series: The teams enter the second-to-last weekend of the regular season tied for the Mid-American Conference West Division lead and share the best overall league records... The Chippewas hold a 69-29 lead in the all-time series after taking two of three games between the two teams last season.
Ball State (Preview): The Cardinals have won all six of their conference series this season, which included one sweep of Miami, who is atop the East Division... Over the last nine seasons, Ball State has proven to be the MAC's premier program by compiling a 130-52 (.714) league record... Following a 7-14 start, the Cardinals are 22-7 over their last 29 games... During that stretch, Ball State pitchers have combined for a 2.16 ERA and held opponents to a .209 average... Since March 10, Carolyn Wilmes has compiled an 11-2 mark with a 2.03 ERA in 76 innings of work, holding opponents to a .177 average and fanning 77... Haley Dominique tops the squad with .326 average, along with 10 double and 15 RBI... Rachel Houck is batting .317 with team-best 16 doubles, 11 homers, 31 RBI, 47 runs scored and a .611 slugging percentage... Additionaly, she is a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen bases.
Central Michigan: The Chippewas are coming off a dramatic walk-off win over Michigan State which saw Erika Underwood launch a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the seveth to claim a 6-2 win... CMU has won nine of its last 11 games and is 30-7 since starting the season 1-6... The Chippewas have guaranteed themselves a 30-win season for the fourth consecutive year... Rachel Knapp leads the pitching staff with an 18-8 record, 1.36 ERA and 217 strikeouts in 185 inning of work.. She has ten shutouts and held her opposition to a .192 batting average... Allison Curtis is hitting at a .404 clip with 57 hits, nine doubles, five triples and 37 runs scored... Underwood is tied with Rachel Vieira for the team lead in home runs (5)... Vieira leads CMU with 25 RBI, while Lacy Tolfree is hitting .348 with seven doubles, and team-high 38 runs scored.
Other Notable DI Games (All Times Eastern)
April 28
6 p.m. - RV North Carolina at No. 2 Florida State - Live Stats | Listen (FSU)
9 p.m. - No. 23 Arizona State at No. 3 Arizona - Live Stats | Watch
April 29
1 p.m. - RV North Carolina at No. 2 Florida State - Live Stats | Listen (FSU)
3 p.m. - No. 13 Alabama at No. 20 Ole Miss - Live Stats | Watch | Listen (Alabama)
9 p.m. - No. 23 Arizona State at No. 3 Arizona - Live Stats | Watch
April 30
Noon - RV North Carolina at No. 2 Florida State - Live Stats | Listen (FSU)
7 p.m. - No. 13 Alabama at No. 20 Ole Miss - Live Stats | Watch | Listen (Alabama)
8 p.m. - No. 23 Arizona State at No. 3 Arizona - Live Stats | Watch
May 1
7 p.m. - No. 13 Alabama at No. 20 Ole Miss - Live Stats | Watch | Listen (Alabama)
DII
No. 3 Cal State Monterey Bay (41-8, 29-6 CCAA) at No. 9 Humboldt State (33-11, 21-10 CCAA)
April 28-29| 1 p.m. (DH) / 11 a.m. (DH) PST | Humboldt State Softball Field | Arcata, Calif.
Follow: Live Stats | Watch
On Twitter: @CSUMBSoftball | @HSUJACKS
Stats: CSUMB | Humboldt State
CSUMB: The Otters hold steady at No. 1 in the NCAA DII West Region rankings... CSUMB took three-of-four from then-No. 15 Chico State last week and clinched the No. 1seed in next week's CCAA tournament... Julia Garcia was named Top 25 finalist for Schutt Sports/NFCA Division Natiional Player of the Year... She is in contention to win the CCAA "triple crown," entering the week leading the league in batting average (.43), home runs (13) and RBI (55)... In the circle, Hayley Fein is 27-7 with a 1.83 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 199.1 innings... She has nine shutouts and held opponents to a .232 average.
Humboldt State: The Jacks are looking to rebound from a series loss at Sonoma State in which they salvaged a win in the final contest... They are currently eighth in the NCAA West Region rankings... Winona Vigil leads the HSU offense with a .367 average... Tiffany Hollingsworth is hitting .349 with 51 hits, eigh doubles, six home runs and 37 RBI... Breonna Bejaran has launched a team-best nine homers and Kelly Sonnemann has scored a team-high 39 runs... In the circle, Madison Williams is 15-8 with a 1.65 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 136 innings of work... Kalyn Paque si 15-3 with a 2.25 ERA and 87 punchouts in 124.2 innings.
Other notable DII Games (All times ET)
April 28
3 p.m. (DH) - No. 5 Southern Indiana at RV UMSL - Live Stats | Watch
DIII
Radolph (xx) vs. No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan (xx)
April 28 | Noon ET | ODAC Tournament | Moyer Sports Complex | Salem, Va.
Follow: Live Stats
On Twitter: @RandolphSoftball | @VWCSOFTBALL
Stats: Randolph | Virginia Wesleyan
Randolph: The (24-16) WildCats enter the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament winners of eight of their last 12, including a doubleheader sweep of Shenendoah last Friday to close the regular season and lock up the No. 8 seed. … In their matchup earlier this season, Randolph dropped a twinbill to the Marlins, 2-1 and 7-0. … Junior Lauren Morris (.446, four doubles, three homers, 20 RBI) and freshmen Abbi Pannill (.444) and Kate Hodgkiss (.425, 45 runs, eight doubles) are all hitting over .400 for the WildCats, while senior Hunter Glave (10 doubles, four homers, seven steals, 29 RBI), the school’s career RBI leader, follows close behind at .398. … In the circle, sophomore Lindsey Chaney (9-8, 2.59 ERA, 88 strikeouts) leads a five-deep pitching staff, that also includes Pannill (6-3, 3.28), Morris (4-2, 4.43), senior Maggie Goldberg (3-3, 3.92) and junior Jordyn Knapp (won her one start).
Virginia Wesleyan: The top-ranked team in the NFCA Division III Top 25 and the top seed in the ODAC Tournament, the (39-1) Marlins comes into the event riding a 23-game win streak. … The Marlins rolled through league play a perfect 20-0, thanks to the powerful left arm of Hanna Hull (21-1, 0.43 ERA, 235 strikeouts and just 52 hits and 37 walks over 129.1 innings). … Virginia Wesleyan’s balanced offense is equally formidable, highlighted by the quartet of juniors Cassetty Howerin (.471, 41 runs, 10 doubles, 10 homers, 44 RBI, 21 steals) and Kiersten Richardson (.405, 55 runs, 16 doubles, four homers, 50 steals), sophomore Beth Ford (.359, three doubles, 19 steals) and senior Blake Henderson (.327, eight doubles, five homers, 31 RBI).
Other notable DIII Games (All times ET)
April 28
Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament
2 p.m. — Eastern Mennonite vs. No. 16 Randolph-Macon - Live stats
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament
5 p.m. — University of Dallas/Schreiner winner vs. No. 5 Texas Lutheran - Live stats | Live video
April 28-30
American Southwest Conference Tournament
(includes No. 2 Texas-Tylertexa, No. 10 ETBU & No. 12 Texas-Dallas)
Tournament Central | Live stats | Live video
April 29
2 & 4 p.m. — Simpson at No. 4 Luther — Live audio | Live video
April 30
Southern Athletic Association Tournament Championship Game
Noon — Millsapsberr at No. 3 Berry — Live stats | Live video
