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.
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. 2 Florida State (49-3-1) at No. 5 Oregon (41-6)
May 6-7 / 4:30 p.m. (DH) / 5 p.m. PST | Jane Sanders Stadium | Eugene, Ore.
Follow: Live Stats | Watch (G1 / G2 / G3) | Listen (Oregon / FSU)
On Twitter: @FSU_Softball | @OregonSB
Stats: Florida State | Oregon
Series: Oregon leads the all-time series vs. FSU, 5-4... The last time the Ducks and Seminoles met was in the first round of the 2014 Women's College World Series with the Ducks winning, 3-0... ... Florida State is sixth in the NCAA with a .341 average and fifth with a 1.34 team ERA.
Florida State (Preview): FSU topped No. 1 Florida, 3-1 in 11 innings in a 1-2 matchup on Wednesday in front of a record crowd of 2,509 at JoAnne Graf Field... Alex Powers hit a walk-off two-run homer, the second Seminole home run of the game... Jessica Warren left the yard in the first... It was the first two long balls hit off UF's Jessica Burroughs in 2017... The Seminoles finished undefeated in ACC play at 24-0... Warren leasd FUS with a .448 average, 20 homers and 63 RBI... Jessica Burroughs has a 1.00 ERA with 221 strikeouts in 154 innings.
Oregon (Preview / Notes): The Ducks are coming off a Cival War sweep of Oregon State, extending their winning streak over the Beavers to 15 games... Megan Kleist was tabbed Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 with zero runs and four hits allowed in 12 innings... Oregon ranks ninth in the country with a .325 batting average and eighth in the nation with a 1.40 ERA... Kleist is 16-3 with a 1.31 ERA and a team-best 113 strikeouts in 123.1 innings of work, while holding opponents to a .202 batting average... Maggie Balint is 17-3 with a 1.16 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 102.2 innings of work and is limiting opposing hitters to a .170 batting averaage...Nikki Udria has gotten on base every game but one this season, including the last 41 games... Udria is hitting .417 with a 58 hits, eight doubles, a team best 10 homers, 44 RBI and .691 slugging percentage and .515 OBP.
No. 11 Tennessee (42-8) at No. 8 Texas A&M (41-7, 15-5 SEC)
May 5-7 - 6 p.m. / 1 p.m. / noon CST | Aggie Softball Complex | College Station, Texas
Follow: Live Stats | Watch (G1 / G2 / G3) | Listen (A&M) Tennessee (G1 / G2 / G3)
On Twitter: @Vol_Softball | @aggiesoftball
Series: UT has won 10 of the 11 meetings, including a series sweep in Knoxville last year.
Tennessee (Preview / Notes): The Vols droped their last series at No. 1 Florida, salvaging game three with a 5-1 win after being blanked in games one and two... It was their first series loss since the middle of March... Offensively, UT is led by Meghan Gregg, who owns a .452 average with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 66 RBI... Matty Moss is 21-2 in the circle with a 1.50 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 149 innings of work, while holding the opposition to a .190 average.
Texas A&M (Preview): The Aggies look to rebound from their first SEC series loss of the season, dropping two-of-three at Kentucky last weekend... Texas A&M sits in second and owns a full game lead over the Vols as the 2-3-4 seeds for next week's SEC Tournament are still up for grabs... Riley Sartain leads the team with a .382 average, 11 home runs and 41 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 1.63 team ERA, led by Trinity Harrington (12-2, 1.37) and Samantha Show (17-4, 1.55 ERA). Lexi Smith claims an 11-1 record and a 1.58 ERA.
No. 3 Arizona at No. 12 UCLA (37-12, 11-7 Pac-12)
May 5-7 - 5 p.m. / 6 p.m. / 1 p.m. PST | Easton Stadium | Los Angeles, Calif.
Follow: Live Stats (G1 / G2 / G3) | Watch (G1 / G2 / G3) (G2 & G3 ESPN2)
On Twitter: @UA_Softball | @uclasoftball
Series: Arizona and UCLA have combined to win 19 NCAA Championships and both have teams competing to host not only regionals, but to grab one of the top eight seeds and put themselves in a position to host super regionals this year... UCLA holds a 76-56 all-time record vs. Arizona and are the Wildcat's only opponent (minimum three games) to hold a winning record over the Wildcats.
Arizona (Preview / Notes): The Wildcats head to Westwood with a chance to clinch the league championship for the first time since 2007... Arizona has a 2.5 game lead on second-place Utah, but the Utes have six games remaining compared to just three for the Wildcats... In order to clinch, they would have to sweep the Bruins at Easton Stadium for the first time since 2003; the Wildcats have not won three straight in Westwood since 1993-94... Katiyana Mauga is heating up with 12 home runs in her last 53 at-bats, hitting .453 with 26 RBI in those 18 games... She has been named Pac-12 Player of the Week three of the last five weeks and four times overall this season... UA leads the Pac-12 in batting average (.342), slugging percentage (.604), on-base percentage (.438), runs scored (397), hits (468), RBI (359), doubles (81), home runs (87), walks (218), ERA (1.23), opposing batting average (.174), strikeouts (363) and fielding percentage (.977)... Danielle O'Toole is 26-3 with a 0.95 ERA... O'Toole, who is third in the NCAA is victories and fifth in ERA, has been named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week twice.
UCLA (Preview / Notes): The Bruins have won eight straight after a three-game sweep of Stanford last week... UCLA is tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with two weekends left in the regular season... Kylie Perez tops the Bruins lineup with a .400 average, 66 hits, 12 doubles and 33 runs scored... Delaney Spaulding is at .361 with 12 doubles, 11 homers, 32 RBI and 38 runs scored... Madeline Jelenicki has 12 doubles, 11 long balls and team-best 51 RBI, while Brianna Tautalafua leads the Bruins with 12 dingers... Rookie Rachel Garcia achors the staff with a 15-7 record and 1.97 ERA... She has 141 strikeouts and hold opponents to a .212 average in 135 innings... At the dish, Garcia is hitting .328 with nine doubles and 22 RBI.
Northern Iowa (29-18, 17-6 MVC) at Illinois State (30-17, 20-3 MVC)
May 6-7 - Noon (DH) / 11 a.m. CST | Marian Kneer Stadium | Normall, Ill.
Follow: Live Stats | Watch (G1 / G2) (ESPN3) | Listen (G3 only)
On Twitter: @UNISoftball | @RedbirdsSB
Stats: UNI | Illinois State
UNI: The Panthers grabbed two wins last weekend against Wichita State... Heading into the weekend, three games behind Illinois State and need a sweep to share a regular season crown with the Redbirds... Anna Varriano leads the squad with a .328 average, six doubles, eight home runs, 29 RBI and 22 runs scored, while Sammey Bunch is hitting .324 with 44 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, six long ball and 38 runs scored... Alyssa Buchanan is 12-2 with a 1.54 ERA, four shutouts and 93 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .200 average in 114 innings.. Jaci Spencer is 12-7 with four shutouts, 2.33 ERA and 127 punchouts in 117 innings of work.
Illinois State: The Redbirds enter the series riding an 11-game winning streak... ISU owns a three-game lead over UNI heading into the final league series of the regular season, needing one win to clinch the MVC regular season title... Jordan de los Reyes tops the squad with a .411 average, 60 hits, 14 doubles, 18 home runs, 66 RBI and a .890 slugging percentage... Shannon Felde is batting .410 with 27 RBI and 27 runs, while Allison Spence has 14 doubles, six homers and 30 RBI... In the circle, Sarah Finck has done the majority of the work with a 21-8 record, three shutouts and 71 punchouts in 187.2 innings.
Other Notable DI Games (All Times Eastern)
May 5
8 p.m. - No. 9 Auburn at No. 14 Alabama - Live Stats | Watch | Listen (Auburn / Alabama)
May 6
1 p.m. (DH) - North Florida at USC Upstate - Live Stats (G1 / G2) | Watch (G1 / G2)
8 p.m. - No. 9 Auburn at No. 14 Alabama - Live Stats | Watch (ESPN) | Listen (Auburn / Alabama)
May 7
1 p.m. - No. 9 Auburn at No. 14 Alabama - Live Stats | Watch (ESPN2) | Listen (Auburn / Alabama)
1 p.m. - North Florida at USC Upstate - Live Stats | Watch
DII
May 5-6 | Noon ET | Lone Star Tournament | Mayer Field | An Angelo, Texas
Texas Woman's/Tarleton State vs. No. 5 West Texas A&M (40-9)
Cameron/Texas A&M-Commerce at No. 1 Angelo State (51-4)
Follow: Tournament Central
