LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Throughout the 2015 softball season, those of us at the NFCA will feature some of the sport's highest-profile contests in our "Featured Five" Games of the Week segment.
Each weekly installment will be released on Thursday, providing live stat links, game notes, returnee info, Twitter accounts and any available broadcast links in hopes of becoming another source for fans to visit 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 match-ups throughout as many divisions as possible. This week's featured games come from NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA.
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 2015.
Make sure you follow the NFCA on social media through Twitter (@NFCAorg
) and on Facebook (NFCA) and let us know what you think of our new "Featured Five" segment.
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DIVISION I
#6 Alabama (32-9, 10-5) at #7 Auburn (40-6, 12-3) - SEC
Site: Jane B. Moore Field | Auburn, Ala.
Date/ Game Time: Fri. April 17 (7:30 CT) | Sat., April 18 (5:00 CT) | Sun., April 19 (1:00 CT)
Coverage: Live Stats (Fri. / Sat. / Sun.) | TV – ESPNU (Fri. & Sat.) | SEC Network+ (Sun.) | Alabama Radio
Preview (Notes): Alabama (Notes) | Auburn (Notes)
Follow them on Twitter: @AlabamaSB | @Auburn_Softball
* First time both teams face off as top-10 teams
Alabama After a weekend off from competition, Alabama posted midweek victories over UAB, 14-1, and NC State, 2-0, which extend its winning streak to six games… The Tide sit in fourth place in the SEC standings, a game behind LSU and Florida and two back of Auburn… Over that winning streak, the pitching staff has not allowed an earned run in the last 34 straight innings and just an one unearned run during that stretch… Sydney Littlejohn (1.12) and Alexis Osorio (1.81) both rank in the top 10 in the SEC in ERA, making Alabama, Florida and LSU the only schools with multiple pitchers in the top 10… The two also rank in the top five in opposing batting average… Osorio, who was named a to-25 finalist for NFCA National Division I Freshman of the Year, is 12-5 with 128 strikeouts, four shutouts and .173 opponents batting average in 108.1 innings of work, all team bests… Littlejohn with 14-1 with 58 strikeouts, four shutouts, and a .178 opponents batting average in 75.1 innings of work… Leslie Jury has pitched the second most innings (83.2) and is 7-3 with a 2.18 ERA, four shutouts, two saves and 83 strikeouts… Offensively, the Tide bat .332 led by Haylie McCleney and Demi Turner who are at .486 and .451, respectively… McCleney also leads the program with 48 runs, 40 walks, a .623 OBP and 25 stolen bases to go along with 52 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 32 RBI… Turner has a team-best 60 hits with five doubles, five triples, two long balls 30 RBI and 32 runs scored… Marisa Runyon powers the squad with 12 doubles, nine home runs, 48 RBI and a .775 slugging percentage, all team bests… Alabama also gets it done defensively with a .975 fielding percentage, second only to Florida (.976) in the SEC and has committed the fewest amount of errors (26) and is just one of two teams in the league to commit less than 30 miscues.
Auburn: The first-place Tigers, off to their best conference start in program history, hold a one-game lead over Florida and LSU and a two-game edge over bitter rival Alabama… Auburn reached the 40-win plateau for the second straight season and fifth time in program history… Auburn is fresh off its fifth straight SEC series victory, taking two-of-three at No. 23 Texas A&M last weekend… The Tigers won the opener, but dropped the first game of the Saturday doubleheader… They bounced back in a big way to earn the series win behind a complete-game from Rachael Walters and a two-home run, seven-RBI performance from Branndi Melero… Walters is 15-2 this season with a staff-best 2.37 ERA… She also leads the staff in strikeouts (91), opponents batting average (.229), innings (109.1), appearances (31) and complete games (7)… Melero is batting .346 with nine long balls, 46 RBI and 38 runs scored… The Tigers’ offensive juggernaut launched a NCAA-best 86 home runs, which include four players with 10-plus and three above 15… Emily Carosone and Jade Rhodes each have 17, while Kasey Cooper is right behind them with 16, all within striking distance of Cooper’s single-season mark of 18, set a season ago… Tiffany Howard has reached base safely in all 46 games, which included a season-high 16-game hitting streak… She leads the SEC with a .514 batting average and 71 hits and also has a team-best six triples and scored 60 runs… As a team, AU leads the SEC in average (.371), runs scored (412), doubles (70), slugging (.657), hits (450), OBP (.486), RBI (375) and home runs…. Along with her home runs, Carosone leads the team with 66 runs scored, 13 doubles, 66 RBI and .977 slugging percentage.
Some Additional Major Division I Games This Weekend:
No. 2 Florida at No. 11 Georgia (4/17-19 at 6:66 / 4:00 / 1:00 ET) SEC+ (Fri.) | ESPN2 (Sat.) / ESPNU (Sun.) | UF Radio | Live Stats (G1 / G2 / G3)
No. 12 Tennessee at RV Mississippi State (4/17-19 at 5:30 / 6:00 / 1:00 CT) SEC+ (G1 / G2 / G3) | Live Stats | UT Audio (G1 / G2 / G3)
No. 17 Baylor at No. 5 Oklahoma (4/16-18 at 8:00 / 6:30 / 12:00 CT) ESPN2 (Thurs.) | OU Audio | Baylor Audio | Live Stats
No. 24 Texas A&M at No. 3 LSU (4/18-20 at 6:00 CT) SECN+ (Sat.) | SECN (Sun. & Mon.) | LSU Audio | Live Stats
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No. 18 California (32-9, 5-7) at No. 8 UCLA (35-8, 9-3) – Pac-12
Site: Easton Stadium | Los Angeles, Calif.
Date (Game Time): Fri., April 17 (2:00 PT) | Sat., April 18 (3:30 PT) | Sun., April 19 (11:00 a.m.)
Coverage: Pac-12 Networks (G1 / G2 / G3) | UCLA Audio | Live Stats
Previews (Game Notes): California (Notes) | UCLA (Notes)
Follow them on Twitter: @CalSoftball | @UCLASoftball
California: California comes into this weekend’s series with five straight non-conference wins at home against Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara, as well as a three-game sweep last weekend versus UNLV... The Golden Bears are 5-7 in league play having won only one series so far this season, taking two-of-three from Oregon State… As a team, Cal is batting .346 with 35 home runs and 39 stolen bases, averaging 6.6 runs per game… Four players are batting over .400, led by freshman Jazmyn Jackson’s .440 average and team-best 14 steals… Jackson was named a top-25 finalist for the NFCA’s Division I Freshman of the Year… Senior Britt Vonk is second with a .423 average and 13 steals, senior Danielle Henderson is batting .411 and is second with 12 homers and 39 RBI and senior Cheyenne Cordes is hitting .404 with a team-leading 13 homers and 62 RBI… In the circle, sophomores Katie Sutherland-Finch and Stephanie Trzcinski have each pitched over 100 innings… Sutherland-Finch is 14-5 with a 2.93 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 121 2/3 innings, while Trzcinski is 13-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 104 innings.
UCLA: After dropping the final two games at Oregon, UCLA has won four straight, including Pac-12 road series sweep of Stanford last weekend… The Bruins erupted for 40 runs in the three contests and have scored 49 over the last four… They sit in second place in the league standing, a game ahead of Arizona… The Bruins rank in the NCAA’s top-20 in doubles (3rd - 80), OBP (4th - .467)., runs per game (7th - 7.72), slugging (16th - .567) and ERA (19th - 2.16)… Alexis Bennett is batting a team-best .508 with 63 hits, nine doubles, 20 RBI, 39 runs scored, a .530 OBP and 14 stolen bases… Delany Spaulding leads the squad with eight home runs, 45 RBI, a .726 slugging percentage and 43 runs scored…Ally Carda (.333) has contributed 13 doubles, five home runs, 37 RBI, 39 runs scored and a team-best 34 walks… In the circle, she is 18-4 with a 1.86 ERA, three saves and 201 strikeouts in 30 appearances, 19 starts and 139.1 innings, while holding her opposition to a .150 batting average.
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DIVISION II
#3 Missouri St. Louis (35-3, 20-2) at No. 10 Indianapolis (32-8, 17-3) – Great Lakes Valley Conference
Site: Baumgartner Field | Indianapolis, Ind.
Date/ Game Time: Sat., April 18 (12:00 / 2:00 ET)
Coverage: Live Stats
Follow them on Twitter: @UMSLSoftball | @UIndySoftball
UMSL: The Tritons are riding a 17-game winning streak entering this crucial GLVC road doubleheader at Indianapolis… UMSL can put some distance between the two teams as they are three games up in the win column and one in the loss column… The Tritons get it done both on the offensive side and in the circle… Two-time Louisville Slugger/NFCA DII National Pitcher of the Week, Hannah Perryman bolsters a pitching staff that has a 1.92 ERA and holds opponents to a .203 batting average… Perryman, a Schutt Sports DII National Player of the Year Finalist, has twirled three perfect games this season and four in her career, tying the DII all-time mark… She is 19-2 with a 1.55 ERA, nine shutouts, two saves and 248 strikeouts to just 20 walks in 126.2 innings and has held opponents to a .149 batting average… Brittni Chapman is 16-1 with a 2.26 ERA, two saves, 53 strikeouts, six walks and a .251 batting average against in 111.2 innings… Briana Butler leads and offense that is batting .338 with 350 hits, 60 doubles, 89 home runs and 262 runs scored… Five Tritons have launched 11-plus home runs and eight hit above .300… Butler leads the team with a .419 average, 16 home runs, 41 RBI, .507 OBP, 21 walks and a .897 slugging percentage… Alex Stupek (.388) matches Butler with 16 long balls and 41 RBI and also leads the team with 52 hits and 44 runs scored… Jennah Perryman (13), Katie Wood (11) and Katie Rutledge (11) join Butler and Stupek with double figure round trippers…
Indianapolis: Indianapolis enters this late-season GLVC matchup in second place behind this weekend’s opponent… The Greyhounds are coming off a mid-week non-conference doubleheader road sweep of Wheeling Jesuit… UIndy owns a .320 batting average with seven starter batting above .300… Erika Goodwin bats a team-best .389 with eight doubles, two triples, a home run, 17 RBI, 33 runs scored and 10 stolen bases… Natalie Lalich is at .374 with six doubles, eight long balls, 36 RBI and a .618 slugging percentage… Taylor Russell (.355) leads the squad with nine home runs, 47 RBI, while Casey Williamson (.342) has five doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 31 RBI, 33 runs scored, a .649 slugging percentage, .486 OBP and is 20-for-21 in stolen bases… In the circle, Schutt Sports DII National Player of the Year Finalist Morgan Foley is the workhorse for UIndy, totaling 168 of the 262 innings with 33 appearances and 24 starts… She is 24-4 with a 1.04 ERA, 16 complete games, five shutouts, three saves, 267 strikeouts and a .149 opponents batting average.
Some Additional Major Division II Games This Weekend:
No. 7 North Georgia at RV Young Harris (4/17 at 1:00 & 3:00) Live Stats
RV Young Harris at No. 8 Georgia College (4/18 at 1:00 & 3:00) Live Stats
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DIVISION III
No. 3 East Texas Baptist (23-2) vs. No. 11 Emory (28-4)
Site: Milsaps College Sports Complex | Jackson, Miss.
Dates/Game Times: Sat., April 18 at noon ET & Sun., April 19 at 2 p.m. ET
Follow them on Twitter: @ETBU_Softball | @EmorySoftball
East Texas Baptist: Sophomore utility player Jayme Perez (team-best .431 average, 22 runs, seven doubles, two triples six homers, 23 RBI) made a name for herself last year as the team’s slugger — a long list of tape-measure shots, including one off a light tower, will do that — and earned NFCA third team All-America recognition, but sophomore first baseman and fellow All-American Lacey Lindsey (.351, nine doubles, 13 walks) is actually the team home run leader (eight) and top RBI threat (32). … Sophomore outfielder Lindsey Vasquez (.407, nine steals), sophomore utility player Kaitlyn Hollingshead (.377, seven doubles, four homers, 13 walks, 23 RBI) and senior outfielder Kayla Garcia (.364, seven doubles, 14 steals) help fuel an offense hitting .333 and averaging 6.6 runs per game. … Graduate student Shelby Parker (14-0, 1.44 ERA, 11 complete games, three saves, 12 walks and 137 strikeouts over 92.2 innings) and junior Kelly Jo McLendon (8-1, 1.62 ERA, eight walks, 32 strikeouts over 60.1 innings) form a strong 1-2 punch in the circle. Pitching the lion’s share of the Tigers’ innings, the duo boasts an 8-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Emory: The Eagles are led by junior second baseman and NFCA first team All-American Hannah Sendel (.442, nine doubles, 11 homers, 41 RBI. 953 slugging percentage, .561 on-base average), one of three Emory players hitting .400 or better through the team’s first 32 games. … Senior catcher Micah Scharff (.402, 32 runs, 13 doubles, two homers, 23 RBI) and freshman second baseman Kelsey Alexander (.400 in limited action) are the others. … Sophomore left fielder Taylor Forte (.378, six doubles, 16 walks, four steals), freshman first baseman Ashley Powers (.371, 10 doubles, five homers, 26 RBI), sophomore third baseman Tara Fallahee (.361, 22 runs, eight doubles, four homers, 30 RBI) and junior center fielder Alyssa Pollard (.360, 28 runs, five doubles, seven steals) also play key roles in the lineup. … Junior Sydney Carpenter (15-1, 1.99 ERA, 61 hits, 38 walks and 91 strikeouts in 91.1 innings) and sophomore Brittany File (12-3, 2.34 ERA, 45 hits, 50 walks and 111 strikeouts in 83.2 innings) have split time nearly evenly in the circle, with freshmen Audrey Weller (1-0, 2.03 ERA, 13 strikeouts in 20.2 innings) and Jacky Farrow (0-0, 2.47 ERA over 11.1 innings) also seeing time.
Other highlighted Division III games:
No. 4 Luther (30-2) at No. 13 Central (25-8) (4/18 at 3 p.m. ET) LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
No. 10 North Central (21-1) at No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan (24-6) (4/18 at 2 & 4 p.m. ET) LIVE STATS
No. 11 Emory (28-4) vs. No. 16 Louisiana College (23-6) (4/18 at 2:30 p.m. ET)
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NAIA
No. 17 Concordia (Ore) (36-12, 17-5) at No. 23 Corban (33-13, 16-8) – Cascade Collegiate Conference
Site: Warrior Field | Salem, Ore.
Date/Game Time: Sat., April 18 (11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. PT)
Coverage: Live Stats | Video
Follow them on Twitter: @gocugo | @corbansoftball
Concordia: The Cavaliers hold a one-game lead over the Warriors in the CCC standings… Concordia is even in losses with first-place Oregon Tech, but has two fewer wins heading this weekend… They have won four straight and 15 of the last 17 games… Concordia is coming of twinbill sweep of Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho last weekend… Kelsey Merriett bats a team-best .422 with 31 runs scored and nine stolen bases… Meghan Luebbert is hitting .380 with a team-best, 15 doubles, 51 RBI, 32 walks and 52 runs scored along with nine home runs and 11 stolen bases… Kate Santos (.378) leads the squad with 12 long balls and 13 thefts, and has 56 hits, 14 doubles, 48 RBI and 14 runs scored… Destinee Changes is hitting .376 with a team-high 64 hits as well as 10 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 35 RBI and 31 runs, while Tyalor Bussey (.336) has 46 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, 11 round trippers, 41 RBI and 44 runs scored… Lucy Baldovino logged a staff-high 167.2 innings with 35 appearances and 22 starts; She is 20-3 in the circle with a 3.34 ERA, three shutouts and 127 strikeouts
Corban: Entering the final weekend of their regular season, the Warriors are currently one-game back of Concordia with four games left on the docket… Corban will face Northwest University on Friday before clashing with Concordia on Saturday… The Warriors have split their last three league doubleheaders… They hit .329 as a team with 310 runs, 75 doubles and 56 home runs… Jamie Costa is hitting .438 with seven home runs and 30 RBI… Kyrianna Sorensen is hitting .408 with 58 hits, eight doubles, 11 long balls, 47 RBI, 40 runs scored, 22 walks and a .485 on base percentage… Anne Binschus (.375) leads the squad with 15 doubles, along with seven home runs, 39 RBI and 31 runs scored, while Danielle Ackerman has scored a team-high 41 runs… Four pitchers have seen between 51.2 and 96 innings this season… Jessica Holsinger is 9-3 with a 2.75 ERA, 98 strikeouts and a .218 batting average against in 86.2 innings... Danielle Horne is 6-1 with a staff-low 2.03 ERA and two saves, while Emily Buhrkuhl has appeared in 20 games, started 19, logging 96 inning sand is 13-5 with 69 punchouts.
Other Highlighted NAIA Games
No. 16 Thomas at RV Southeastern (4/17 at10:00 a.m. & 12:00 ET) Live Stats (G1 / G2) | Video
RV Indiana Wesleyan at No. 24 Marian (4/17 at 3:00 ET/ DH) Live Stats | Video
No. 13 USCB at RV Southeastern (4/18 at 1:00 ET) Live Stats | Video
No. 1 Oklahoma City at No. 20 Science & Arts (4/18 at 1:00 & 3:00) Live Stats
