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 and III. Southeastern Conference play ramps up as No. 1 Florida heads to Jane B. Moore Field to face No. 3 Auburn, while sixth-ranked Alabama travels to No. 4 LSU. A big weekend in Division III is here as the NFCA Leadoff Classic pits some of the strongest Division III programs from around the country against each other during the three-day tournament.

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 TwitterTwitter (Periscope), InstagramInstagram and on FacebookFacebook and let us know what you think of our "Featured Five" segment.


DI - No. 1 Florida at No. 3 Auburn

March 12-14 (Sat.-Mon.) | 7:30 / 4:00 / 6:00 CT | Jane B. Moore FieldJane B. Moore Field | Auburn, Ala. | SEC SeriesSEC Series | SEC Network (All Games) | SEC ESPN GoSEC ESPN Go
TEAMS

 

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#1
Florida

24-0, 0-0

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* Extended undefeated start to 24 games with a doubleheader home sweep of South Dakota, posting a pair of 9-0 victories; Game two saw Delanie Gourley toss her second career no-hitter
* The pitching staff sports a 058 ERA with 14 shutouts, 203 strikeouts and a .141 batting average against; They have allowed just 13 runs in 145 innings and surrendered just one home run
* Aleshia Ocasio (7-0, 0.40) has tossed a staff-best 52.2 innings with three shutouts, 61 strikeouts to eight walks; Gourley (9-0, 0.44) has a team-high 74 strikeouts and four shutouts with a .119 batting average against; Kelly Barnhill (8-0, 0.93) also has four shutouts with 68 punchouts and a staff-low .105 opponents' batting average
* Offensively, the Gators are hitting a robust .363 with five starters hitting .410 or better led by Amanda Lorenz at .468 with six doubles, 20 RBI, 29 runs, 24 walks and a .614 OBP; Janelle Wheaton (.410) and Kayli Kvistad (.429) have knocked in 26 and 24 runs and hit five and three long balls respectively

#3
Auburn

22-1, 0-0

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* Posted a pair of shutouts against Tennessee State (7-0, 8-0) to extend winning streak to 14 games
* With the two shutouts, the pitching staff extended its scoreless streak to 40 innings over last six games
* On March 4, Kasey Cooper set the career home run record with her 43rd during a comeback win over Indiana
* Trailing Indiana 7-0, the Tigers battled back for a 8-7 win in eight innings for the program's biggest comeback
* The Tigers are hitting .391 with four batters hitting .431 or better, 34 home runs, 21 walks, .657 slugging and .507 on base percentages
* Cooper is hitting a cool .500 (31-62) with a team-high 10 doubles, seven long balls, 36 RBI, 1.032 slugging percentage and .631 OBP; Nearly flawless at the hot corner, making one miscue for a .984 fielding percentage
* Tiffany Howard owns a team-best .545 batting average, 42 hits and 35 runs, along with a .493 OBP
* Tigers own a .975 field percentage and the pitching staff has recorded a .0.96 ERA with 13 shutouts and held opponents to a .171 batting average
* Pitching staff has five arms that have thrown 17.2 or more innings and made between eight and 10 appearances; Makayla Martin (5-0, 0.41 ERA), Kaylee Carson (5-0, 1.00 ERA), Marcy Harper (6-1, 1.69 ERA) have made the most starts; Harper has started eight times, tossed 37.1 innings and held the opposition to .197 batting average.


DI - No. 6 Alabama at No. 4 LSU

March 11-13 | 6:00 / 5:00 / 2:00 CT | Tiger ParkTiger Park | Baton Rouge, La.) | SEC SeriesSEC Series | SEC Network (G2 & G3) | SEC ESPN GoSEC ESPN Go (G2 & G3)
TEAMS

 

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#6
Alabama
21-2, 0-0

 

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Game Notes | StatisticsStatistics | AudioAudio

* The Crimson Tide rolled to a 10-0 win over Samford on Tuesday after a 4-1 showing at their Easton Crimson Classic
* Hitting .337 as a squad, Alabama has six starters batting between .372 to .500; The Tide have scored 167 runs and swiped 45 bases in 50 attempts
* Haylie McCleney is tops with a .500 batting average, three triples, .810 slugging percentage, 17 free passes and a eye-popping .661 OBP, along with 24 runs and seven stolen bases
* Peyton Grantham (.362) is leading the squad with six doubles, five long balls and 29 RBI; Demi Turner (.435) leads the team with 30 hits, six doubles and 25 runs
* The pitching staff is sporting a 1.62 ERA with nine shutouts and a .211 batting average against
* Sydney Littlejohn is 8-2 with a 1.56 ERA, four shutouts and 54 strikeouts in 58.1 innings... Alexis Osorio is 6-0 with a 1.74 ERA, two shutouts and a staff-low .165 batting average against in 48.1 innings... Madi Moore is also undefeated at 6-0 with staff-low 1.54 ERA, 25 strikeouts and a .241 batting average against

#4
LSU  21-2, 0-0

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* Posted two shutouts in a mid-week home twinbill against Longwood (4-0, 1-0)
* Carley Hoover was tabbed Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week after going 3-0 without allowing a run, surrendering just two hits and tossing a no-hitter against Tennessee Tech... She struck out 26 over 13.2 innings of work and held her opponents to .047 batting average
* LSU is hitting .374 with 182 runs, a .554 slugging percentage and .488 on base percentage
* Sahvanna Jaquish is hitting an even .500 (28-56) with a team-high seven long balls, 29 RBI, 24 runs, .964 slugging percentage and .633 OBP; Kelli Kloss (.353) has knocked in a team-best 28 RBI with four home runs and .500 OBP, while Bianka Bell (.469) has a team-best seven doubles and 24 runs, along with 22 RBI
* The staff has recorded a 0.97 ERA with nine shutouts, 168 strikeouts and a .198 opponents batting average
* Hoover is 8-0 with a 1.30 ERA, three shutouts, 74 strikeouts and a .188 oppoents batting average; Allie Walljasper (3-2) has a staff-low 0.42 ERA, while Sydney Smith (5-0) owns a team-best four shutouts with 39 punchouts and a .195 batting average against


DI - No. 9 James Madison at No. 21 Arizona State

March 13 | 11:30 a.m. AZ Time | Farrington Stadium Farrington Stadium | Temple, Ariz. | Louisville Slugger InvitationalLouisville Slugger Invitational
TEAMS

 

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#9
JMU18-1

CAACAA

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* The Dukes picked up a mid-week 6-1 road win at No. 18 Arizona to extend their winning streak to 16 games... Prior to that, they swept through the Wildcat Invitational, which included a 4-2 victory over the host Wildcats.
* The No. 9 ranking is the highest in program history
* JMU is 5-1 against Top-25 programs with three of those coming in true road games
* Jailyn Ford and Nikki Prince swept the CAA weekly honors for their play in the Wildcat Invitational
* Ford (7-0, 0.85, 59 K .145) and Megan Good (11-1, 0.81, 77 K, .141) bolster a pitching staff that owns a 1.40 ERA and holds opponets to a .167 batting average
* The offense hits .312 with 20 HR and 115 runs scored... Morgan Tolle and Erica Field hit .410 and .400, respectively; Tolle has a team-high 25 hits, five home runs and 21 RBI, while Field has four doubles, eight RBI and 13 runs scored; Four other JMU starters bat between .323 and .389

#21
arizonastate
18-5
Pac-12Pac-12

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* The Sun Devils are hosting their fourth and final home tournament before Pac-12 play commences
* ASU went 3-3 at the Judi Garman Classic, picking up wins over Wisconsin, Northwestern and then-No. 24 Baylor
* The Sun Devils have been ranked in the NFCA Coaches Poll for 161 consecutive weeks and are just five program to to be ranked since Week 6 of the 2006 season
* Hitting .346 as a squad with eight starters batting .306 or better... Hit 27 home runs, scored 151 runs and has a .427 OBP
* Nikki Girard is batting .397 with a team-best 25 hits and seven doubles; She has 21 RBI and has been spot on with runners in scoring position, hitting .586 (17-29; Jennifer Soria (.371) has scored a team-best 21 runs with five doubles and 16 RBI... Chelsea Gonzales (.356) has recorded a team-best seven long balls and 22 RBI
* Kelsey Kessler leads a pitching staff with a 7-3 record, 1.75 ERA, three shutouts and 71 strikeouts, while holding the opposition to a .226 batting average


 

Other Notable Division I Games

March 11
3:00 AZ -- No. 9 JMU vs. No. 23 NebraskaNebraska (12-4) | Louisville Slugger InvitationalLouisville Slugger Invitational | Tempe, Ariz. | Live StatsLive Stats | Nebraska AudioNebraska Audio
2:00 PT - No. 14 UCLAUCLA (13-8) vs. RV Mississippi StateMississippi State (17-3) | Louisville Slugger Invitational | Long Beach, Calif. | Live StatsLive Stats | MSU Radio
MSU Radio
5:00 ET - No. 22 BaylorBaylor (15-5) vs. RV CaliforniaCalifornia (11-6-1) | Hawai'i Spring Fling | Honolulu, Hawai'i | Live StatsLive StatsBaylor AudioBaylor Audio
6:00 CT - No 18 Arizona vs. RV TexasTexas (15-3) | Maverick ClassicMaverick Classic | Arlington, Texas | WatchWatch | ListenListen | Live Stats
Live Stats
6:00 AZ - No. 23 Nebraska at No. 21 Arizona State | Louisville Slugger Invitational | Tempe, Ariz. | Live StatsLive Stats | VideoVideoNebraska AudioNebraska Audio
7:30 PT - No. 8 WashingtonWashington (16-3) at No. 24 Fresno StateFresno State (13-5-2) | Frenso State ClassicFrenso State Classic | Live StatsLive Stats | VideoVideo 

March 12
10:00 a.m. AZ - No. 9 JMU vs. No. 23 Nebraska | Louisville Slugger InvitationalLouisville Slugger Invitational | Tempe, Ariz. | Live StatsLive Stats | Nebraska AudioNebraska Audio
6:00 CT - No. 18 ArizonaArizona (15-8) at RV UT ArlingtonUT Arlington (18-0) | Maverick ClassicMaverick Classic | Arlington, Texas | Live StatsLive Stats | Live StreamLive Stream
8:00 ET - No. 19 MinnesotaMinnesota (13-5) at RV Florida AtlanticFlorida Atlantic (19-2) | Parent's Weekend Tournament | Boca Raton, Fla. | Live Stats
5:30 PT - No. 8 Washington at No. 24 Fresno State | Frenso State Classic | Live StatsLive Stats | VideoVideo

March 13
12:30 PT - No. 14 UCLA at RV Long Beach StateLong Beach State (11-8) | Louisville Slugger Invitational | Long Beach, Calif. | Live StatsLive Stats


No. 10 Berry vs. No. 1 Texas-Tyler

March 11 | 12:00 ET | NFCA DIII Leadoff Classic | South Commons Softball Complex | Columbus, Ga.
TEAMS

 

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#1
texastyler

11-2

American Southwest ConferenceAmerican Southwest Conference

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StatisticsStatistics

* The Patriots once again are the unanimous No. 1 team in the NFCA Division III Top 25 this week — after receiving all but one of the first-place votes last week — to remain the top-ranked team in the nation for the third straight week
*The reigning NCAA runner-up swept three American Southwest Conference games from Mary Hardin-Baylor last weekend to improve to 9-0 in league play
*Tyler owns an 80-14 run-scoring advantage over its opponents this season and has a pitching staff ERA of 1.12 through 13 games
* Senior right-hander Kelsie Batten is now 90-15 in her career and has recorded 45 strikeouts in 52.2 innings this season, allowing just 27 hits
* Senior infielder Raven Rodriguez leads the Patriots with 22 hits this season and has a .500 batting average

#10
berry

10-1

South Atlantic AssociationSouth Atlantic Association

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After losing their season opener to Maryville (Tenn.) on Feb. 13, the Vikings have won 14 straight games
* On Wednesday, Berry set season bests for runs and hits in a 16-5 win at LaGrange College. The Vikings had 18 hits, including seven for extra bases, in the contest
* Berry defeated fellow NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic participant Piedmont, 8-2, on Feb. 28 at the William Peace Tournament
* Juniors Sarah Moore (.545), Karlie Jarrett (.533) and Brittany Farrell (.500) have all been successful half of the time or better at the plate this season as keys in the lineup
* Sophomore Kassie Howard (9-0, 1.16 ERA, 61K) and juniors Allie Coronado (4-1, 0.43 ERA) and Marie Collop (1-0, 7K in 7.2 innings) have been stingy in the circle for the Vikings.

 

No. 8 Virginia Wesleyan vs. No. 24 Kean

March 11 | 12:00 ET |NFCA DIII Leadoff Classic | South Commons Complex | Columbus, Ga.
TEAMS

 

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#8
virginiawesleyan

9-1

Midwest ConferenceMidwest Conference

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StatisticsStatistics

* After a season-opening split with then-No. 2 Salisbury, the Marlins have won eight straight
* Last weekend, Virginia Wesleyan won all four of its games at its own Beach Blast, outscoring opponents 38-8
* For the season, the Marlins have outscored their opponents 74-19, with sophomore Cassetty Howerin (13 runs, two doubles, five homers, 20 RBI), seniors Courtney Bogan (16 runs) and Kayla Malkos (10 runs) and junior Blake Henderson (10 RBI) doing much of the damage
* Senior Mary Shipp (5-0, 1.54 ERA, 27.1 innings) and freshman Kandis Kresinske (3-1, 1.72 ERA, 26K in 20.1 innings) have seen the bulk of the time in the circle, 47.2 of the team’s 61 innings
*Virginia Wesleyan has 50 stolen bases in 55 attempts over its first 10 games this season

#24
kean

3-5

Skyline ConferenceSkyline Conference

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Live Video

The Cougars were edged, 2-1, by 17th-ranked and fellow NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic participant Central (Iowa) on Wednesday at the Rebel Spring Games in Florida
* Kean lost later in the day, 10-4, to Carroll, in its final game before the Leadoff and is looking to snap a three-game slide
* Earlier in the tournament, junior Kiele Eichlin tossed her second shutout in as many days, as the Cougars defeated fellow NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic participant Trine,  8-0 in six innings
* Sophomore Katie Garbarino (.450, two doubles, five walks), juniors Emily Sabo (.379, 4 for 5 on steals) and Dana Knapp (.370, five extra-base hits, including two triples and two homers) and freshman Olivia Zengel (.379, six runs, four steals) have been the heartbeat of the Kean lineup
*The Cougars’ other wins were against Mitchell, 17-0 in their opener on Saturday, and Westminster, 5-3 on Tuesday

Other Notable Division DIII Games

March 11-13

2016 Division III Leadoff Classic has 13 nationally-ranked programs competing over a three-day span.
To check out all the matchups, head to our tournament central for scores and updates.

 


 

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