The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Softball Travels to Jacksonville State for Tuesday Matchup
4/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
UAB (30-15) vs. Jacksonville State (32-15)
Tuesday, April 28 | 6 p.m. CT
Jacksonville, Ala. | University Field
Coverage: Live Video | Live Stats | Twitter | Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB softball team travels for its final midweek game of the 2015 regular season on Tuesday when the Blazers square off with in-state foe Jacksonville State at University Field.
First pitch for Tuesday night's game is slated for 6 p.m. CT. UAB hosted Jacksonville State on March 17 at UAB Softball Field, where the Blazers dropped a 7-2 decision to the Gamecocks.
UAB (30-15) enters Tuesday's matchup on a four-game win streak, including a series sweep this weekend over Southern Miss in the Blazers' final home series. UAB finished its home slate with a 13-3 record, including an 11-1 mark in home Conference USA games. The Blazers are 17-12 in games played away from UAB Softball Field this season.
Jacksonville State (32-15) enters the game with wins in six of its past seven games. Last weekend, the Gamecocks won their series against Belmont, including a 14-1 victory on Sunday. When playing at home this season, Jacksonville State is 14-2.
Live video and stats for Tuesday's game will be provided by Jacksonville State.
UAB Softball Among National Leaders
With the release of the NCAA's national statistical rankings on Monday, the UAB softball team and its members find themselves among the country's leaders in multiple categories.
As a team, UAB ranks 24th in the country and leads Conference USA in doubles per game (1.62 per game, 74 this season). Caitlin Attfield leads the team and ranks first in Conference USA with 15, while Sara Beth Williamson ranks second on the team and third in the league with 13.
Defensively, UAB ranks 21st in the country in both fielding percentage (.974) and in double plays turned per game (0.47 per game, 21 this season). Among Conference USA teams, the Blazers are ranked first in double plays per game and third in fielding percentage.
With a 7-for-10 weekend at the plate, Attfield climbed the national rankings in batting average, as the Blazers' leadoff hitter hoisted herself to seventh place and a .490 clip. Batting second behind her in the lineup, JoJo Fallen laid down three sacrifice bunts this weekend to bring her total to 15 and move to 10th in the nation in sacrifice hits per game.
Scouting Jacksonville State
Including this season's previous meeting, UAB and Jacksonville State have met on the softball diamond 32 times, with the Gamecocks holding a 17-15 all-time series edge. UAB has won six of the previous 10 matchups.
Jacksonville State leads the Ohio Valley Conference in home runs, doubles and slugging percentage. The Gamecocks are led at the plate by Sara Borders, who is batting .381 with a team-high 15 home runs, nine doubles and 44 runs batted in. Ella Denes leads the club with 12 doubles, and is hitting at a .346 clip with five home runs and 22 runs batted in.
Each of Cadi Oliver and Whitney Gillespie have seven home runs this season. Oliver ranks second on the team with 25 runs batted in and is one of seven players on the team with a .300 average or above, as she is batting .300 this year. Defensively, the Gamecocks have posted a .972 fielding percentage to rank second in the OVC.
Taylor West has pitched a team-high 115.1 innings this season, and is 10-4 with a 2.61 ERA and 94 strikeouts. Logan Green has won a team-best 12 games, and has a 2.47 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 102.0 innings pitched. Gillespie rounds out the staff with a 9-5 record, 2.75 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched. As a staff, the Gamecocks rank second in their league in ERA (2.72).
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account, @UABathletics. For an in-depth look into the UAB softball program, follow @uabsoftball on Twitter.
