The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Softball Closes Regular Season at North Texas
5/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
UAB (24-28, 13-8) at North Texas (20-32, 3-18)
Saturday, May 7 | Denton, Texas | Lovelace Stadium | 1 p.m. CT (DH)
Watch Live | | Game Notes
Sunday, May 8 | Denton, Texas | Lovelace Stadium | 1 p.m. CT
| Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB softball team closes the 2016 regular season with a three-game series against North Texas this weekend at Lovelace Stadium in Denton, Texas.
The series opens with a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. CT. Sunday's season finale is slated for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch. Fans can access free live streaming for Saturday's contests as well as live stats for the full series at MeanGreenSports.com.
UAB currently sits in the top spot of the Western Division standings and has clinched a spot into next week's 2016 Conference USA Championships. The Blazers are looking to clinch the No. 2 seed and a bye into Thursday's quarterfinals.
The Blazers are also just two wins shy of notching 15 or more league victories for the seventh consecutive season.
UAB boasts an undefeated 6-0 record in the short series history between the two squads. With a 3-18 conference record, North Texas sits in sixth place in the Western Division and has won just one conference series this season, against Western Kentucky, 2-1.
UAB enters the final weekend of the regular season after sophomore Rachel Dunsford lifted UAB over Lipscomb, 4-2, with a seventh-inning homer at Draper Diamond on Tuesday.
Caitlin Attfield tops the Blazers with a .365 average, sixth-best in the league, at the plate and a .440 on-base percentage. The shortstop also leads UAB with 36 runs scored and 62 hits, fifth-most in the conference.
The senior also leads the conference and ranks 27th in the nation as the toughest player to strike out, recording just six strikeouts in 170 at-bats.
Slugging her way through an impressive junior campaign, Mary Warren tops UAB with a .602 slugging percentage, eighth-highest in the conference, with 31 RBIs. The designated player has slugged a team-best 10 home runs and is just four away from tying UAB's single-season mark.
The designated player has been impressive in conference play, reaching base in every single contest. In conference play, Warren tops the league with an .836 slugging percentage and 22 RBIs, while ranking third in batting average (.459) and second in on-base percentage (.514).
The UAB defense continues to be in top form with the ninth-best fielding percentage in the country, .975, and has turned 21 double plays this season.
Junior Cara Goodwin anchors the Blazer pitching staff with a 3.33 ERA and a 14-9 record. With 14 wins, the Cullman, Alabama, native has tied for the ninth-most wins in a single season.
The right-hander has dealt 157.2 innings of work with 120 strikeouts, sixth-most in the league. Goodwin has tossed 13 complete games with one shutout and has held opponents to a .228 average against her.
North Texas enters the weekend after dropping a 4-2 decision to Texas on Wednesday in Austin, Texas, dropping its 13th consecutive game.
Kelli Schkade leads North Texas with a .389 average with 65 hits with 15 doubles and 13 home runs. Schkade also tops the Mean Green with 50 runs scored and 41 RBIs this season.
Jessica Elder tops the North Texas pitching staff with a 3.86 ERA and 13-11 record over 37 appearances. Elder has tossed 10 complete games with one shutout over 156.0 innings, while striking out 58 batters.
For more information on the UAB softball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UABSoftball). For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
