The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Saturday, April 13
Birmingham, Ala. / Mary Bowers Field
1 P.M.
UAB
vs
Southern Miss
UAB Set to Host Southern Miss for Next Conference Series
4/12/2019 2:50:00 PM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM - After a four-game road stint, the UAB softball team will be back home to host a conference series against Southern Miss at Mary Bowers Field over the weekend. The Blazers and Golden Eagles are scheduled to play in a doubleheader on Saturday, then wrap up the series on Sunday. Following a shift in times due to weather concerns, first pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. start for game two. The series finale is set to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday. This weekend's schedule is still tentative and subject to change depending on weather conditions. Live streaming will be available through the Conference USA, and live stats will be provided through SIDEARM.
UAB (15-23, 5-9 C-USA) comes into the series following a heartbreaking, 3-2 loss in extra innings to No. 17 Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., on Wednesday. The Blazers took a two-run advantage in the top of the first and maintained the lead through the top of the sixth, but the Rebels evened things up in the bottom of the sixth before pulling out the victory in the bottom of the eighth. Junior outfielder Desitini England led the Blazers at the plate in the contest, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. UAB pitched by committee throughout the game as sophomore Emily Kachel, junior Claire Blount and freshman Sarah Cespedes each contributed to holding a potent Rebel attack to just three runs. Prior to the midweek matchup, the Blazers split a conference series with Middle Tennessee after winning their previous two over Florida Atlantic and UTEP.
UAB has held some of the best batting numbers in the conference throughout the season. After leading the conference in batting average and doubles per game a few weeks straight, the Blazers are second in the conference and currently rank No. 53 in the nation in batting average at .297. UAB continues to lead the conference in doubles per game and comes in at No. 23 in the country with a 1.68 average as well.
Individually, freshman Faith Hegh leads the charge in the category, averaging 0.31 doubles per game to rank second in the conference. Sophomore outfielder Jenna Olszewski has also maintained a high-ranking mark this season, coming in at third in the conference and 25th in the NCAA in triples on the season with four to date.
Southern Miss (23-16, 8-7 C-USA) travels to Mary Bowers Field riding a six-game winning streak. The Golden Eagles started the streak by taking the final game of their series against Marshall, then took down South Alabama and Mississippi Valley State in midweek contests and swept UTSA at home in their last conference series. Southern Miss is now 2-3 in conference series this season.
As a unit, the Golden Eagles boast one of the best pitching staffs in the country. Southern Miss leads the conference and is ranked No. 25 in the NCAA in ERA this season with a current mark of 2.11. The Golden Eagles also lead the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio, coming in at No. 45 in the nation with a 2.51 average to date. Southern Miss has also backed up its pitching efforts with solid defense from the field, notching a 0.969 fielding percentage on the season, which currently ranks second in the conference and 48th in the country.
Individually, the Golden Eagles have two pitchers that sit atop the conference in ERA. Junior Abby Trahan's 1.53 mark currently leads the conference and is ranked No. 36 in the nation, while junior Bailie Springfield's 2.05 places her second in the conference and 98th in the country. Trahan also leads the conference in shutouts with five on the season and strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 4.24 average, putting her at No. 23 in the nation in shutouts and No. 54 in the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Overall, Trahan is 11-8 on the season, picking up 106 strikeouts and five shutouts with 15 complete games in 21 appearances with 20 starts.
Southern Miss has also experienced individual success at the plate. Senior infielder Sarah Van Schaik is tied with Hegh for first in doubles per game with a 0.31 average, while sophomore outfielder Destini Brown is second in the conference and 19th in the nation in walks with 0.77 per game. Junior Lacey Sumerlin has also proven to be tough to take down, ranking second in the conference in sacrifice flies and difficulty in striking out. Sumerlin has four sacrifice flies this season, which is the 16th most in the country, and is also considered the 33rd most difficult batter to strike out in the NCAA.
In the all-time series between the two, UAB holds a 36-27 lead. Southern Miss took the first game of the series with a 9-0 win at home during UAB's first season as a program in 2000, but the Blazers claimed the most recent outing with a 9-1 win on the road last season. UAB holds the longest win streak of the series, picking up 11 straight from the 2010 through the 2013 seasons. The Blazers have also won 25 of the last 29 matchups, taking the previous 10 series dating back to the 2009 season. UAB is currently 18-9 against Southern Miss at home.
Following the series, the Blazers will next host Mississippi State for their inaugural teal game on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Mary Bowers Field. The teal game represents awareness for ovarian cancer as former Mississippi State outfielder Alex Wilcox's battle with the disease and efforts from the GeauxTeal Foundation have sparked a movement across the nation in the softball community to continue to fight and raise awareness. Teal wristbands will be given out at the game, and more information can be found at www.geauxteal.com.
General admission tickets for home games are on sale for $5 for adults and $3 for youth and chairback seats are available for $10 for adults and $6 for youth. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, online at uabsports.com or by calling the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
Fans can receive access to every softball and baseball game for the entire 2018-19 season by purchasing a Gold Card. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.
For more information on the UAB softball team follow the Blazers on Twitter and Instagram (@UAB_SB).
UAB (15-23, 5-9 C-USA) comes into the series following a heartbreaking, 3-2 loss in extra innings to No. 17 Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., on Wednesday. The Blazers took a two-run advantage in the top of the first and maintained the lead through the top of the sixth, but the Rebels evened things up in the bottom of the sixth before pulling out the victory in the bottom of the eighth. Junior outfielder Desitini England led the Blazers at the plate in the contest, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. UAB pitched by committee throughout the game as sophomore Emily Kachel, junior Claire Blount and freshman Sarah Cespedes each contributed to holding a potent Rebel attack to just three runs. Prior to the midweek matchup, the Blazers split a conference series with Middle Tennessee after winning their previous two over Florida Atlantic and UTEP.
UAB has held some of the best batting numbers in the conference throughout the season. After leading the conference in batting average and doubles per game a few weeks straight, the Blazers are second in the conference and currently rank No. 53 in the nation in batting average at .297. UAB continues to lead the conference in doubles per game and comes in at No. 23 in the country with a 1.68 average as well.
Individually, freshman Faith Hegh leads the charge in the category, averaging 0.31 doubles per game to rank second in the conference. Sophomore outfielder Jenna Olszewski has also maintained a high-ranking mark this season, coming in at third in the conference and 25th in the NCAA in triples on the season with four to date.
Southern Miss (23-16, 8-7 C-USA) travels to Mary Bowers Field riding a six-game winning streak. The Golden Eagles started the streak by taking the final game of their series against Marshall, then took down South Alabama and Mississippi Valley State in midweek contests and swept UTSA at home in their last conference series. Southern Miss is now 2-3 in conference series this season.
As a unit, the Golden Eagles boast one of the best pitching staffs in the country. Southern Miss leads the conference and is ranked No. 25 in the NCAA in ERA this season with a current mark of 2.11. The Golden Eagles also lead the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio, coming in at No. 45 in the nation with a 2.51 average to date. Southern Miss has also backed up its pitching efforts with solid defense from the field, notching a 0.969 fielding percentage on the season, which currently ranks second in the conference and 48th in the country.
Individually, the Golden Eagles have two pitchers that sit atop the conference in ERA. Junior Abby Trahan's 1.53 mark currently leads the conference and is ranked No. 36 in the nation, while junior Bailie Springfield's 2.05 places her second in the conference and 98th in the country. Trahan also leads the conference in shutouts with five on the season and strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 4.24 average, putting her at No. 23 in the nation in shutouts and No. 54 in the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Overall, Trahan is 11-8 on the season, picking up 106 strikeouts and five shutouts with 15 complete games in 21 appearances with 20 starts.
Southern Miss has also experienced individual success at the plate. Senior infielder Sarah Van Schaik is tied with Hegh for first in doubles per game with a 0.31 average, while sophomore outfielder Destini Brown is second in the conference and 19th in the nation in walks with 0.77 per game. Junior Lacey Sumerlin has also proven to be tough to take down, ranking second in the conference in sacrifice flies and difficulty in striking out. Sumerlin has four sacrifice flies this season, which is the 16th most in the country, and is also considered the 33rd most difficult batter to strike out in the NCAA.
In the all-time series between the two, UAB holds a 36-27 lead. Southern Miss took the first game of the series with a 9-0 win at home during UAB's first season as a program in 2000, but the Blazers claimed the most recent outing with a 9-1 win on the road last season. UAB holds the longest win streak of the series, picking up 11 straight from the 2010 through the 2013 seasons. The Blazers have also won 25 of the last 29 matchups, taking the previous 10 series dating back to the 2009 season. UAB is currently 18-9 against Southern Miss at home.
Following the series, the Blazers will next host Mississippi State for their inaugural teal game on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Mary Bowers Field. The teal game represents awareness for ovarian cancer as former Mississippi State outfielder Alex Wilcox's battle with the disease and efforts from the GeauxTeal Foundation have sparked a movement across the nation in the softball community to continue to fight and raise awareness. Teal wristbands will be given out at the game, and more information can be found at www.geauxteal.com.
General admission tickets for home games are on sale for $5 for adults and $3 for youth and chairback seats are available for $10 for adults and $6 for youth. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, online at uabsports.com or by calling the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
Fans can receive access to every softball and baseball game for the entire 2018-19 season by purchasing a Gold Card. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.
For more information on the UAB softball team follow the Blazers on Twitter and Instagram (@UAB_SB).
Players Mentioned
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