FLORENCE, Ala. (March 15, 2024) – With five successful non-conference tournaments in the books, the University of North Alabama softball team shifts its focus to the Atlantic Sun Conference with ASUN play set to begin Saturday, March 16 against Lipscomb.
The Lions and Bisons open a three-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. The second game will follow around 4:30 p.m. The finale will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+ and will have live stats available. Tickets are available
here or by calling 256-765-5466.
All dates and times are subject to change. Fans are encouraged to follow UNA Softball on
Facebook and
Twitter for the latest information.
GAME 1
Lipscomb vs. North Alabama
Saturday, March 16, 2024
2 p.m.
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Game Notes |
Tickets |
Twitter
GAME 2
Lipscomb vs. North Alabama
Saturday, March 16, 2024
30 minutes after Game 1
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Game Notes |
Tickets |
Twitter
GAME 3
Lipscomb vs. North Alabama
Sunday, March 17, 2024
1 p.m.
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Game Notes |
Tickets |
Twitter
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama hosted the UNA Invitational last week at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium and went 4-2 over six games, including wins over Detroit Mercy, Murray State and two wins over Maryland Eastern Shore. The Lions outhit their opponents 59-30 and totaled a .364 batting average with 22 multi-base hits and eight home runs. Meanwhile, UNA pitchers limited opponents to a .219 batting average.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA enters with an 18-8 record and leads the ASUN in total wins. The Lions have played in five invitationals and left with a winning record each time. UNA has an impressive 11-2 record in neutral site games and will look to build on a 4-2 record at home this weekend. The roster includes 25 players, including 13 returners and 12 newcomers. Nineteen of the 25 players are either juniors or seniors, giving UNA one of the more experienced rosters in the ASUN.
SCOUTING THE BISONS: Lipscomb enters the weekend with a 10-15 record following a 9-0 loss to No. 23 Kentucky on Wednesday in Nashville. Among Lipscomb's 10 wins is a 1-0 victory over North Carolina in Chapel Hill. UNC is currently receiving votes in the Softball America Top 25 Poll. The Bisons enter league play with much to prove as they were voted 11th in the preseason poll. Lipscomb seeks its first conference title since 2019 and will look to do it under 19th year head coach Kristin Ryman. Four players are batting above .300 for Lipscomb, led by redshirt sophomore Josey Polk with 21 hits. Freshman pitcher Courtney Sauer has a 3.17 ERA over 45.1 innings.
SERIES HISTORY: The Lions and Bisons have met 10 times on the softball diamond — all since 2019. Each team has five wins apiece. Nine of the 10 meetings happened in Nashville, while the other one took place in Fort Myers, Fla. during the 2019 ASUN Championship — making this weekend the first meeting in Florence. UNA has won each of the last two sets against Lipscomb with a pair of wins in 2021 and 2022. Lipscomb seeks its first series win over UNA since 2019.
PRESEASON POLLS: The ASUN announced its preseason information in February, as North Alabama landed its highest preseason ranking of the Division I era in third place behind Central Arkansas and FGCU. Junior infielder
Hailey Jones represented the Lions on the preseason all-conference team as an infielder. All 12 teams begin conference play this weekend.
RELIVING HISTORY – GARST AND JORDAN: In 2019 during the ASUN Championship, UNA and Lipscomb battled in the winner's bracket and had a thrilling 12 inning game that ended in a 1-0 victory for Lipscomb. Neither pitcher allowed an earned run and both went the distance in a game with two weather delays — one of which forced the game to be suspended on a Thursday and resumed the following morning. UNA's Megan Garst went 11.2 innings with just the one unearned run allowed, while Lipscomb's Mandy Jordan went 12.0 scoreless.
LONGTIME COACHES: UNA and Lipscomb are two of four schools in the ASUN with head coaches serving at least a decade at their current post. UNA head coach
Ashley Cozart is in her 11th season at North Alabama, while Lipscomb head coach Kristin Ryman is in her 19th season in Nashville. The other two coaches span over two decades, including EKU's Jane Worthington in her 32nd season and FGCU's Dave Deiros in his 22nd season.
INCOMING TALENT: Of the 12 newcomers on the UNA roster, seven come from the junior college level and three are true freshman. The other two are redshirt freshmen from other NCAA Division I schools, including pitchers
Kyleigh Pitzer from the University of Louisiana and
Lilian Berry from Penn State. Three of the newcomers are listed as utility players.
DOUBLE VISION: UNA ranks 19th in the nation and atop the ASUN with 41 doubles this season. Fifteen of those doubles come from the middle infield, as Jones leads with eight and shortstop
Haven Kirby has seven.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE JONES: Jones was not only a preseason all-conference pick, but also won ASUN Player of the Week last month. This past week, she went 9-for-20 at the UNA Invitational with two doubles, three homers, six runs and 11 RBIs. Over the last three doubleheaders, she has homered at least once a day.
FRAME THIS: Senior outfielder
Felicity Frame led the ASUN in hitting last season and currently leads the ASUN this season with 36 hits. She also ranks 13th in the nation. Last week over six games, she went 13-for-19 at the plate and went 3-for-3 in the last outing against Maryland Eastern Shore.
PRETTY PERFECT: The Lions have had strong production in the circle from junior tandem
Alivia Wilken and
Cassidy Duskin. Wilken threw a perfect game in her UNA debut with 7.0 scoreless innings in a shutout of Samford. Since then, she has pitched 81.2 innings to rank fifth in the nation, while owning a 2.53 ERA over 14 appearances. Duskin has pitched 58.0 innings and has a 2.95 ERA in 12 appearances. The two have combined for a 14-7 record.
ON THE HORIZON: UNA closes 10-game home stand this coming Tuesday against Tennessee State at 4 p.m. After that, the Lions trek to Charlotte to take on Queens in North Carolina beginning March 23 at 1 p.m. CT.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
