NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 15, 2025) – Atlantic Sun Conference play begins this weekend for North Alabama Softball, as the Lions make the short trip to Nashville for a three-game series at Lipscomb beginning Sunday.
 
The original scheduled start has been postponed due to potential weather on Saturday. Now, the series will start with a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. and will end with one game on Monday at 1 p.m.
 
The Lions are still on schedule to play Tennessee Tech this coming Tuesday in Florence at 3 p.m.
 
UNA has won the last three series against Lipscomb — all three of which included the Lions winning two of three. Two of those series came on the road in 2021 and 2022, while the most recent series win came in Florence to open ASUN play last season.
 
There are currently no plans announced for an ESPN+ stream at Lipscomb, but live stats will be available for all three games. However, Tuesday's home game against Tennessee Tech will air on ESPN+ and will have live stats.
 
Stay tuned on social media for coverage updates.
 
LIPSCOMB SERIES INFO
North Alabama at Lipscomb
Sunday, March 16 at 1 p.m. (DH)
Monday, March 17 at 1 p.m.
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Venue: Draper Diamond
 
Game 1: Live Stats
Game 2: Live Stats
Game 3: Live Stats
 
TENNESSEE TECH GAME INFO
North Alabama vs. Tennessee Tech
Tuesday, March 17 at 3 p.m.
Location: Florence, Ala.
Venue: Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium
 
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
 
 
NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama swept the season series against Memphis this season, winning 8-5 on Wednesday in Memphis. The Lions are now 6-0 all-time against the Tigers, including a 5-1 win earlier this season at home. Sophomore Briley Dover went 3-for-5 in the game, while junior Natalie Shaw had her first career multi-hit game (2-for-3) with a late two-run double. All three UNA starting pitchers got work in the win, including three shutout innings for senior Alivia Wilken.
 
CATCH HER ON SPORTSCENTER: Junior third baseman Bayleigh Rouse made an appearance on SportsCenter Top 10 on Thursday, as she caught a line drive and quickly tagged a runner retreating back to third for a game-ending double play against Memphis. This marks the fifth time UNA has appeared on SC Top 10 in any sport the last two years.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA has been on a tear this season with an 19-5 overall record. The Lions started 9-0 for the first time since the 2016 season and were among the final 10 unbeatens along with seven SEC teams and two ACC teams. UNA is the only team in the Atlantic Sun Conference among the top two teams in batting and pitching with a .304 team batting average and a 1.85 team ERA.
 
PRETTY PERFECT PITCHING: The Lions are 11th in the nation with a 1.85 ERA behind the efforts of Wilken and twin juniors Emily Simon and Katie Simon. The Simon twins, both Athens natives and transfers from Wallace State Community College, rank among the top five ASUN pitchers in ERA with Katie sporting a 1.45 and Emily a 1.80. Wilken, who ranked among the top 25 pitchers in the nation last season, has a 2.08 ERA this season.
 
TRIPLE THREATS: The Lions rank seventh in the nation with 13 triples this season, averaging one in every two games. Sophomore Briley Dover is a key factor in this with four triples to rank tied for first in the ASUN and seventh in the nation. Senior Hailey Jones has three triples.
 
RANKING RISERS: The Lions have been as high as No. 31 in the NCAA RPI this season and were the No. 21 team in last week's D1 Softball Mid-Major Top 25. The Lions are currently No. 52 in the RPI and are the highest ASUN team ahead of Stetson (53), North Florida (55), EKU (70), Austin Peay (86) and Jacksonville (95).
 
SCOUTING THE BISONS: Lipscomb has a 12-11 record entering ASUN play, winning four of the last five with a pair of wins over Robert Morris, a split with Brown and a win over Bucknell. Lipscomb is currently hitting .239 this season with a 4.73 ERA — both 10th in the ASUN. However, Lipscomb is the only ASUN team that has not grounded into a double play all season.
 
SERIES HISTORY: UNA has a 7-6 record against Lipscomb since joining the ASUN in 2019. UNA has taken two of three games in each of the last three series against Lipscomb in 2021, 2022 and 2024. UNA has a 5-4 record on the road against Lipscomb, winning four of the last six.
 
EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO: Last year's series between Lipscomb and UNA was March 16-17, 2024. This will be exactly one year removed from last year's series in Florence. The Lions had two 3-0 shutout wins in the opener and finale. Wilken tossed both shutouts, allowing no runs and three hits apiece in both games. She also had nine strikeouts with just three walks in the two starts.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES: Tuesday's non-conference opponent is Tennessee Tech, who is 7-15 on the season and rides a three-game skid into the weekend. The Golden Eagles lost two of three in its OVC series opener against Tennessee State. Senior Abby Shoulders is the leading hitter with a .358 batting average on 19 hits with eight stolen bases. As a team, TTU has a 3.52 ERA.
 
SERIES HISTORY: UNA is 3-4 against Tennessee Tech all-time. The first three meetings came in the 1987 season, where UNA lost two of three to TTU but still went on to win the Gulf South Conference championship. The two sides didn't meet again until 2019, where TTU won both games. The Lions won the last two meetings in 2021. On March 16, 2021, UNA stole six bases against the Golden Eagles in a 4-3 win with four by Lexie Harper. Both are DI era school records.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.