FLORENCE, Ala. (March 20, 2025) – The University of North Alabama softball team will host an important series at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium this weekend, welcoming the Central Arkansas Bears for a three-game set in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
 
Despite a strong schedule, the Lions are 22-6 overall and 2-1 in league play following a series win at Lipscomb last weekend. Meanwhile, the battle-tested Bears are 11-17 overall and 0-2 in the ASUN following a pair of losses to EKU last weekend.
 
The series begins Friday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday's finale will also start at 1 p.m. All three games will air on ESPN+ with "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray and UNA Hall of Famer Ande Jones on the call for Friday. Grant Wakefield will join Ande Jones on Saturday.
 

SERIES INFO
North Alabama vs. Central Arkansas
Friday, March 21 at 1 p.m. (DH)
Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m.
Location: Florence, Alabama
Venue: Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium
 
Game 1: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
Game 2: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
Game 3: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets


NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: UNA fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning but proceeded to rattle off 10 unanswered runs in a 10-2 mercy rule win against Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. Senior Alivia Wilken allowed just one earned run on three hits over 6.0 innings, while the UNA offense totaled 13 hits. The Lions led 4-2 in the fifth, then scored six runs in the sixth with a two-run homer by Bayleigh Rouse to force the run rule.
 
SHOWING NO MERCY: North Alabama has won three straight games by mercy rule, ending all three games in six innings. The Lions outscored Lipscomb by a combined 25-0 in the final two games of the series, then added a six-inning win at home over TTU. UNA has won nine games by mercy rule this season — five more than last season in 26 less games.
 
BEST START SINCE…: UNA started 9-0 this season and was one of the final 10 Division I teams to remain unbeaten along with seven SEC teams and two from the ACC. The last time UNA started this hot was the 2016 season, where the Lions started 10-0, finished 60-7 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship.
 
COZART'S CHECKLIST: UNA head coach Ashley Cozart won her 400th game with the program on March 1 against Oakland. She is also approaching the 600 win milestone for her entire coaching career, owning a record of 598-226-1 over 16 seasons — including four at Lindsey Wilson College. In her 12 seasons at UNA, Cozart's record is 407-180-1.
 
TRIPLE TROUBLE: North Alabama ranks sixth in the country with 14 triples this season, including four apiece from senior Hailey Jones and sophomore Briley Dover.
 
PITCHING PHENOMS: The Lions have been bolstered in the circle by three former Wallace State aces — senior Alivia Wilken and junior twin sisters Emily Simon and Katie Simon. The Lions lead the Atlantic Sun Conference and rank seventh in the nation with a 1.83 ERA. The staff also ranks 20th in the country with eight shutouts this season.
 
ALL PHASES: Last year, UNA finished the regular season as the only ASUN school ranked in the top three of the league in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage. This season, UNA currently ranks first in ERA (1.83), second in batting average (.316) and tied for fifth in fielding (.963).
 
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS: The Bears are 11-17 with a 7-5 record at home. On the flipside, UCA is 1-7 in true road games with the only win coming against Southern Illinois. On Tuesday, UCA traveled to Arkansas as fell 6-3 to the Razorbacks. Veteran mainstays Kylie Griffin and Lilly Hood and freshman Addie Graham are all batting above .300 with starts in every game. Starting pitching has struggled early on with a 5.65 team ERA, but the Bears still have a pair of proven success stories from last season in Julia Petty and Bailie Runner.
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Bears hold a slim 13-12 advantage in the series, dating back to the first meeting in 1998. This series has drawn a lot of interest in the last three postseasons, as UCA eliminated UNA in each of the last three tournaments. However, UNA took one from UCA in 2023 before falling in the final two games of the ASUN Championship Final. UNA won the regular season series last season with wins in two of three.

ON DECK: The Lions will host Alabama at Florence Sportsplex on Wednesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. The game is presented by First Southern Bank. Gates will open at 4 p.m. UNA will also host a pre and post-game concert with Austin Bohannon and Gary Nichols behind centerfield presented by Clubtails. Fans can also obtain autographs from both teams after the game. Fans are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets here.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.