FLORENCE, Ala. (April 25, 2025) – The University of North Alabama softball team will play its final home series of the regular season this weekend, welcoming Atlantic Sun Conference Gold Division leader Eastern Kentucky for a three-game set on Saturday and Sunday in Florence.
 
Due to inclement weather, the series will begin with one game Saturday at 3 p.m. Saturday will be UNA's Mental Health Awareness Game presented by Renaissance Mind and Body.
 
Sunday becomes a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
 
With just six regular season games remaining, the race to the ASUN Championship is underway. Both UNA and EKU are locked into the tournament, which begins May 6 in Oxford, Ala. However, major seeding implications are on the line as the top four seeds can avoid the single elimination round.
 
UNA is still within striking distance of a top four seed — tied for sixth with a 9-9 ASUN record entering the weekend — while EKU currently occupies the second-best record in the league at 13-4.
 
All three games will air on ESPN+ with "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray and Ande Jones on the call. Live stats are available on StatBroadcast and tickets can be purchased at this link.
 
SERIES INFO
North Alabama vs. Eastern Kentucky
Saturday April 26 at 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 at 11 a.m. (DH)
Location: Florence, Alabama
Venue: Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium
Game Sponsor: Renaissance Mind and Body
 
Game 1: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
Game 2: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
Game 3: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
 
NOTES
 
LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama earned its first conference sweep of the season last weekend, taking all three games from Bellarmine at the Hilda B. Anderson Softball Complex. The Lions outscored Bellarmine 17-4 in the Friday doubleheader, then followed with a 2-1 walk-off win in the series finale that took nine innings.
 
WE ARE IN: With last Saturday's win over Bellarmine, UNA clinched a berth for the 2025 ASUN Championship Tournament. The tournament will take place May 6-10 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. UNA has made the tournament every season since joining the league in 2019, owning a 7-10 record in ASUN postseason play.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama enters with a 29-15 overall record and an even 9-9 record in ASUN play to sit fourth in the ASUN Gold Division standings. UNA has led the ASUN in pitching all season long, now sporting a 2.41 ERA. UNA also has the third-best batting average in the league at .303.
 
KEEPING UP WITH JONES: Senior Hailey Jones is UNA's leading hitter with a .395 average. The multi-time all-conference selection has at least seven games left in her career and is close to six of UNA's all-time records. She is the school's all-time leader with 55 doubles. She needs 16 more games, 13 more starts, 24 more at-bats, 44 more hits, six more triples and 27 more RBIs to tie the career records at UNA.
 
TRIPLE THREATS: UNA ranks 12th in the nation with 17 triples this season. Sophomore Briley Dover leads the Lions with six, while Jones has five triples. Both are ranked second and third in the conference, respectively.
 
KEEPING IT 600: UNA head coach Ashley Cozart won her 600th career game earlier this season at EKU, owning a career record of 606-235-1 over 16 seasons as a head coach. She has a 415-189-1 record in 12 seasons at UNA. She also coached four seasons at NAIA Lindsey Wilson College from 2010-13.
 
SCOUTING THE COLONELS: EKU is 32-13 overall with notable wins over Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky, Campbell and Akron. The Colonels lead the ASUN Gold Division with a 13-4 record. EKU is 15-3 at home this season, while owning an 11-8 record on the road. Sophomore Maddi Rutan is the team's dual threat with a .421 average at the plate and a 2.90 ERA in the circle.
 
SERIES HISTORY: UNA leads the all-time series with an 8-5 record — all since 2022. This will be EKU's second visit to Florence in program history, as the Colonels came to Florence for a three-game series in 2023. The Lions took two of three in that home series.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.