CONWAY – For the second straight weekend the University of Central Arkansas will honor the legacy of a fallen citizen that is close to the hearts of those in Conway. The Bears are proud to host the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic Thursday, Feb. 28 – Saturday, March 2 at Farris Field.

This year's event consists of six teams: Coppin State, Southeast Missouri State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Missouri State, UL Monroe and Central Arkansas. There will be a combined 13 contests in the three-day span, all of which will take place at Farris Field.

MEET THE OPPONENTS

COPPIN STATE (0-0)

Weather has impacted the Eagles perhaps more than any team in Division-I. Coppin State has yet to play a game this season thanks to six early cancellations due to frigid conditions in the Baltimore, Md. area.

The Eagles finished the 2018 season with a 14-26 record. That includes a trip to Conway where the Bears took down Coppin State 2-1 at last season's Central Arkansas Invitational. Nia Bowe appeared in 39 games last season, hitting a team-high .364 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs. Madison Didion is back to lead a group of talented arms in the circle. She finished the season with a 14-12 record with a 3.29 ERA and 181 strikeouts.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (9-6)

The Redhawks enter the tournament coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville. The marquee victory of the week was a 6-1 win over No. 12 Arkansas on Friday.

Rachel Anderson enters the weekend batting .429 with seven extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. Alexis Estes (3-1, 2.80 ERA) and Haley Thogmartin (5-3, 2.90 ERA, 38 K) are SEMO's top pitchers.

ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF (0-10)

A familiar in-state foe will be making their way back to Farris Field as SWAC-representative Arkansas-Pine Bluff is scheduled for four games this weekend. The Golden Lions have hit a rough patch in the opening month of their 2019 campaign scoring just eight runs through the first 10 games.

Shanice Akins is batting .250 with a team-leading seven hits. Juliana Dominguez (0-6) has tossed 34.2 innings for UAPB and has recorded seven strikeouts.

MISSOURI STATE (8-7)

The Missouri State Bears will enter the tournament coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Easton Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Ala. MSU knocked off UL Monroe twice while dropping a pair of decisions to Alabama and losing one game to Minnesota.

Madison Hunsaker (.455, six doubles, six RBIs) is the best bat in the Bears lineup heading into the weekend. Steffany Dickerson will lead the Missouri State pitching staff having recorded a 4-3 record and a 2.08 ERA thus far in 2019.

BEAR TO WATCH

Central Arkansas true freshman Kamryn Coleman is due for a breakout weekend. The multi-talented Walla Walla, Wash. native is hitting .259 this season and took over third-base responsibilities a few weeks back in Florida.

Coleman has notched seven hits and five RBIs so far, but more importantly, she has played a flawless third base. Against  teams with some hitting prowess, defense will be crucial and could be the difference in a victory or a defeat. Look for Coleman to heat up at the plate and continue her outstanding work on the hot corner.

SCHEDULE

Thursday, Feb. 28
3 pm – Central Arkansas vs. UAPB
5 pm – UAPB vs. Missouri St.
7 pm – UL Monroe vs. Missouri St.

Friday, March 1
9 am – Coppin St. vs. UAPB
11:15 am – SEMO vs. UL Monroe
1:30 pm – Coppin St. vs. Missouri St.
3:45 pm – Central Arkansas vs. SEMO
6 pm – Central Arkansas vs. Coppin St. (Military Appreciation Game)

Saturday, March 2
9 am – Coppin St. vs. SEMO
11:15 am – Missouri St. vs. SEMO
1:30 pm – Central Arkansas vs. Missouri St.
3:45 pm – UAPB vs. UL Monroe
6 pm – UL Monroe vs. Coppin St.

MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY

In conjunction with the naming of the tournament, the UCA Softball team, along with the entire athletics department, will proudly recognize members of the United States Military before Friday night's contest with Coppin State.
If you are an active or former member of the United States Military, we would love to show our appreciation for your tremendous service at Friday night's contest.



ADAM BROWN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Adam Brown was a Navy SEAL and a member of the prestigious SEAL Team SIX. After he was killed in action on his final mission to take out a high-level Taliban target, a group of UCA alumni and fraternity brothers of the Epsilon Phi Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha created a scholarship in honor of their fallen friend.

Brown attended UCA in the late 1990's and was a proud member of the community. Donations for the Adam Brown Memorial Scholarship will be accepted throughout the weekend and information on how to donate can be found by following the link at the top of this page.

In addition, the UCA softball team will proudly represent Brown's memory by wearing commemorative digital camouflage uniforms throughout the tournament. At the conclusion of the tournament, the jerseys will be auctioned off with the proceeds to benefit the Adam Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Bidding on the jerseys will begin March 4 and will last through March 17. More information is available in the graphic below.


FOLLOW THE ACTION
All 13 games of the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic can be followed by using live stats. UCA's contests against Coppin State, Southeast Missouri and Arkansas-Pine Bluff will all be streamed through the Bear Nation Network. Both the live stats link and the live stream link can be accessed by following the links at the top of the page.
For all things UCA Softball, make sure to follow the program on Twitter @UCASoftball and @UCASports.