CONWAY – In a battle of two of the top three preseason softball favorites in the Southland Conference, the University of Central Arkansas welcomes Nicholls State to Farris Field beginning with a doubleheader 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday and concluding with a 1 p.m. Saturday finale.
Central Arkansas (11-10) was picked to finish third in the preseason poll that is voted on by coaches and sports information directors across the league. Their counterparts, Nicholls (10-11), was voted as the preseason favorite and picked to repeat as SLC champions having won the conference championship a season ago.
MEET THE COLONELS
Eight Preseason All-Southland Conference selections will don the Nicholls red when they make the trip to Conway this weekend. Jewel Lara, Amanda Gianelloni, Kasey Frederick, Kelsey Miller, Megan Landry and Kali Clement were all First-Team picks for the Colonels.
However, the most consistent bat in the Nicholls lineup thus far has been Emma Holland. She leads the team with a .333 batting average while tying for third on the squad with eight RBIs.
In the circle is where the Colonels bring a championship pedigree. Landry (8-4) has appeared in 14 games this season, allowing just a .198 opponent batting average while striking out 74. She is second on the team with a strong 1.69 ERA.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| Central Arkansas |
|
Nicholls |
| .323 |
Team Batting Average |
.234 |
| 15 |
Home Runs |
13 |
| 3.93 |
Team ERA |
2.31 |
| 43-48 |
Stolen Bases-Attempted |
12-15 |
| .948 |
Fielding Percentage |
.965 |
BEAR TO WATCH
Freshman
Tylar Vernon has provided some much needed pop to the bottom half of the UCA batting order. In last weekend's Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic, Vernon launched her first career home run against Coppin State and picked up five total RBIs throughout the weekend.
However, her impact has been far greater on the defensive side of things. The Pangburn native has been slotted as the full-time catcher in recent games and is showing off her arm talent regularly. Vernon nabbed two would-be basestealers in the tournament and has yet to commit an error of any kind as the backstop for the Central Arkansas defense.
The Bears will need the freshman's moxy as they look to take down the league's defending champion this weekend. Look for Vernon to have an impact both at the plate and behind it.
FOLLOW ALONG
All three of the matchups between the Bears and Colonels can be watched on the Bear Nation Network. Live stats will also be available for those looking to follow the action. For in-game updates and scheduling changes, follow UCA Softball on Twitter at @UCASoftball and @UCASports.
