HAMMOND, La. – The Central Arkansas softball team travels to Hammond, Louisiana, for the 2021 Southland Conference Tournament. The Bears enter the tournament with a 34-17 record and are 21-6 in conference play. UCA opens tournament play on Thursday at 4 p.m.
 
Earlier this week, Jenna Wildeman and Kayla Beaver were named to the All-SLC First Team. Wildeman earned SLC Freshman of the Year honors. Kaylyn Shepherd, Mary Kate Brown and Jordan Johnson were selected to the all-conference second team.
 
Wildeman leads the NCAA with 55 stolen bases and is a top-30 finalist for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Freshman of the Year. She leads the team with a .415 batting average, which is second in the conference. Wildeman has a team-high 42 runs scored, which is second in the SLC. Brown leads the team and is second in the conference with 13 doubles. She is fourth in the SLC with 55 hits, which is second on the team. Shepherd is tied for second on the team with five home runs. She is eighth in the Southland with an on-base percentage of .449. She leads the team and the conference with 372 putouts. Cylla Hill leads the squad with eight home runs and leads the team with 37 RBIs. Tremere Harris is second on the team with 22 stolen bases. Kristen Whitehouse is tied for second on the team with five home runs.
 
Beaver ranks second in the SLC with a 1.27 ERA with an 18-6 record. She is second in the conference with 18 wins, which is a team best. She is fourth in the Southland with 106 strikeouts, which is second on the team. She leads the team with a WHIP of 0.99. She has held opponents to a .211 batting average, which is third in the conference. Johnson leads the Southland with two perfect games, she accounts for two of the four perfect games in UCA history. She is second on the staff with 136.2 innings pitched and has a team-high 130 strikeouts. She has produced an 11-7 mark in the circle and is holding opponents to a .195 batting average.
 
The Bears are 9-11 all-time in Southland Conference Tournaments. UCA has won a tournament championship, which was in 2015. Central Arkansas will play the winner of the No. 3 McNeese and No. 7 Sam Houston game. First pitch for the Bears is scheduled for 4 p.m. Live stats for the game can be found here. The game will be played at North Oak Park and will be on ESPN+.
 
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