CONWAY, Ark. – With tournament play finally in the rear-view mirror, the Central Arkansas softball team opens its first conference schedule in the ASUN era with a road trip to the Sunshine State. Playing Florida Gulf Coast in a three-game set, the Bears will play a double-header on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. CT, with a Sunday matinee at 12 p.m. CT.
After winning nine-straight games from the end of February to the middle of March, the Bears faltered at the end of the UofM Tournament, dropping their weekend finale against No. 10 Oklahoma State. During the winning streak,
Jenna Wildeman and
Kylie Griffin both batted .577, with 15 hits apiece.
Wildeman has established herself as one of the premier players in the ASUN as a sophomore, ranking first in batting average (.457), OBP (.537), and stolen bases (24), while sitting at second in the league with 32 hits.
The Bears have been excellent in the circle as well, with
Kayla Beaver and
Jordan Johnson both holding multiple shutouts on the season. Beaver leads the team with eight wins, the second-most in the ASUN, to go along with 60 strikeouts. Johnson, on the other hand, leads the ASUN in strikeouts, with 72 Ks on the year.
Freshman
Jorde Chartrand has also gotten her collegiate career off to a great start, earning her first start during the winning streak. Pitching in a five-inning win over Pine Bluff, the Canadian tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out nine.
Florida Gulf Coast has put together a difficult nonconference schedule, playing 13 games against seven teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in national polls. Holding an 8-18 record, the Eagles started ASUN play by dropping two of three to in-state opponent North Florida.
Through 26 games, the Eagles are led offensively by Cana Davis, hitting .419 this season. She leads the team in hits, doubles, home runs and RBI, currently the only player on the team with 20 hits and 15 RBI.
In the circle, Florida Gulf Coast has four pitchers with more than 25.0 innings pitched, with Ally Hulme leading the way at 67.1. Hulme has a 6-6 record, with a 2.70 ERA and a team-high 46 strikeouts.
Game times start with a double-dose of softball at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with a Sunday afternoon start of 12 p.m. in Fort Myers, Fla. Links for live video and stats are available at UCASports.com.
