CONWAY, Ark. – Hosting its first ASUN series in school history, the Central Arkansas softball team welcomes Kennesaw State to Farris Field for a three-game set this weekend. Playing two games on Saturday and one on Sunday, game time on Saturday is set for 2 p.m., with a 12 p.m. start on Sunday.
 
The Bears rebounded from a three-game slide in the second half of their midweek doubleheader against Florida Atlantic on Tuesday. Behind a one-hit shutout from Kayla Beaver, the team captured a 5-0 win, getting a final offensive boost in the seventh off of Jaylee Engelkes' team-leading fifth home run of the year.
 
Offensively, the Bears have gotten steady production from a trio of batters hitting .375 and higher. Sophomore Jenna Wildeman leads the team, hitting .443 from her leadoff spot, which also tops the conference. She also leads the conference and ranks 18^th nationally in total hits, already with 39 on the season. Additionally, the Bentonville, Ark., native leads the conference and stands fourth in the country with 24 stolen bases.
 
Sophomore Tremere Harris is behind her, batting .391 with four doubles and a triple. Harris is also a perfect 12-for-12 on stolen bases, the most steals in the conference for baserunners who haven't been caught stealing. Farther down the lineup, freshman Kylie Griffin has produced right away for the Bears, batting .375 as a full-time starter at third base. Defensively, Griffin has been perfect in all 45 of her fielding chances this season.
 
Not to be outdone, the pitching duo of Beaver and Jordan Johnson have put up some big numbers as well. Beaver continues to rack up wins in the circle, standing at 10-3 on the year with the fourth-most strikeouts in the conference with 70. Johnson, however, leads the ASUN in Ks, with 84 ring-ups in 70.1 innings of work. The pair has also combined for five shutouts, allowing teams to hit just .252.
 
Facing off for the first time as conference opponents, Kennesaw State rolls into town winners of four of its last five, including a series win over Jacksonville State to start conference play. On Wednesday, the Owls defeated Mercer, scoring five unanswered runs late in the game to steal one on the road.
 
The Owls' leading batter is Taylor Cates, who hits .405 while leading the ASUN in home runs, with 10 long balls on the year. Cates' tally ranks 16^th in the country, and her batting average is third in the ASUN. Kennesaw State also boasts number two in homers in the conference, getting six home runs from Cheyanne Sales.
 
In the circle, the Owls currently hold a 4.90 team ERA, with innings leader Melanie Bennett at a 4.25 earned runs average. Leading the team in almost every pitching category, the junior pitcher has 75 strikeouts on the season, allowing hitters to bat .301 in 82.2 innings.
 
First pitch against the Owls is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, at which fans are encouraged to wear pink as part of our Pink Out game. At Sunday's noon start, the Bears will host Seven Innings of Winnings, at which prizes will be given out after each inning. Video streams for each game can be found at UCASports.com/watch, with live stats available here.