CONWAY, Ark. – After 22 games of nonconference play, the Central Arkansas softball team opens the ASUN schedule this weekend against North Florida. The Bears and Ospreys will play a three-game series at Farris Field, starting with a double-header on Saturday at 2 p.m., with the third game on Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
Central Arkansas enters the weekend with a 15-7 record, having most recently given No. 2 Oklahoma State a run for their money. Despite falling 7-3 on Wednesday, the Bears took a 3-0 lead early in the game, holding one of the best offenses in the country scoreless for three innings. Tremere Harris and Jenna Wildeman both had multi-hit days, also each swiping bases against the Cowgirls.
 
Now looking at conference play, the Bears look to pick up where they left off after last season; Central Arkansas finished 17-7 in its first season in the ASUN in 2022, winning the ASUN West and claiming the No. 2 seed in the ASUN tournament. At home, the Bears were 11-1, sweeping Kennesaw State, Bellarmine and Jacksonville State.
 
The Bears return six fulltime starters and both pitchers from last season's conference run, putting the team in a good position to make another push for a strong conference finish. The ASUN did away with divisions this season, putting all 14 teams in the same set of standings for conference tournament seeding.
 
North Florida visits Conway for the first time with a 15-7 record, with just a single true road game this season so far. Conversely, 18 of the 22 games the Ospreys have played have been at home, including the first eight of the season. This past weekend, they played five more at home, winning games against Army and Northern Kentucky.
 
At the plate, the Ospreys have been led by Shannon Glover, a First Team All-ASUN selection last year. This season, she holds a .394 batting average with 28 hits and 15 RBI. She is one of two players for North Florida hitting over .300, the other being Chloe Culp, who hits .385.
 
In the circle, North Florida has completely revamped its pitching staff, with none of the three pitchers from last season who held a sub-2.00 ERA pitching this season. Instead, Ashley Connor has been the primary pitcher, leading the team with 64.0 innings of work. She currently holds a 1.20 ERA with 50 strikeouts and five wins.
 
First pitch at Farris Field is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday. Both of Saturday's games will be on ESPN+, and Sunday's game will be available at UCASports.com/watch. Live stats are available for all games, and tickets are available at our Ticketing Site.