CONWAY, Ark. – At home for one of the highest-stakes ASUN series of the year, the Central Arkansas softball team gets set to face the Liberty Lady Flames for three games at Farris Field. A doubleheader on Saturday starts at 1 p.m., and then a single game on Sunday is set for a backed-up 10 a.m.
 
The No. 24 Bears (31-8, 14-1 ASUN) garnered their first national ranking in program history this week, appearing in a number of polls in a historic first. The ranking comes as a reward for the work the team has put into the year, but also demands a new level of responsibility and focus to keep the ranking as the season progresses.
 
Last week saw four wins added to the season's total, with three over the weekend against Bellarmine and one against No. 9/10 Arkansas. The win over the Razorbacks completed the season sweep over the SEC foe, and marked the third Power 5 win this season. The series against Bellarine provided three more shutouts for the Bears, who outscored the Knights 24-0 over three games. Madi Young recorded hits in all three games, extending her hitting streak to 10 games, just the second double-digit streak by a Bear this season.
 
Young has been a spectacular addition this season, taking over the shortstop position and the third space in the batting order. The junior transfer has racked up 37 hits with eight extra base hits, adding six stolen bases. Her fielding has also been impressive, with a .969 fielding percentage and a knack for pulling off double-plays and highlight reel assists.

In the circle, Kayla Beaver and Jordan Johnson have put together a couple of elite statlines this season. The pair are top-four in almost every pitching category, presenting a heck of a one-two punch for batters to face in a three-game series. Beaver was recently named to USA Softball's Top-25 Finalist List for Collegiate Player of the Year. The redshirt junior has racked up 16 wins with seven shutouts, striking out 141 batters while holding opponents to a .196 batting average.
 
The Bears enter the weekend against the Lady Flames with a top-flight pairing of pitching and defense, allowing the sixth-lowest ERA in the nation at 1.49 earned runs per game with the 13^th-best fielding percentage, converting on .979 percent of available plays. With an ever-improving offense, this has Central Arkansas atop the ASUN and north of 30 wins for the third-straight season.
 
Central Arkansas and Liberty have never faced each other, and now prepare to face off in one of the biggest regular season series for the Bears since joining the ASUN.
 
The Lady Flames (29-15, 12-3 ASUN) enter the weekend with a ton of momentum, having defeated No. 13 Alabama on Tuesday. Winning 5-3, Liberty outhit the Crimson Tide 8-3, and took the final lead on a fifth inning home run off of All-American pitcher Montana Fouts.
 
Liberty has played one of the toughest schedules in the country this season, loading up the nonconference to face strong opponents to prepare for the ASUN schedule. The Lady Flames have played nine ranked teams, including five in their first six games of the year, but went 1-8 in such games with the win over Alabama.
 
Offense has been the strength of Liberty's season in 2023, with the Lady Flames leading the conference in home runs and slugging percentage. Caroline Hudson leads the ASUN in home runs this season, sending 11 balls over the fence playing primarily as the designated player. Liberty has 11 players on roster with at least one home run, and the team has sent 42 hits out of the park.
 
Karlie Keeney has been the ace in the circle for the Lady Flames, holding a 1.78 ERA with 20 wins. Keeney was the relief pitcher against the Crimson Tide, and retired the last seven batters in order, allowing the Lady Flames to make their comeback.
 
Saturday's doubleheader will start at 1 p.m., followed immediately by game two. Sunday's new time is 10 a.m., to accommodate Liberty's travel schedule. All three games will be on ESPN+, with live stats available online.