CONWAY, Ark. – There's one last home series for the Central Arkansas softball team, taking place this weekend against Bellarmine. First pitch is set for 6:45 on Friday, followed by a doubleheader at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
 
This weekend will also feature the recognition of the team's four graduates who are to receive their degrees, as well the two seniors who are exhausting their eligibility. Friday, the team will celebrate the academic achievements of Tremere Harris, Morgan Nelson, Madi Young and graduate assistant Morgan Curley. Then on Saturday, Harris and Nelson will be recognized for their athletic achievements in Purple and Gray.
 
Harris will close her career in the top-five in hits, walks and stolen bases, and will leave a plethora of other marks in the record book, including being one of five student athletes to record 70 hits in a season. Nelson will go down as one of the best power hitters and first basemen of all time, nearing the career record for home runs, and already holding the season record for homers. The Bentonville native has also been a rock at first base, recording the highest fielding percentage by a Central Arkansas first baseman across a career, committing just six errors in almost 900 attempts.
 
Central Arkansas heads into the final weekend of the regular season with a 23-25 record overall and a 14-7 showing in ASUN games. The Bears had a six-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday against Arkansas, but in conference games, the streak holds, with Central Arkansas coming off of back-to-back sweeps in ASUN play. The Bears took three games against Lipscomb and Kennesaw to close out April, resulting in a 9-4 record in the month.
 
As the season winds down, several Bears are among the ASUN leaders in multiple categories. Harris (.373) and Kylie Griffin (.351) are both top-10 hitters in the conference, with the duo combining for 104 hits this season. Harris has been even better in conference games, hitting .483 with an OBP of .603 in 21 games. In the circle, Julia Petty has logged five shutouts against ASUN foes, tied for the most in the league.
 
This weekend's series has major implications in the seeding for the ASUN Championship, with the Bears still in the hunt for a spot somewhere between two and six. Currently the number five seed, Central Arkansas can take care of business this weekend, but will still need some help to maneuver higher up the standings.
 
Bellarmine comes into the weekend at 13-31, with a 5-16 conference record. The Knights are one of five teams at the bottom of the ASUN standings fighting for the final spot, with all five teams within a game of each other for the final slot. But after winning three of their first four, the Knights have struggled since the turn of April, going winless in the month. Last weekend, it was a home series against North Alabama that went sideways, with Bellarmine only managing two runs in the entire series.
 
But the Knights have some bright spots on the roster, namely, Chloe Collins and her .311 batting average. The junior infielder has a team-best 41 hits, six home runs and 22 RBI on the year, of which three bombs and 10 RBI are in conference games. In the circle, Claire Lehmkuhler holds a 9-15 record in 29 appearances, logging a 3.11 ERA with 82 strikeouts. She leads the Knights in every major pitching category, and accounts for nearly half of the innings pitched.
 
First pitch on Friday is set for 6:45, with graduation recognitions taking place beforehand. On Saturday, Senior Day takes place before an 11 a.m. start time. Friday's game will be streamed on the Bear Nation Network, and Saturday's doubleheader will be on ESPN+.