GREENSBORO -- Fresh off a weekend sweep in a key three-game series at Chattanooga that moved UNCG into second place in the Southern Conference standings, the Spartans return home for a midweek non-conference tuneup game against East Carolina.
 
The red-hot Spartans (21-14, 6-3 SoCon) will host struggling East Carolina (11-24, 2-10 American Athletic Conference) at 5 p.m. Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium.
 
UNCG has won three straight and four of its last five games as the Spartans head into the homestretch. Nine of their last 11 games of the regular season are against SoCon opponents.
 
East Carolina, meanwhile, has lost nine of its last 10.
 
UNCG senior center fielder Makenna Matthijs, the SoCon's Player of the Week, comes in batting .33 with nine doubles, eight home runs and SoCon highs of 31 RBIs and 32 runs scored.
 
Matthijs leads a potent offense. The Spartans average 1.71 home runs per game, which ranks seventh among the 283 Division I teams playing this spring. They lead the SoCon with 60 home runs and a .277 team batting average.
 
Senior second baseman Jasmine Palmer is batting .337 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 22 RBIs, while sophomore infielder Maycin Brown is hitting .338 with five homers and 19 RBIs.
 
Junior outfielder Jordan Gontram leads the SoCon with nine home runs, while senior designated player Kayleigh Willis is batting .338 with 12 of her 23 hits going for extra bases.
 
Sophomore right-hander Morgan Scott (11-7, 2.61 ERA) leads the SoCon with 141 strikeouts in 115 1/3 innings, while freshman right-hander Alina Varga (7-0, 4.53 ERA) is unbeaten in 14 appearances. Senior right-hander Hannah Stiltner (3-5, 1 save) worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief Sunday to finish the sweep at Chattanooga.
 
For East Carolina, senior Rachel McCollum comes in batting a team-high .361 with 11 extra-base hits and 20 RBIs in 33 games. Pirates senior outfielder Olivia Narron is batting .313 with a team-high 22 runs scored, and junior infielder Chandley Garner leads the club with nine home runs and 22 RBIs.
 
Junior right-hander Kama Woodall (6-13, 4.14 ERA) leads the pitching staff with 26 appearances and 130 innings pitched.
 
UNCG will follow the ECU game by hosted a three-game weekend series against SoCon foe Samford.