GREENSBORO -- Just 10 games remain in UNCG's softball season, nine of them against Southern Conference opponents.
Which brings us to a key weekend series that was rescheduled for the Spartans (22-14 overall, 6-3 SoCon), who host three games against Samford (15-20, 4-5 SoCon) at UNCG Softball Stadium. The teams will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Friday, followed by a single game at 11 a.m. Saturday.
It's a big series for second-place UNCG, which trails only Western Carolina (20-21, 9-2 SoCon) in the league standings. But five teams -- UNCG, Furman, Chattanooga, Mercer and Samford -- are bunched together within two games of each other in those standings.
UNCG comes in with the league's best offense.
The Spartans lead the SoCon in runs (237), team batting average (.275), home runs (61), on-base percentage (.395), slugging percentage (.533), walks (163) and total bases (513). UNCG ranks seventh in the nation with an average of 1.71 home runs per game.
Senior center fielder
Makenna Matthijs, the SoCon's Player of the Week, comes in fourth in the league with a .347 batting average. She leads the conference in hits (43), runs (34) and RBIs (33) and extra-base hits (19) with 10 doubles and nine home runs.
It's not just Matthijs. These Spartans hit up and down the lineup.
Sophomore infielder
Maycin Brown (.333, 5 HRs, 19 RBIs) and senior second baseman
Jasmine Palmer (.330, 7 doubles, 7 HRs and 22 RBIs) join Matthijs among the top-10 hitters in the league.
Senior designated player
Kayleigh Willis (.324, 5 HRs, 26 RBIs) and junior catcher/first baseman
Samantha Lagrama (.232, 7 HRs, 25 RBIs) rank third and fourth in the SoCon in runs batted in. Junior
Delaney Cumbie leads the league with 34 walks and shares the lead with 10 doubles.
Sophomore right-hander
Morgan Scott (11-7, 2.61 ERA) leads the SoCon and ranks 30th in the nation with 141 strikeouts in 115 1/3 innings pitched. Opponents are batting just .211 against her.
Freshman right-hander
Alina Varga (8-0, 4.11 ERA) is unbeaten in 15 appearances and has held opposing hitters to a .254 batting average. Senior right-hander
Hannah Stiltner (3-5, 6.54 ERA) has also made 15 appearances, and she's post a 4.44 ERA in her last five games.
Samford, meanwhile, has won three of its last five games including taking two of three from Furman.
The Bulldogs boast two of the SoCon's top-five hitters. Sophomore outfielder Amanda Briskin (.354, 16 runs) and junior utility player Ryan Brzozoski (.344, 4 doubles, 11 RBIs) rank third and fifth in batting average.
Senior infielder Whitney Hinton (.321, 7 HRs, 21 RBIs) and junior infielder Timberlyn Shurbutt (.321, 10 doubles, 6 HRs, 22 RBIs) lead the Bulldogs in homers and runs batted in.
Junior right-hander Emily Barnett (7-6, 3.05 ERA, 4 saves) has struck out 67 in 85 innings, while senior Taylor DeCelles (3-8, 4.29) has worked 80 innings and has four complete games.
NOTE: The Spartans will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9.
