UNCG Invitational Tournament Central

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team, which is 5-4 overall, hosts its second of three tournaments this season from Friday, February 25 to Sunday, February 27 at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

The Spartans welcome Loyola University Chicago, Towson, Bucknell, and Virginia.

Fans are permitted to bring in food and drinks.
 
FRIDAY
Who: Loyola Chicago (2-3)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Friday, February 25 | 2:30 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats
 
SATURDAY
Who: Towson (1-8)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, February 26 | 2:30 p.m.
Live Stats
 
Who: Bucknell (2-6)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, February 26 | 5 p.m.
Live Stats
 
SUNDAY
Who: Virginia (5-5)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Sunday, February 27 | 2 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Graduate student Jordan Gontram earned the first SoCon Player of the Week award for the Spartans on Monday.

• .636 batting average
• two home runs
• 7-for-11 at the plate
• 5 RBI
• 1.273 slugging percentage
• .636 on-base percentage

HOME RUN A GAME
The Spartans have recorded at least one home run a game for eight-straight games since the season started.
 
UNCG has also had sixth games with two or more home runs.
 
Sophomore Blayke Batten leads the team with four home runs. Senior Hannah Kincer follows with three of her own, while Jordan Gontram and classmate Makenna Matthijs.
 
Four other Spartans have sent out one home run each.
 
SPARTANS' LAST TIME OUT

• UNCG dropped a non-conference game to NC State, 4-3, on Tuesday afternoon at Dali Softball Stadium.
• Freshman Jessie Shipley sent out her first-collegiate home run.
• Batten tagged her fourth home run of the season, the sixth career blast.
• In the circle, Scott struck out six batters.

PRESEASON PRESENTS
UNCG was chosen as the Southern Conference (SoCon) favorite in the preseason poll for the second-straight season.
Graduate student Makenna Matthijs was voted Preseason Player of the Year, as well as to the first team as an outfielder.
 
Junior Morgan Scott was selected as Preseason Pitcher of the Year, as well as to the first team.
 
Senior catcher Delaney Cumbie and junior infielder Maycin Brown were also tabbed on the first team.
 
Sophomore infielder Brooklynn Maxwell was voted to the second team.

FRESH FACES
Head Coach Janelle Breneman welcomed five additions to the 2022 Blue & Gold squad, including two pitchers, two infielders, and an outfielder.
The pitchers: Reese Byrd (Suffolk, Va.) and Graysen Hunter (Williamston, S.C.)
The infielders: Jessie Shipley (Sugar Land, Texas) and Meredith Harwood (Stanfield, N.C.)
The outfielder: Grace Loftin (Conover, N.C.)
 
Get to know Hunter, Byrd, and Loftin
Get to know Shipley and Harwood
 
DEPTH IN RETURNERS
Fourteen Spartans are listed on the roster from last year's team, including eight that started in 20 or more of the 51 games played in 2021.
 
Last season the Spartans saw five players bat above .300. Three of the five are returning, including offensive leader Matthijs who averaged .355 at the plate and was third in the SoCon. The two others are: Brown (.352) and Maxwell (.301).
 
Matthijs, Scott, Cumbie, and Brown also return as UNCG had six ranked in the top 100 in individual stat categories. Scott was named SoCon Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, as well as selected to the All-SoCon first team in 2021.

SCOUTING LOYOLA CHICAGO

• Loyola Chicago dropped its last two games against then No. 6 Florida State, 8-2, and Mercer, 4-3, at the Joanne Graf Classic in Tallahassee, Fla.
• In 2021, Loyola went 13-29 overall and 8-16 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• The Ramblers return Sydney Ruggles and Madison Ebeling who earned All-MVC second team recognition last season.  
• Ebeling was also named to the MVC All-Defensive Team and selected as the MVC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Ebeling currently leads Loyola with a .357 batting average, swinging 5-for-7 in five games started in. She has two doubles, one RBI, and three walks.
• Nova Sinskul also has a .357 hitting clip, while leading the team scoring four runs.
• Haley Wallace leads the Ramblers with five RBI.
• In the circle, Caitlin Engelking has thrown 14.0 innings striking out 10, while Andie Broniewicz is second with 11.2 innings thrown.

HISTORY VS. LOYOLA CHICAGO

• The Spartans are 1-1 against the Ramblers.
• UNCG last played Loyola in 1995 at the Rebel Spring Games in Ocoee, Florida.

SCOUTING TOWSON

• The Tigers wrapped up 2021 with a 14-17 overall mark and a 1-11 record in the CAA.
• Towson was voted eighth in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• Towson's lone win has been against Western Carolina when the Tigers won 2-1 on Feb. 20.
• Sophomore Mackenzie Lake earned NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region third team honors last season.
• Lake is currently fifth on the team with a .320 hitting clip.
• Lake was named to the 2021 CAA All-Rookie Team, while Chloe Poulich was named to the All-CAA second team.
• Sydni Byers leads the team with a .474 batting average with two home runs and a team-best four RBI.
• Briana Ramriez is averaging .400 at the plate, as the only other Tiger above .400.
• In the circle, Julia Jackson has pitched 21.0 innings with a 3.33 ERA, while Melissa Abrahamian has tossed 20.2 innings giving up 35 hits.
• Jackson has the lone win for the Tigers.

HISTORY VS. TOWSON

• The Spartans lead the series 11-6.
• Towson won the last two games against UNCG, with the most recent being in 2020 taking the game 7-0 in the Winthrop Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C.

SCOUTING BUCKNELL

• In 2021, Bucknell went 12-18-1 overall and 9-14-1 in the Patriot League.
• The Bison were voted fifth in the Conference.
• Senior Nicole Rivait was named to the 2022 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• Rivait currently leads the team with a .320 batting average tallying a team-high four doubles and two RBI.
• Chase Knapp leads the Bison with three RBI and is third on the team with a .280 hitting clip.
• In the circle, Kelly Toomey leads the team with 22.2 innings thrown with a 4.63 ERA, striking out 17 batters.
• Kaiya Burton is second tossing 14.1 innings leading the way with a 1.95 ERA.

HISTORY VS. BUCKNELL

• UNCG is 3-0 against Bucknell.
• The Spartans took two against the Bison in 2014 in the UNCW Beach Bash in Wilmington, N.C. winning 4-2 and 9-6.

SCOUTING VIRIGINIA

• Virginia concluded the 2021 season with a 15-33 overall mark and a 10-27 ACC record.
• The Cavaliers were voted to finish 10^th in the ACC.
• Sarah Coon leads the UVA offense, hitting at a .345 clip and is tied for the team lead in RBI with eight.
• Mikayla Houge leads in the circle with a 2.15 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP through her 26.0 innings of work.
• Houge has tallied a 3-0 record with a pair of complete games to match her season total from a year ago.
• Virginia has been efficient on the basepath, stealing successfully in 19-of-20 attempts this season.
• Conversely, the Hoos have thrown out seven baserunners on 13 steal attempts so far this season.

HISTORY VS. VIRGINIA

• The Spartans are 8-19 all-time against the Cavaliers.
• UNCG is on a five-game win streak against Virginia, with its most recent win being in 2020 when the Spartans won 2-0 in the Winthrop Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C.