GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team will face its second nationally-ranked team of the season, as it welcomes No. 12 Oregon to UNCG Softball Stadium Thursday afternoon.

Following the late-week contest, the Spartans travel east to Chapel Hill for the Carolina Classic.  UNCG faces its first BIG EAST foe in UConn, its first Big 10 opponent in Penn State, and its third ACC rival of the season with North Carolina.

Fans are not permitted to bring food and drinks into the stadium. Concession stands will be open with specials and there will be t-shirt tosses during the game.
 
THURSDAY
Who: No. 12/15 Oregon (11-3)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Thursday, March 3  | 4:30 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats
 
FRIDAY
Who: UConn (8-6)
Where: Chapel Hill, N.C. | Anderson Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, March 4 | 3:30 p.m.
Live Stats
 
SATURDAY
Who: Penn State (8-5)
Where: Chapel Hill, N.C. | Anderson Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, March 5 | 5:30 p.m.
Live Stats
 
SUNDAY
Who: Penn State (8-5)
Where: Chapel Hill, N.C. | Anderson Softball Stadium
When: Sunday, March 6 | 3 p.m.
Live Stats

Who: North Carolina (9-7)
Where: Chapel Hill, N.C. | Anderson Softball Stadium
When: Sunday, March 6 | 5:30 p.m.
Watch (ACCN) | Live Stats

HOME SWEET HOME
UNCG is a perfect 8-0 at home.
 
This is the best start at the UNCG Softball Stadium for the Spartans since the 1997 season when the team went 14-0 at home.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Junior Blayke Batten led the way for the Spartans during their five-game week. She earned UNCG's second Player of the Week award.

•  .412 batting average
• Double, two triples, two home runs
• 7-for-17 at the plate
• 5 runs, 7 RBI
• 1.059 slugging percentage
• .412 on-base percentage
• No error, 12 putouts

Graduate student Jordan Gontram earned the first SoCon Player of the Week award for the Spartans announced on Feb. 21.

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

Out of the Park
The Spartans have recorded at least one home run every game this season except two.
 
UNCG has also had seven games with two or more home runs.
 
Sophomore Blayke Batten leads the team with five home runs. Senior Hannah Kincer and graduate student Makenna Matthijs follow with three each, while graduate student Jordan Gontram, sophomore Maycin Brown, and freshman Jessie Shipley have sent out two each.
 
Freshman Grace Loftin and senior Samantha Lagrama have each tallied one home run.
 
SPARTANS' LAST TIME OUT

• UNCG won its third come-from-behind game of the season with a 6-4 win over ACC opponent Virginia Sunday evening at home.
• This was the sixth-straight win over the Cavaliers and first win over an ACC program this season.
• This gave the Spartans their fourth-straight win and extended their home record to 8-0.
• Morgan Scott threw her sixth complete game for her fifth win.
• Four Spartans tallied doubles: Brown, Batten, Loftin, Matthijs.
• Matthijs recorded her third home run of the season, 29^th of her career.

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 OREGON

• In 2021, Oregon went 40-17 overall and 14-10 in the Pac-12, falling in the NCAA Austin Regional.
• Oregon was predicted to finish tied for third in the 2022 Pac-12 preseason poll.
• The Ducks travel to the East Coast this week on a three-game win streak.
• This week Oregon is ranked 12^th in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, 13^th in Softball America, and 15^th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 and d1softball.com.
• They have posted four shutouts and two run-ruled games this season.
• Allee Bunker is leading the team with a .380 batting average, while four other Ducks have a .300 or above batting clip.
• Bunker is in the top 20 of the Pac-12 in batting average.
• Bunker is one of two Ducks with double-digit RBI, leading the way with 12, while Paige Sinicki has tallied 11.
• Ariel Carlson leads the team with three home runs, and Bunker and Hanna Delgado have two each.
• Three Ducks have cross home with double-digit runs, including Delgado (13), Sinicki (12), and Bunker (11).
• In the circle, Makenna Kliethermes has thrown 40.2 innings with Jordan Dail behind her throwing 27.1 innings.
• Stevie Hansen leads the Ducks pitching staff with a 1.56 ERA and holding opponents with a .188 batting average, as Kliethermes leads Oregon with 45 strikeouts.

HISTORY VS. OREGON

• This will be the first contest between the Ducks and the Spartans

SCOUTING UCONN

• UConn concluded the 2021 season with a 22-20 overall record and a 12-9 BIG EAST mark, falling in the conference championship game to Villanova.
• UConn was voted to finish third in the 2022 BIG EAST Preseason Poll.
• The Huskies returned most of their roster returning from the prior season including the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Jana Sanden.
• UConn will enter the tournament with a five-game win streak.
• Brianna Marcelino leads the team with a .364 batting average. Her 10 runs scored, 16 hits, three doubles, and 13 stolen bases also lead the team.
• Sami Barnett and Sanden lead the Huskies with eight RBI this season.
• In the circle, Meghan O'Neil has thrown 36.2 innings, while Elise Sokolsky has tossed 25.0 innings.
• O'Neil leads the pitching rotation with a 3.05 ERA, striking out 33 batters.

HISTORY VS. UCONN

• UConn leads the series 1-0.
• The Huskies won the only game the two teams have played with a score of 8-2 at the 2004 Georgia Tech Buzz Classic in Atlanta, Ga.

SCOUTING PENN STATE

• In 2021, Penn State had a record of 7-34, where the Big Ten solely played conference games.
• Clarisa Crowell is at the helm of the Nittany Lions for the second year as head coach.
• Senior pitcher Bailey Parshall leads the team in the circle with 47.2 innings pitched and a 1.17 ERA as she has struck out 59 batters and held opponents to a .165 batting average.
• Earlier this season, Parshall pitched a perfect game against FIU, retiring all 21 batters faced with 11 strikeouts.
• Parshall is sixth in the conference in ERA.
• Cassie Lindmark has averaged .450 at the plate with 11 RBI, two home runs, three doubles, and five runs scored.
• Lindmark and Michelle Leone (.429) sit sixth and seventh, respectively, in the conference in batting average.
• Ally Kurland (.311) and Lauren Marcotte (.308) follow in batting average to round out the four Nittany Lions batting above .300.

HISTORY VS. PENN STATE

• Penn State leads the series 3-1
• The two teams last met in 1998 when Penn State defeated UNCG 5-1 in the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C.
• The Nittany Lions have won the last three contests, with the Spartans only win coming in 1993 when UNCG won 3-2 in the Seahawk Classic in Wilmington, N.C.

SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA

• North Carolina wrapped up the 2021 season with a 14-26 overall record and a 10-19 ACC mark.
• Prior to hosting the Carolina Classic, the Tar Heels will host Villanova on Wednesday and previously lost to No. 19 Michigan and No. 13 Georgia.
• Skyler Brooks is leading North Carolina with a .385 batting average.
• Kianna Jones is batting .261 and has driven in a team-best 11 RBI and leads the team with three home runs.
• In the circle, Lilli Backes has thrown 37.2 inning, striking out 37 batters with a 5.39 ERA.
• Hannah George has thrown the second most innings with 36.1 recorded with a 5-0 record, retiring 35 batters.
• George is fifth in the ACC with a 0.96 ERA.

HISTORY VS. NORTH CAROLINA

• The Tar Heels lead the series 49-11.
• UNCG last defeated North Carolina on Feb. 23, 2020, 8-5.