GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team begins Southern Conference (SoCon) play this weekend hosting the Mercer Bears on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series.

Students in attendance on Saturday have the opportunity to enter to win a variety of prizes including: Justin Bieber tickets, Lil Durk tickets, Tim McGraw tickets, Atlanta United vs. Charlotte tickets, Emerald Point Passes, and AirPods. The first 100 students in attendance will also receive a t-shirt.

Who: Mercer
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, March 26 | 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: Free Admission
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats

Who: Mercer
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, March 26 | 3:30 p.m.
Tickets: Free Admission
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats

Who: Mercer
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Sunday, March 27 | 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: Free Admission
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats

NATIONAL RANKINGS

• UNCG is 54th in the third NCAA Division I Ratings Power Index (RPI).
• UNCG is 10th in the nation with 44 home runs.
• UNCG is also ninth in the nation averaging 1.63 home runs per game.
• UNCG is 29^th with a 0.510 slugging percentage and 44^th with 40 doubles.
• Morgan Scott is third in innings pitched (109.2) and 28th in strikeouts (106).
• Delaney Cumbie is fifth in hit-by-pitch per game (0.43).

 
#1 IN SOCON RANKINGS

• Slugging percentage (.511)
• Runs scored (151)
• RBI (138)
• Home runs (44)
• Total bases (383)
• Sacrifice flies (10)
• Opposing batting average (.249)
• Batters struck out looking (48)
• Wins (17)

A DECADE OF COACHING
Janelle Breneman enters her 10^th season at the helm of the Spartans with a 284-177. The Blue & Gold have accumulated a record of 16-8 this season, to bring Breneman's record to 300-185.
 
Her 300^th win came in dominant fashion as the Spartans defeated the Charlotte 49ers with an 8-1 score on Tuesday, March 15 at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium.
 
She is the winningest softball coach in UNCG history. She bypassed previous head coach Melody Cope's 220 wins on March 31, 2019 with a 4-3 win at Chattanooga.  
 
OUT OF THE PARK
The Spartans have recorded at least one home run in 22 of the 27 games played this season.
 
UNCG has had 14 games with two or more home runs. The Spartans have had four games with three home runs. There have been two games with a season-best four home runs.
 
Three Spartans have tallied six home runs each, including graduate student Makenna Matthijs, graduate student Jordan Gontram, and junior Blayke Batten.
 
Delaney Cumbie, Grace Loftin, and Samantha Lagrama are second on the team with five home runs, while Maycin Brown, Hannah Kincer, and Brooklynn Maxwell have three each. Jessie Shipley rounds out the home run hitter with two.

SOCON SWEEP
Freshman Grace Loftin was named SoCon Player of the Week and D1 Softball Freshman of the Week on March 21.

• .533 batting average
• 2 runs scored
• 4 doubles
• 1 home run
• 7 RBI
• 1.000 slugging percentage
• .500 on-base percentage
• No errors, 5 putouts

Junior Maycin Brown was tabbed SoCon Player of the Month for February.
Junior Morgan Scott was most recently selected SoCon Pitcher of the Week on March 14.
Senior Delaney Cumbie was tabbed SoCon Player of the Week on March 7 after helping UNCG to a 3-2 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 on Feb. 28.
Graduate student Jordan Gontram earned the first SoCon Player of the Week award for the Spartans announced on Feb. 21.

SPARTANS' LAST TIME OUT

• UNCG went 1-2 against in-state rival Elon last weekend, where the Spartans won 10-9 in eight innings on Sunday at home.
• The Spartans won in walk-off walk style, as Matthijs walked on a full count to score Batten from third.
• Loftin went 3-for-5 with one run and three RBI.
• According to the UNCG record book, her three doubles is a single-game record.
• The Spartan's four home runs this game tied the season best.
• Reese Byrd earned the win in the circle, bringing her record to 5-3.

SCOUTING MERCER

• Mercer is currently 7-21 overall under first-year head coach Lindsay Fico.
• Mercer has a three-game losing streak, including a 7-6 mid-week loss to Kennesaw State University.
• Elisa Rosado was selected to the 2022 SoCon Preseason All-Conference first team, while Annie Potter was voted to the second team.
• Mercer tied for fourth in the SoCon preseason poll as it finished 24-23 overall last season and 8-9 in conference play.
• Three Bears are hitting above .300, including Kenlie Harvey (.319), Adele Braun (.317), and Diamond Williams (.311).
• Rebecca Laudino (15 RBI), Braun (13), and Harvey (11) lead the team in RBI.
• Hannah Pitts leads the pitching staff with a 4.95 ERA tossing 91.0 innings.
• Pitts has a 3-9 record with 11 complete games and one save.

HISTORY VS. MERCER

• UNCG leads the series 17-9.
• The Spartans last faced the Bears on May 13, 2021 in the first round of the SoCon Tournament, where UNCG won 3-2.
• UNCG has a three-game winning streak against Mercer.