GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team returns to Knoxville, Tennessee for the first time since 1997, as the Spartans play three games during the two-day Lady Vol Challenge between Saturday and Sunday. 

This is the first weekend since mid-March that the Spartans are playing non-conference games.
 
The Spartans continue its seven-game streak away from UNCG Softball Stadium facing East Carolina twice this weekend and No. 15/14 Tennessee once at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
 
Saturday
Who: East Carolina (19-25, 2-10 AAC)
Where: Knoxville, Tenn. | Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
When: Saturday, April 23 | 11:00 a.m.
Tickets | Live Stats
 
Who: No. 15/14 Tennessee (30-13, 13-5 SEC)
Where: Knoxville, Tenn. | Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
When: Saturday, April 23 | 4:00 p.m.
Tickets | Live Stats | Watch (SEC Network+) | Listen
 
Sunday
Who: East Carolina (19-25, 2-10 AAC)
Where: Knoxville, Tenn. | Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
When: Sunday, April 24 | 10:30 a.m.
Tickets | Live Stats

NATIONAL RANKINGS
UNCG is …

• 64th in the eighth NCAA Division I Ratings Power Index (RPI).
• second in home runs (84)
• sixth in home runs per game (1.95)
• 14th in slugging percentage (0.550)
• 34^th in scoring (6.02)
• 36^th in win loss percentage (0.721)
• 46^th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.94)
• 47^th in doubles (58)
• 53^rd in ERA (2.74)
  INDIVIDUALS...
• Delaney Cumbie is second in hit-by-pitch (0.51).
• Jordan Gontram is 22^nd in home runs (14) and 44^th in home runs per game (0.33).
• Morgan Scott is second in innings pitched (184.1), sixth in victories (19), and 10^th in strikeouts (217).
• Grace Loftin is 21^st in RBI (45) and 30^th in RBI per game (1.07).
• Brooklynn Maxwell is seventh in toughest to strikeout (41.7).

 
#1 IN SOCON RANKINGS

• Batting average (.276)
• Slugging percentage (.550)
• On-base percentage (.368)
• Runs scored (259)
• Hits (322)
• RBI (241)
• Doubles (58)
• Home runs (84)
• Total bases (642)
• Total plate appearances (1373)
• At bats (1168)
• Walks (135)
• Hit-by-pitch (43)
• Sacrifice flies (14)
• Opposing batting average (.231)
• Innings pitched (296.2)
• Batters struck out (276)
• Batters struck out looking (77)
• Wins (31)
• Putouts (890)

SOCON SUPREMACY
UNCG has won 12-straight SoCon games to start the 2022 campaign after registering its fourth-consecutive sweep.  
 
UNCG has won 17-straight regular-season games against SoCon opponents dating back to the 2021 season.

UNCG has won 20-straight overall games against conference foes, including post-season games.
 
CLIMBING HIGH (UNCG CAREER RECORDS)

• Jordan Gontram is in second place with 48 home runs and eighth with 132 RBI.
• Makenna Matthijs is third with 172 runs, fourth with 49 doubles and 162 RBI, sixth with 37 home runs and 725 at bats, ninth with 82 walks, and eighth with 217 hits.
• Delaney Cumbie is second with 121 walks, sixth with 123 runs, and tied for 10^th with 29 home runs.
• Scott is fourth with 533 strikeouts and eighth with 47 wins.

OUT OF THE PARK
The Spartans have recorded at least one home run in 36 games this season. UNCG has hit a home run in each of the last seven games.
 
In a 19-1 domination over Mercer on Sunday, March 27, the Spartans slugged eight home runs for the most home runs in a game in head coach Janelle Breneman's era and to stats dating back to 2007.
 
Three of the eight came from Grace Loftin. This was the fourth time in program history that a Spartan has hit three home runs in a game.
 
UNCG has had 24 games with two or more home runs. The Spartans have had four games with three home runs. There have been four games with four home runs, two games with five home runs, and one game with a season-best eight homers.
 
Four Spartans have reached the double-digit home run mark, with Jordan Gontram leading the way with a season best 14 home runs, while Grace Loftin and Makenna Matthijs are second with 11 homers. Delaney Cumbie's 10 are a single season high. Blayke Batten has had single season high nine homers, as Maycin Brown and Samantha Lagrama have eight each.
 
Jessie Shipley has had six and Brooklynn Maxwell and Hannah Kincer round out the Spartan homer brigade with four and three, respectively. Maxwell's four is a single season high.

AWARDS ON AWARDS
Scott and Loftin were most recently named SoCon Pitcher and Player of the Month, respectively, for March.

Scott tallied her third SoCon Pitcher of the Week honor after an impressive week of a 0.33 ERA.

Junior Maycin Brown was named SoCon Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week during the week of March 28.

Scott earned her second SoCon Pitcher of the Week honor on March 28.

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

Junior Maycin Brown was tabbed SoCon Player of the Month for February.

Scott was 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 lost to Campbell on Wednesday 5-4 in 11 innings.
• Scott struck out 10 batters, her eighth game this season with double-digit strikeouts, 18^th game of her career.
• Jessie Shipley hit her sixth homer of the season.
• Maycin Brown, Makenna Matthijs, and Jordan Gontram hit doubles.
• This was the fifth extra-inning game for the Spartans this season.

SCOUTING EAST CAROLINA
 

• East Carolina was voted to finish last in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Entering the weekend, ECU sports a .265 batting average with 60 doubles, 11 triples and 18 home runs as well as 58 stolen bases.
• In the circle, the Pirates own a 4.17 earned run average with 192 strikeouts against 150 walks.
• Opponents are hitting .277 against East Carolina pitchers. 
• Among Division I, the Pirates are 33^rd in doubles (60) and 41^st in triples per game (0.25).
• In East Carolina's last contest, NC State earned a 9-6 victory Wednesday extending the Pirates' seven-game losing streak.  
• The Pirates lead the AAC in strikeouts (239) and saves (5).
• Jocelyn Alonso leads the team with a .348 batting average.
• Sydney Yoder has driven in 30 RBI.
• Chandley Garner has hit four homers, while Bailee Wilson leads the team with 12 doubles.
• Faith Jarvis has successfully stolen 17 of 21 bases.
• In the circle, Logyn Estes leads the team with a 3.17 ERA and a 5-6 record in 64.0 innings pitched.
• Madisyn Davis has tossed the most, with 71.0 innings with a 3.45 ERA and a team-best 54 strikeouts.

HISTORY VS. EAST CAROLINA

• The Pirates lead the series 28-13.
• The Spartans last faced East Carolina on April 21, 2021 when UNCG won 5-4 in eight innings in Greensboro, N.C.
• Prior to that meeting, the Pirates had won nine-straight games.

SCOUTING TENNESSEE

• The Lady Vols are 11^th in the most recent RPI.
• Tennessee is ranked 14^th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25, 15^th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, 16^th in the D1softball.com poll, and 17^th in the Softball America Top 25.
• Tennessee hosted No. 3/3 Virginia Tech on Wednesday, losing 5-2.
• Three Lady Vols are batting above .300, including Kiki Milloy (.360), Amanda Ayala (.333), and Lair Beautae (.313).
• Milloy leads the team with 41 RBI, 13 home runs, two triples, 50 hits, 44 runs, 18 walks, and has stolen 24 of 25 bases.
• In the circle, Erin Edmoundson has tossed 132.2 innings, striking out 115 batters. She has a 17-5 record with nine complete games and a 2.32 ERA.
• Ashley Rogers is second from the pitching staff with a 5-5 record, tossing 56.2 innings with three saves and 76 strikeouts.
• Milloy and Rogers were selected to the Preseason All-SEC team.

TENNESSEE NATIONAL RANKINGS

• 12^th in home runs (68) and home runs per game (1.58)
• 15^th in walks (154)
• 17^th in scoring (6.37)
• 18^th in slugging percentage (0.529)
• 23^rd in on-base percentage (0.400)
• 32^nd in stolen bases per game (1.63)
• 33^rd in doubles (60)
• 45^th in win-loss percentage (0.698)

HISTORY VS. TENNESSEE

• Tennessee leads the series 5-0.
• The Spartans faced the Lady Vols to open the 2022 slate in Miami, Florida and Tennessee won 4-0.
• Prior to the meeting, the Lady Vols and the Spartans met twice in 1997 and 2017.
• This will be the second time UNCG has played in Knoxville. The first being the two games in 1997.