GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team is excited to return home after 16 days of being away from its stadium. The Spartans will host Furman for its final home regular-season matchup on Saturday and Sunday.

The Spartans will be welcomed home by cheering fans that have come near and far. Among those fans, will be many friends and family.
 
This weekend, three from UNCG will be recognized, as they are competing in their final season in the Blue & Gold. Those three are Makenna Matthijs, Jordan Gontram, and Alex Rodriguez.
 
Between them are 190 wins, two 30-win seasons, a 40-win season, the last four SoCon Regular Season Championships, two SoCon Tournament Championships, and two NCAA Regional appearances – and many accolades.
 
On Saturday, Matthijs, Gontram, and Rodriguez will catch a ceremonial first pitch from their fathers. On Sunday, the three will be honored prior to the game for their storied careers at UNCG.
 
Read letter to the sport of softball from the three Spartans:
The Final Goodbye: Makenna Matthijs
The Final Goodbye: Jordan Gontram
The Final Goodbye: Alex Rodriguez
 
Sunday's game is sponsored by UNCG Housing & Residence Life.
 
Saturday
Who: Furman (18-27, 6-6 SoCon)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, April 30 | 1 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
 
Who: Furman (18-27, 6-6 SoCon)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Saturday, April 30 | 3:30 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
 
Sunday
Who: Furman (18-27, 6-6 SoCon)
Where: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Softball Stadium
When: Sunday, May 1 | 1 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)

NATIONAL RANKINGS
UNCG is …

• 67th in the ninth NCAA Division I Ratings Power Index (RPI).
• fifth in home runs (88)
• fifth in home runs per game (1.91)
• 15^th in slugging percentage (.546)
• 35^th in win-loss percentage (.717)
• 38^th in scoring (5.91)
• 43^rd in doubles (63)
• 50^th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.88)

INDIVIDUALS...

• Delaney Cumbie is leading the nation in total hit-by-pitch (20), second in hit by pitch per game (0.48), 57^th in on-base percentage (.491) and runs per game (.95), 67^th in home runs (12), 71^st in home runs/game (.29), 73^rd in walks per game (.62).
• Jordan Gontram is 23^rd in home runs (15), 39^th in home runs/game (.33), 76^th in total bases (91).
• Morgan Scott is second in innings pitched (194.2), eighth in victories (20), 11^th in strikeouts (230), 77^th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.34), 79^th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.3).
• Grace Loftin is 84^th in home runs (11).
• Brooklynn Maxwell is 15^th in toughest to strikeout (26.8).
• Makenna Matthijs is 65^th in total bases (93), 84^th in home runs (11), 95^th in runs per game (.89).

#1 IN SOCON RANKINGS

• Batting average (.276)
• Slugging percentage (.546)
• On-base percentage (.364)
• Runs scored (272)
• Hits (344)
• RBI (254)
• Doubles (63)
• Home runs (88)
• Total bases (681)
• Total plate appearances (1458)
• At bats (1248)
• Walks (139)
• Hit-by-pitch (43)
• Sacrifice flies (14)
• Opposing batting average (.229)
• Innings pitched (316.2)
• Batters struck out (294)
• Batters struck out looking (84)
• Wins (33)
• Putouts (950)

 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
On Thursday, freshman Grace Loftin was named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 list. This is the first time UNCG had an honoree.  
 
Maycin Brown was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week during the week of March 28.
 
Loftin was named D1 Softball Freshman of the Week on March 21.
 
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 RECORDS)

• UNCG has hit 88 home runs this season, which is the second most in a single season. The most is 90 from 2021. 
• Jordan Gontram is in second place with 49 home runs, tied for seventh with 135 RBI, and tied for 10^th with 75 walks.
• Makenna Matthijs is third with 175 runs, tied for third with 51 doubles, fourth with 163 RBI, tied for fourth with 736 at-bats, sixth with 223 hits and 37 homers, and ninth with 82 walks.
• Delaney Cumbie is second with 121 walks, sixth with 126 runs, and tied for ninth with 31 home runs.
• Scott is fourth with 546 strikeouts, tied for sixth with 48 wins, and tied for seventh with three saves.

OUT OF THE PARK
The Spartans have recorded at least one home run in 39 games this season. UNCG has hit a home run in each of the last 10 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 25 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 15 home runs, while Delaney Cumbie's 12 are a single-season high. Grace Loftin and Makenna Matthijs are third with 11 homers. Samantha Lagrama and Blayke Batten each have hit nine, both hitting single-season highs.
 
Maycin Brown has crushed eight homers, while Jessie Shipley has hit six. Brooklynn Maxwell and Hannah Kincer round out the Spartan homer brigade with four and three, respectively. Maxwell's four are a single season high.

SOCON RECOGNITION
Scott and Loftin were 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 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 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 visited Knoxville, Tenn. for the first time in 25 years.
• The Spartans went 2-1 on the weekend with two wins over East Carolina and a tough 4-2 loss to No. 14/15 Tennessee.
• Alex Rodriguez earned her first-career victory in an 8-5 come-from-behind win against the Pirates.
• Against the Lady Vols, Lagrama and Cumbie hit a home run.
• Cumbie helped the Spartans defeat East Carolina on Sunday with her three RBI, coming from a home run and a double.

SCOUTING FURMAN

• Furman was voted to finish sixth in the SoCon.
• The Paladins are coming off a 9-2 loss to No. 15 Georgia.
• Prior to that game, they swept the series against Western Carolina in Greenville, S.C.
• Furman is currently third in the SoCon standings and gave Samford (27-15, 11-1 SoCon), who is second, its first loss of conference play on April 16.
• Riley Ludlam and Emily Bartlett was selected to the Preseason All-SoCon first team, while Sierra Tufts, Natalie Morgan, and Ashlee Lykins was voted to the second team.
• Barlett is the lone Paladin batting above .300, swinging .305 (36-for-118).
• She leads the team with six homers and 28 RBI, while Ludlam also has driven in 28 RBI.
• Ludlam has doubled 13 times this season.
• Lykins leads the Paladins with 28 runs scored and has stolen all 17 bases she has attempted to lead Furman.
• Tufts leads the Paladins in the circle with an 8-13 record with her 3.42 ERA.
• She has tossed 139.1 innings striking out 70.
• Tanner Bailey, who is 2-1 in the circle, has kept opponents averaging .224 at the plate.  

HISTORY VS. FURMAN

• UNCG leads the series 44-41
• Furman took the series last year with two wins, before UNCG won 4-0.
• In the victory, Brown hit a three-run home run, and Lagrama singled up the middle for the fourth run.