CHICAGO - The UIC softball team (10-13, 1-2 HL) will host its first series at Flames Field this weekend as it welcomes in Green Bay (8-12, 2-1 HL) for a three-game set. Originally scheduled to open play on Friday, forecasted cold temperatures has pushed the start of competition to Saturday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. CT and the finale set for Sunday at noon.

UIC returns to its Horizon League schedule after splitting a doubleheader against IUPUI in Indianapolis, Ind., on Tuesday (March 24). The Flames came away with a 3-2 win in the first tilt, before dropping a 6-4 decision to cap off play. Eleni Polites (.600) and Amanda Mener (.500) each had three hits during competition, with Polites grabbing a pair of RBI. Lindsay Melson earned her first win of the season and Bridget Boyle collected the save.

Through 23 games this season, Polites boasts a .408 batting average to lead UIC, followed by Taylor Cairns (.303). Tiana Mack-Miller (.288) owns the most hits (21) and doubles (7), while Paige Peterson (.290) tops home runs (2), RBI (13) and runs (11).

Boyle (3.37 ERA) and Elaine Heflin (3.64 ERA) have each made nine starts with 14 appearances while producing records of 3-4 and 2-7, respectively. Heflin has tallied the most innings (57.2), strikeouts (34) and complete games (5). Melson made her first appearance of the season against IUPUI and went 1.1 innings. Collectively, the pitching staff has held their opponents to a .252 batting average while striking out 94.

Green Bay is coming off a 2-1 series win at Valparaiso (March 20-21) to open conference play. The Phoenix bested the Crusaders, 7-2, on day one before splitting the doubleheader with a 10-2 loss and 12-7 win. During the tournament season, Green Bay went 6-11 after closing out with 10 games in five days.

Hailey Mohrfeld (.377), Abby Brinkmeier (.333) and Katelyn Huemmer (.304) have been the most productive for the Phoenix at the plate. Mohrfeld has 26 hits, four doubles and six stolen bases, Brinkmeier and Alyssa Johnson (.298) have six of the team's 13 home runs, and Miranda Spangberg (.259) tops the RBI list with 11.

Briana Cavin (3.94 ERA) has received nine starts this season, followed closely by Heather Sanderson (4.49 ERA) with seven. Cavin, 2-7, has six complete games, as Sanderson, 3-3, has 44 strikeouts. Hailey McDermott has maintained the lowest ERA at 2.15 and holds a 2-0 record. Green Bay has compiled 86 strikeouts, with its opponents hitting .300.

Last season, the Flames fell in all three games of their series with the Phoenix, who went on to win the Horizon League Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. In the all-time series, UIC holds a 58-20 advantage.