CHICAGO - The UIC softball team (19-17, 10-4 HL) prepares for an important three-game set in Dayton, Ohio, this weekend against Wright State (15-27, 10-4 HL), as the two teams are currently positioned in a second place tie in the Horizon League standings. A doubleheader is set for Friday at 4 p.m. CT, with a single game to follow on Saturday at noon. Game one will be streamed live on ESPN3.com.

The Flames resume conference play after falling to Bradley, 6-5, on Tuesday (April 21). UIC went off with four home runs, provided by Tiana Mack-Miller, Laura Swan (2) and Kaleigh Nagle, on 11 hits, as Swan and Nagle each went 3-for-4 at the plate. Bridget Boyle and Elaine Heflin, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week, shared the circle by throwing respective innings of 2.2 and 3.1.

Mack-Miller (.357), Eleni Polites (.354), Paige Peterson (.340) and Amanda Mener (.329) continue to boost the Flames' offense, as they have aided in the team's .297 batting average. Mack-Miller possesses the most hits (40), doubles (12), home runs (4) and RBI (27), as Polites owns seven stolen bases to LaRi Mitchell's 13. In conference alone, UIC is hitting .322 with six players at or above the .300 mark, led by Mack-Miller (.442).

Heflin (3.13 ERA) and Boyle (4.75 ERA) continue to produce in the circle. Heflin has gone 111.2 innings with 82 strikeouts, 10 complete games and eight wins, as Boyle follows at 84.0 innings with 46 strikeouts, four complete games and six wins. The staff has struck out 161 on the season and kept opposing batters to a .274 average. Heflin has thrown the best against Horizon League opponents with a 2.08 ERA and 7-1 record.

Wright State brings in the Flames following a 9-6 loss to Dayton on Tuesday (April 21). So far this season, the Raiders have claimed their series with Cleveland State, Youngstown State, Green Bay and Detroit, and split a doubleheader with Valparaiso. Wright State will close out the regular season next weekend with current conference leader Oakland (11-3 HL).

Jess Gorman (.333), Hanna Floyd (.333), Libby Pfeffer (.328), Honnah Susor (.324) and Becka Peterson (.314) have led the Raiders' offensively this year with the team hitting .275. Gorman has tallied a team-high 44 hits, 11 doubles, seven home runs and 27 RBI, while also contributing seven stolen bases to the team's 50.

Montana Wear (3.96 ERA) and Ashley Sharp (7.14 ERA) have divide the starts for Wright State and hold record of 11-16 and 4-11, respectively. Wear has pitched more than double the innings of Sharp (81.1) with 173.1 and has struck out 91 batters while pitching 22 complete games. Collectively, the Raiders own 119 strikeouts with opposing batters maintaining a .318 average.

UIC is an impressive 56-16 in the all-time series against Wright State, with a 21-6 mark in Dayton. Last season, the Flames swept the series with the Raiders and then ousted them in the Horizon League Tournament.