CHICAGO – The No. 1 seeded UIC softball team (35-20, 20-4 HL) will open play in the 2017 Horizon League Championship at Flames Field on Thursday at noon CT when it is faced with the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 4 Wright State (20-29, 14-10 HL) and No. 5 Detroit Mercy (15-32, 12-10 HL). The Flames will be on the hunt for their ninth tournament crown and first since 2011.
 
REGULAR SEASON THREE-PEAT
UIC garnered its third-consecutive and the program's 16th Horizon League regular season title having posted a 20-4 conference record after winning seven out of eight series. The 20 league wins are the most in program history as the team additionally acquired the most regular-season wins since 2005 (38) with 35.
 
HORIZON LEAGUE ACCOLADES
The Flames were awarded for their efforts on the year as the Horizon League handed out its postseason honors. Elaine Heflin was named Pitcher of the Year for the third time, becoming just the second player in program history and third in the conference to do so, as first-year head coach also claimed one of the top accolades as Coach of the Year.
 
Heflin additionally placed on the All-League First Team alongside Lexi Watts and Karissa Frazier. Jennah Speth, Kayla Wedl and Taylor Cairns earned the distinction of Second Team All-League, as Speth and Wedl were also selected to the All-Freshman Team with Allie Trudeau.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UIC ended the regular season with its fifth series sweep as it took down Oakland, 10-3, 5-3 and 2-1, to aid in a record of 22-6 over the course of the second half of the year. The Golden Grizzlies were held to seven runs as the Flames racked up 17.
 
A total of 30 hits were produced across the three games, including two 10-plus hit totals. Watts led the squad with her six tallies as she scored five runs. Wedl closely followed with five hits and a team-best six RBI. Allie Trudeau, Karissa Frazier and Elaine Heflin all picked up wins in the circle as Trudeau (1) and Heflin (2) also notched saves.
 
A notable feat was reached in the series as Watts stole two bases to bring her season total to 26 and to become the Flames' all-time leader in stolen bases with 63.
 
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC ranks at the top of the Horizon League with a .281 batting average led by the production of Watts (.388), Speth (.327), Savannah Soppet (.304) and Wedl (.302). Watts has picked up a league-high 69 hits, which ranks 23rd nationally and is the most for a Flames player since 2005 when three had 70-plus tallies, and she additionally leads with 26 stolen bases. Wedl (30), Speth (29) and Jasmine Willis (29) lead the way in runs driven in as they have made up 16 of the team's 24 home runs.
 
UIC tapped out of conference play with a .299 batting average and six players hitting above the .300 mark. Watts came away with the top average of .383 with a team-high 31 hits and 22 runs scored. Speth turned out 11 extra-base hits with four doubles, one triple and six homers to aid in her 21 RBI.
 
The Flames' pitching staff has put together the program's best earned-run average since 2001 (1.83) with a mark of 2.11 as its .213 opposing batting average is the lowest mark since 2000 (.205). Frazier (1.52 ERA) leads the league and ranks 37th nationally in ERA as she owns 12 wins on the year as well as Heflin (2.20 ERA), who boasts a league-leading 141 strikeouts. With seven wins, Trudeau (1.99 ERA) owns the conference's best opposing average (.189) and fewest hits allowed (61).
 
Frazier (0.83 ERA), Trudeau (1.06 ERA) and Heflin (1.50 ERA) all threw upwards of 50 innings in conference as Frazier and Trudeau both produced seven wins with Heflin grabbing five. The trio combined for eight shutouts, a 1.16 ERA and .180 opposing average as Heflin earned 70 of the team's 159 strikeouts.
 
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS
Wright State earned the fourth seed for the tournament with a 14-10 record in league play. The Raiders won five of their conference series during the season, including a 2-1 turnout against UIC to move the Flames' all-time record to 61-22.
 
All-League First Team selections Honnah Susor and Macy Cook are the top two offensive threats for Wright State this season with respective batting averages of .379 and .347, assisting with the team's .273 average. Susor leads the team in hits (58), runs scored (39) and steals (22), as Alexis Mayle (.209) has put up a team-best five home runs and Vivi Marquez and Becka Peterson have knocked in the most runs with 22 RBI apiece.
 
Ashley Sharp (4.50 ERA) has been the go-to pitcher for the Raiders as she has thrown more than 150 innings and owns 12 complete games and 15 wins. Ally Russell (2.79 ERA) has also had a strong presence in the circle having thrown 77.2 frames and posting a team-low .250 opposing average.
 
SCOUTING THE TITANS
Detroit Mercy went 12-10 in conference play to earn the fifth seed for the tournament, earning a spot for the first time since 2009. The Titans claimed five of its series this season, featuring two out of three wins against Wednesday's opponent Wright State. They were able to take one win against UIC, but the Flames powered past to take the series, 2-1, and improve to 64-6 all-time.
 
The only player to hit above .300 this season, Courtney Gilbert was selected to the All-Horizon League First Team after boasting a .374 average with a team-high 52 hits, 12 doubles and 31 RBI. Much of the power hitting has been handled by Savvy Ferstle (.270), who has hit seven home runs and garnered 27 RBI.
 
All-Freshman Team honoree Liz Murphy (3.67 ERA) has controlled the circle for 177.1 innings, the second-most in the league, this season and owns 12 wins, 13 complete games, 72 strikeouts and a .301 opposing average. Ashley Mauser's (4.58 ERA) 99.1 innings is the next highest total for Detroit Mercy as she has tabbed the remaining three wins on the year.