CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (2-2) will head to the Sunshine State for the FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic this weekend in Boca Raton, Fla. The Flames will see action against Tulsa (3-6), Dartmouth (0-0) and Columbia (0-0) in addition to host FAU (6-5).

OPENING WEEKEND TURNOUT
Unfortunate weather circumstances kept the Flames from the 28^th Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego, Calif. last week. In its most recent appearance, UIC went 2-2 in Louisiana in the season's opener. The Flames first fell at No. 8 LSU, 3-0, before going 2-1 at the Mardi Gras Classic with wins over Samford, 11-1, and Iowa, 6-4, and a loss in their first matchup with the Hawkeyes, 3-0.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
In the squad's opening weekend, the offense pulled together for a .241 batting average with 26 hits, four extra-base efforts, 14 RBI, eight walks and eight stolen bases. Lexi Watts had the best turn at the plate with six hits for a .462 average as she added two RBI, four runs, two walks and three steals. Between Watts and Taylor Cairns (.364), the pair had 10 hits, nine runs and five stolen bases. Emily Wetzel, Skylee James and Kayla Wedl aided the run production by collecting three RBI apiece.

FRAZIER LEADS PITCHING STAFF
Karissa Frazier was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week after she had an impressive weekend in the circle. She went 2-0 with a 0.62 earned-run average, struck out seven and held opponents to just four hits across 11.1 innings for a .103 opposing batting average.

Marley Hanlon made her first-career appearance in game on against Iowa and went the complete game while holding the Hawkeyes to five hits and earning just one run. Allie Trudeau made two appearances and threw a total of 8.2 frames while striking out five and allowing 11 hits.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Tulsa went 1-4 at the Texas A&M Invitational last weekend, posting a win against Butler, but falling in a pair of matches apiece against Iowa and host No. 6/8 Texas A&M. In their first game of the Invitational against Iowa, the Golden Hurricanes came up short, 2-1. Their next two matches were against Texas A&M, and Tulsa was shut out on both occasions, 7-0, 6-0, before grabbing a 2-1 edge over Butler. The Golden Hurricanes wrapped up the tournament with an 11-3 deficit against Iowa.

Dartmouth is opening its 2018 season at the FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament, after an 11-28-1 showing in the 2017 season. The Big Green were selected to finish fifth in the Ivy League this season, the same spot they finished in 2017. Last year in conference play, Dartmouth won nine-straight, but dropped its final seven to end the season with a 10-10 mark in Ivy games.

Columbia will also be kicking off the 2018 slate this weekend, and was picked to finish sixth in the Ivy League in 2018. Last season, the Lions went 5-0 to start conference play for the first time in program history, while also winning 20 games for the first time since 2014 and finishing just one win shy of the program record. Columbia wrapped the 2017 season with program records in home runs (37), RBIs (184), runs (205) and total bases (539).

Host Florida Atlantic went 2-3 last weekend at the 2018 Michelle Smith Pediatric Cancer Invitational, with wins against Tennessee and UMass-Lowell. The Owls fell 9-8 against Horizon League-member Oakland to start the tournament, and also took a 5-3 against Oklahoma State in eight innings. Florida Atlantic took down Tennessee 3-2 the following day before shutting out UMass-Lowell, 4-0. The Owls concluded the Invitational against Missouri, taking a 7-2 loss.

ALL-TIME SERIES (LAST MEETING)
vs. Tulsa: 2-1 (Feb. 10, 2007; W, 5-2)
vs. Dartmouth: 1-0 (March 17, 2006; W, 4-0)
vs. Columbia: first meeting
vs. Florida Atlantic: 5-4 (March 7, 2003; W; 4-2)

LOOKING AHEAD
The Flames will head to Murray, Ky. next weekend (March 9-11) for the 2018 Racer Classic where they will face Rhode Island, Evansville, Kent State and Murray State.