CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (28-20, 18-3 HL) will wrap up the regular season this weekend on the road at Wright State (21-31, 8-13 HL). The Flames and the Raiders collide on Friday, May 3 with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. CT and will close out the series with a single game on Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
UIC clinched its fifth-straight regular season title last week following a series sweep at Youngstown State. The Flames outscored the Penguins 29-5 in the three-game set, completing their second-straight Horizon League series sweep and matching their season best eight-game win streak.

BIG BATS
UIC continues to be the Horizon League's top offensive team, leading the conference with a .325 team batting average, a mark that puts them at No. 13 in the nation. The Flames have had no shortage of runs, outscoring Horizon League opponents by a 185-68 margin so far. UIC has scored 10 or more runs in nine of its conference matchups, averaging 8.8 runs per game in Horizon League play. The Flames are slugging .512 as a squad, good for 22nd in the nation, and their .402 team on-base percentage ranks 25th in the country. In addition to batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, UIC is the number one team in the Horizon League in runs (303), hits (409), home runs (49) and RBI (265).

IN THE CIRCLE
UIC's 3.04 team ERA in Horizon League action is second-lowest in the conference. Flames pitchers have allowed 121 hits and 68 runs in conference play, both of which are also second-lowest in the League. Jennah Speth totes a 2.05 ERA against conference foes, second-lowest in the League, while Marley Hanlon follows in fifth with a 2.28 ERA in Horizon League matchups. Allie Trudeau owns six wins in conference action, second-most among Horizon League pitchers, and her four complete-game showings lands her in a tie for eighth. Both Trudeau and Karissa Frazier have collected one save in conference play, each one of just nine Horizon League pitchers this season to register a save. 

OFFENSIVE WATTAGE
UIC's leadoff hitter Lexi Watts leads the Horizon League and ranks third in the nation in batting average, owning a .477 average at the plate this season. The senior is also fifth in the nation in hits (71), and she leads the League in that category as well. Watts has recorded 33 steals so far, putting her four swipes away from her own individual record, which she set back in 2016. Watts averages 0.69 steals per game to rank 13th in the nation, and her speed has also led to a number one ranking in the nation in runs per game, crossing the plate an average of 1.31 times per contest.

WEDL'S WAYS
Junior Kayla Wedl boasts a .457 average at the plate, putting her at ninth in the nation. Her 69 hits and 56 RBI both come in at 12th in the country, and her .868 slugging percentage lands her at 13th in the nation. Wedl has sent the ball over the fence 14 times so far to lead the Horizon League and rank 37th nationwide. In Horizon League games, Wedl owns an incredible .632 batting average with a 1.294 slugging percentage, and her 38 RBIs in conference action alone is 13 more than any other player in the League. The junior continued her career-high hit streak this weekend, successfully hitting in all three games at Youngstown State to push the streak to 17 games.

SHOOT FOR THE SKIES
Skylee James rounds out UIC's top three batters, owning a .443 average to come in at 13th in the nation. The senior has collected 66 hits so far to come in at 25th in the nation, making UIC the only team in the country to have three players in the top-25 in both batting average and hits. James specializes in two-base hits, leading the Horizon League and ranking 15th in the nation with 17 doubles. James is also no stranger to the long ball, owning eight homers on the year to land in a tie for third in the conference. The Carlsbad, Calif. native is also riding a career-high hit streak, having successfully hit in her past 19 appearances.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Wright State has put up an 8-13 tally in Horizon League play, most recently dropping two-of-three at Cleveland State. Rebekah Lenos paces the Raider offense with 50 hits and a .329 average, while Madison Whitaker has driven in the most runs with 27 RBI. Makenna Durieux (3.96 ERA) and Olivia Otani (4.34 ERA) see the most time in the circle, combining for 257.1 of Wright State's 335.2 innings pitched. UIC is 65-23 all-time against the Raiders, most recently meeting in the second round of last season's Horizon League Tournament. The Flames came away with a 2-1 victory in that game, thanks to a walk off homer from James in the bottom of the seventh.

UP NEXT
UIC's regular season title earned it the right to host next week's Horizon League Championship, beginning May 8, 2019.