CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (4-6) will make its way down to Oklahoma this weekend to compete in the OSU/Tulsa Challenge. The Flames will face tough competition, taking on Louisville and co-host No. 14/15 Oklahoma State on Friday in Stillwater, Okla., before heading to Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday to face Drake and co-host Tulsa. UIC will then return to Stillwater to wrap up the tournament with No. 10 Oregon on Sunday.

LAST TIME OUT
UIC went 1-4 this past weekend at the Fresno State Invitational, picking up a comeback win over UC Santa Barbara but coming up short against Pacific, Fresno State and Ohio State. For the second-straight week, Samantha Ferguson led the Flames, hitting .333 with six hits. Christina Toniolo was solid for the Flames in the circle, finishing with 13 strikeouts and a 1.40 ERA, allowing five runs (two earned) off eight hits through 10.0 innings of work. The Freshman struck out a personal-best nine in a complete-game showing against Fresno State on Friday, allowing just one run off three hits.

AT THE PLATE
The Flames are batting .204 as a squad, led by Samantha Ferguson's .364 average. Ferguson also leads the team with 12 hits, putting her at eighth in the Horizon League. Maddie Spinks paces the team with eight runs, while Alyssa Griman has driven in the most runs with five RBI on the young season. Kayla Wedl has also provided UIC with an offensive punch, averaging .273 at the plate with nine hits, four runs and four RBI.

IN THE CIRCLE
Christina Toniolo owns the second-lowest ERA in the Horizon League at 1.62. The freshman keeps batters to a .202 average, which also comes in at second lowest in the League. Toniolo's 19 strikeouts rank fifth in the League, while her 10 hits allowed are seventh lowest. Allie Trudeau has a 4.02 ERA through 31.1 innings of work, while Jennah Speth maintains a 1.00 ERA through her 7.0 innings.

NEW FACES
The Flames welcome six newcomers to the squad in 2020, as McKennah Ulrey, Alannah Cran, Samantha Ferguson, Christina Toniolo, Jordyn Cebedo and Mary Jones all kick off their UIC careers. Jones and Toniolo hail from nearby Chicago suburbs, while Cran, Ferguson and Cebedo all call California home. Ulrey is also from out west, calling Orting, Washington home.

BACK FOR MORE
The Flames will look to build off a successful 2019 season that included their fifth-straight regular season title, as well as its 15th Horizon League Tournament Championship appearance. The 2019 squad took home a program-best 20 conference wins and finished with the highest team batting average in program history at .323.

The 2020 squad was selected to finish at the top of the Horizon League for the fifth-straight year. The Flames took home seven first-place votes and 79 total points in the conference's preseason poll, as voted on by the League's head coaches.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Louisville is 4-9 on the season after a 3-2 showing this past weekend at the Easton 'Bama Bash, defeating Penn State and Wichita State before taking a pair of losses to host Alabama. The Cardinals hit .265 as a squad, led by Cassady Greenwood's .500 average and 15 hits. Taylor Roby drives in the most runs for Louisville, owning 13 RBI this year while also playing a large role defensively with a 1.98 ERA in the circle through 42.1 innings pitched. UIC last faced Louisville in 2011 at its own Louisville Regional, falling 5-2 in extra innings. The Cardinals own a 2-1 all-time advantage.

2019 Women's College World Series contender No. 14/15 Oklahoma State is 8-5 this year, most recently going 2-2 at the Blazer Classic. The Cowgirls fell to Ole Miss, split a pair of games with Louisiana and came out victorious in their finale with UAB. Kiley Naomi (.386), Chyenne Factor (.333), and Sydney Pennington (.302) all bat over .300 for the Cowgirls, and the trio also leads the squad in hits, combining for 44 of the team's 94 hits. Carrie Eberle leads Oklahoma State's pitching staff with a mere 0.50 ERA through 42.0 innings, owning a 5-1 record on the season so far. UIC is 1-10 all-time against Oklahoma State, falling 1-0 in the last meeting between the two teams in 2011.

Drake went 2-2 this past weekend at the Grand Canyon Purple Classic and are now 7-7 on the season. Macy Johnson is batting .467 to pace the Bulldog offense, and she also owns the most hits on the squad with 17. Sarah Maddox has driven in the most runs with 16 RBI, while Mandi Roemmich has crossed the plate the most with 15 runs. Mackenzie Hupke has seen the most time in the circle with a 4.55 ERA through 32.1 innings pitched. The Remaining innings are split between Nicole Timmons (27.0 IP, 0.78 ERA) and Allie Timmons (27.1 IP, 7.43 ERA). The Flames are 5-3 all-time vs. the Bulldogs.

Tulsa received votes this week in the USA Today/NFCA D1 Top 25 Coaches Poll, coming off an 0-5 showing at the Baylor Invitational. The Hurricane faced tough competition against Minnesota, Baylor, Illinois and Texas State, falling to 8-6 on the season. Alexis Perry bats .333 with 12 hits and 10 RBI to lead the Hurricane offense in all three categories. Tulsa pitchers collectively own a 2.30 ERA, led primarily by Chenise Delce's 2.83 ERA through 35.0 innings. UIC and Tulsa have split their four meetings all-time, 2-2, after a 7-2 win for the Hurricane back in 2018.

No. 10 Oregon is undefeated through its first three weeks at 14-0, defeating Bethune-Cookman, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Idaho State and Northwestern last week at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Haley Cruse leads a potent Oregon offense, batting .478 with 22 hits, 25 runs, and 12 RBI. Oregon pitchers have a combined 1.34 ERA as a staff, led by Brooke Yanez, who owns a 1.58 ERA through 35.1 innings with 56 strikeouts. The Flames and Ducks are split 3-3 all-time, last meeting at the Eugene Regional back in 2017 with the ducks coming out victorious, 13-0.

UP NEXT
The Flames will travel to Oklahoma Feb. 28-March 1 to compete in the OSU/Tulsa Invitational.