CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (9-9, 6-2 HL) will return to the road this weekend as it travels to Green Bay, Wis. to take on the Phoenix (11-7, 6-4 HL) in another four-game set. The two teams will face off in a pair of doubleheaders on Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27, with both days set for a 12 p.m. CT first pitch.

LAST TIME OUT
The Flames played in their first home series since 2019 this past weekend, earning a four-game sweep over Purdue Fort Wayne. UIC muscled its way to a pair of run-rule wins on Saturday (March 20) before putting together a pair of comeback wins on Sunday (March 21) to complete the sweep. Sophomore Samantha Ferguson was named Horizon League Player of the Week for her efforts in the series after batting .733 with 11 hits, three runs and 10 RBIs in the four-game set.

BRINGING OUT THE BATS
Two weeks into Horizon League play, UIC stands at fourth in the League in batting, averaging .268 at the plate as a team. The Flames also rank fourth in hits, tallying 127 hits a squad, and they also rank third in RBIs, driving in 75 runs as a team. In runs, UIC also comes in at third, scoring 80 total runs on the season so far.   

Kayla Wedl has paced UIC's offensive efforts, batting .426 on the season to rank second in the Horizon League. Wedl's 26 hits lead the League, while her 18 RBI come in at second in the conference. The fifth-year senior also leads the League in home runs, sending five balls over the fence so far this season. Freshman Emma Crowley and senior Cassie Kaelber also make the Horizon League ranks, owning 14 hits apiece on the season to tie for 15th. Crowley also ranks 10th in RBI with 11, while Ferguson jumped onto the RBI board this week after driving in 10 runs last weekend to tie for 13th.

HEATING UP THE CIRCLE
As a team, the UIC softball pitching staff owns a 3.04 earned run average, putting them at third in the Horizon League. Freshman Miranda Gomez leads UIC's staff with a 2.33 ERA through 48.0 innings pitched, putting her at sixth in the League. Sophomore Christina Toniolo has seen the most action, owning a 3.69 ERA through 55.0 innings pitched to rank 14th in the League. Toniolo has also struck out a team-high 33 batters, a mark which ranks eighth in the conference.  

BACK IN THE LINEUP
The 2021 roster features just six upperclassmen, including fifth-year senior and 2019 Horizon League Player of the Year Kayla Wedl, who led the team in hits (23), runs (14) and steals (6) in the shortened 2020 season. Also returning for UIC is senior Maddie Spinks, who hit .340 in 2020 with 17 hits and 13 runs. Fellow seniors Cassie Kaelber, Marley Hanlon and Kayla Pociejewski are also all back for the Flames in 2021. Junior Tara McElligott is also back in the lineup after hitting .228 with 13 hits, three home runs and 10 RBI in the 2020 campaign.

YOUNG SQUAD
UIC's 2021 squad is made up primarily of underclassmen, boasting seven freshmen and seven sophomores. First-year Flames Annmarie Sillas, Dee Dee Caskey, Isabelle Garcia, Larisa Villa, Miranda Gomez, Emma Crowley and Alyssa McIntosh will all be making their UIC debuts this season, while sophomores Mary Jones, Jordyn Cebedo, Christina Toniolo, Samantha Ferguson, Alannah Cran and McKennah Ulrey are all back for their second season with the Flames.

Ferguson led the Flames last year with a .349 batting average, accumulating 22hits, eight runs and five RBI in her freshman campaign. In the circle, Christina Toniolo paced the Flames' staff with a 3.12 ERA across 49.1 innings pitched in her first year with the Flames.

FAN ATTENDANCE
At present, only pre-authorized family and friends of participating UIC student-athletes and staff are permitted to be in attendance at Flames Field due to the reduced capacity allowed under State of Illinois COVID safety guidelines. Guests of visiting personnel and members of the general public are unfortunately not permitted at this time. Walk-up admission is strictly prohibited.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Green Bay is 6-4 in Horizon League action so far after splitting a mid-week doubleheader with IUPUI on Tuesday (March 23). The Phoenix rank fifth as a team in batting average, hitting .247 as a team. Samantha Saloun leads the Phoenix with a .391 average, putting her at fourth in the Horizon League. In the circle, Green Bay owns the second-lowest ERA in the conference at 2.81, led by a 1.62 ERA from Brittany Baneck. Kayla Schwebke has seen the most action, owning a 2.61 ERA through 59.0 innings pitched to rank eighth in the League. The Flames have a 70-22 advantage in the all-time series after taking a three-game sweep over the Phoenix when the two teams last met April 23-24, 2019.