CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (10-12, 7-5 HL) will come home to Chicago to host Northern Kentucky (7-15, 6-8 HL) in a pair of doubleheaders on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3. Friday's doubleheader is set to begin at 2 p.m. CT, while Saturday's twin bill is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch. All four games will be broadcast on ESPN3.

LAST TIME OUT
The Flames went 1-3 last weekend in Green Bay, dropping Friday's (March 26) doubleheader and splitting Saturday's (March 27) two games. Samantha Ferguson led the Flames at the plate, batting .615 on the weekend with eight hits, three RBI and two runs. Kayla Wedl also had an impressive weekend, batting .385 in the four-game span with five hits, five runs and four RBI.

BRINGING OUT THE BATS
Three weeks into Horizon League play, UIC stands at second in the League in batting, averaging .280 at the plate as a team. The Flames also rank second in hits, tallying 163 hits a squad, and they also rank second in RBIs, driving in 100 runs this season as a team. In runs, UIC also comes in as the League's runner-up, scoring 109 total runs on the season so far.   

Kayla Wedl has paced UIC's offensive efforts, batting .419 on the season to lead the League. Wedl's 31 hits lead the League, while her 22 RBI come in at second in the conference. The fifth-year senior also leads the League in home runs, sending six balls over the fence so far this season. Sophomore Samantha Ferguson comes in at fifth in the conference in batting with a .365 average on the season, and she is also tied for ninth in RBI alongside freshman Emma Crowley, driving in 13 runs each so far this season. Ferguson and Crowley also have 19 hits each, putting them in a tie for 11th in the conference. 

HEATING UP THE CIRCLE
As a team, the UIC softball pitching staff owns a 3.81 earned run average, putting them at seventh in the Horizon League. Freshman Miranda Gomez leads UIC's staff with a 3.58 ERA through 56.2 innings pitched, putting her at 17th in the League. Sophomore Christina Toniolo has seen the most action, owning a 4.05 ERA through 65.2 innings pitched. Toniolo has also struck out a team-high 40 batters, a mark which ties for seventh 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 six true sophomores. First-year Flames Annmarie Sillas, Dee Dee Caskey, Isabelle Garcia, Larisa Villa, Miranda Gomez, Emma Crowley and Alyssa McIntosh have all made 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 after the shortened 2020 campaign.

Ferguson led the Flames last year with a .349 batting average, accumulating 22 hits, eight runs and five RBI in her freshman campaign. In the circle, Christina Toniolo paced the Flames' staff last season 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
Northern Kentucky improved to 6-8 in Horizon League action after taking a 3-1 series win over Cleveland State last weekend. Ella LeMonier leads the Norse in batting, owning a team-high .323 average on the season so far. Josie Frazier leads Northern Kentucky in hits, tallying 22 tabs this year. In the circle, Lauryn Hicks sees the most action for the Norse, and she owns a 3.38 earned run average through 60.0 innings pitched. Caitlin Karo follows closely with a 3.60 ERA through 46.2 innings of work. The Flames have won 10 out of the 12 all-time meetings between the teams, taking two of three from the Norse back when the two teams last met in 2019.