CHICAGO -- In a rematch of the 2021 Horizon League Championship title game, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies will visit Flames Field this weekend for a three-game series against UIC. The weekend schedule has been adjusted due to forecasted temperatures and the teams will play a doubleheader on Friday, April 15 beginning at 1 p.m., before wrapping up the set on Saturday, April 16 at 2 p.m.

The Flames (7-23, 4-9 Horizon League) got the best of the Golden Grizzlies (14-8, 9-0 Horizon League) the least time the two teams met on May 15. UIC jumped out to a 4-0 lead after four innings on the strength of RBI from Larisa Villa, Samantha Ferguson and Dee Dee Caskey. Oakland answered with two runs in the top of the fifth and a solo home run with one out in the seventh, but Tournament MVP Marley Hanlon slammed the door in the circle and propelled the Flames to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. The Flames also defeated the Golden Grizzlies in the opening game of the tournament on May 13, 5-1.

At present, Oakland is the Horizon League's lone unbeaten team in conference play at 9-0. The Golden Grizzlies have won seven consecutive games, include a 10-5 triumph at Michigan State on April 5. Oakland swept the Horizon League Player of the Week honors on April 12 as Madison Jones was tabbed Batter of the Week and Sydney Campbell was named Pitcher of the Week. Jones had a double, home run and four runs scored at Michigan State before batting .444 with six runs in a three-game sweep of Detroit Mercy. Campbell went 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA and 14 strikeouts in two starts against the Titans.

UIC has several players peaking, as well. In the team's last seven games, first baseman Tara McElligott is batting .421, slugging 1.158 and getting on base at a clip of .538. The Lockport, Ill., native has eight hits, eight runs and eight RBI in that span with six of her eight hits going for extra bases (4 HR, 2 2B). The team's lone senior enters the weekend ranked second in the conference in slugging percentage (.724) and on-base percentage (.474), third in home runs (7) and seventh in batting average (.342).

Carlee Jo Clark has stood out at the plate, and in the circle, over the last three games for the Flames. The two-way standout is batting .500 (5-for-10) and slugging 1.000 with three extra-base hits, 10 total bases, an RBI and two runs scored since the second game of a doubleheader against Green Bay on April 9. In the circle, she has appeared in three consecutive games, while posting a 1.59 ERA over 17.0 innings. Clark threw back-to-back complete games against Green Bay last weekend and turned in 3.0 scoreless innings of relief at Butler on Tuesday. Clark's seven strikeouts against the Phoenix on April 10 marked a season high.

Admission to Flames Field is free for fans in 2022. All three games will also be broadcast on ESPN+.

More notes, statistics and information can be found in the UIC Game Notes PDF found in the blue box above.