After being rained out two straight weekends and pushed back a third time, the USCB softball team finally will begin Sun Conference play Sunday, hosting No. 13 Southeastern for a doubleheader beginning at noon. The Sand Sharks will continue their conference slate Monday with a noon doubleheader against Warner. USCB will have gameday promotions both days with Strikeout Cancer Day on Sunday and Jump Rope For Heart Day on Monday. The Sand Sharks also will continue their season-long senior recognition, honoring MIssy Hughes and Whitley Martin – as well as all USCB track & field seniors – on Sunday and Haley Brown on Monday.
FIN FACTS
• The Sand Sharks are 98-16 all-time at Richard Gray Sports Complex, including a 20-3 mark last season and a 6-2 record in 2016.
• Senior RHP Ashlie Layman opened the 2016 season with the fourth perfect game in USCB history – the first since 2012 – by retiring all 15 batters she faced in a 14-0 win over Montreat on Feb. 6. Layman racked up nine strikeouts and did not allow a ball out of the infield. Layman threw her second career no-hitter Feb. 21 in a 7-0 win over Edward Waters at the NAIA Spring Break Softball tournament in Plant City, Fla.
• USCB has used seven pitchers this season, the most the Sand Sharks have ever used in a single season. Additionally, five Sand Shark pitchers have appeared in at least three games for the first time in history.
• Senior OF Missy Hughes is riding an 11-game hitting streak, and has gone 18-for-34 over that span to raise her average from .235 to .353.
• Freshman OF Brodie McGregor has recorded six of her 10 RBIs this season during USCB's current four-game winning streak.
MILESTONE WATCH
• Senior OF Missy Hughes ranks fourth in USCB history for hits (176) and fifth for runs (98). Next up on the career hits list is Sammi Shaffren (180), while Katie Rietkovich (113) is next on the runs chart.
• Senior OF Missy Hughes (28) and junior 2B Marissa Becker (27) and rank fourth and fifth on USCB's career list for stolen bases. Becker swiped 19 bags last season, one short of matching the single-season school record set by Barbara Phillips in 2012, while Hughes leads the team with eight steals this season.
• With 95 strikeouts this season, senior RHP Ashlie Layman now has 373 in her career, joining Kristy Cook (522) as the only players in USCB history with 300.
• With one sacrifice bunt this season, senior C Whitley Martin has 14 in her career, which ranks second in program history behind Shelby Zipperer (16).
BY THE NUMBERS
5 – The Sand Sharks have played five games against opponents ranked in the top 10 of the NAIA Softball Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll. Four of USCB's losses have come in those games with two of them in one-run contests.
9 – USCB has played eight one-run games, going 4-5 in those contests.
7.5 – The Sand Sharks have enjoyed hitting at home, averaging 6.75 runs in eight home games compared with 3.57 runs per contest away from home.
SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN
The Fire have established themselves as one of the top teams in the Sun Conference in recent years, and this season has been no exception. Reigning Sun Conference Player of the Year Cat Maldonado (.370 BA, 7 HR, 39 RBIs) anchors the lineup with speedsters Taylor Stoltz (.392, 22 SB) and Bri Girardin (.341, 25 SB) setting the table. The Fire rank third nationally in stolen bases (94). Junior college transfer Lindsie Scholwinski (16-5, 1.09 ERA) is the ace of a pitching staff that ranks fifth in the nation in strikeouts (225).
RELATED LINKS
USCB Schedule and Results
USCB Season Statistics
Sand Shark Softball Record Book
Sun Conference Softball Standings
