The Southern Utah University softball team will travel to Abilene, Texas, to play the Wildcats of Abilene Christian University. The Thunderbirds are 4-14 overall on the season and are 1-2 in Western Athletic Conference play.
Last time out, the Thunderbirds went 1-2 versus the University of Texas, Arlington, winning their first conference game as a member of the WAC.
The Thunderbirds
Freshman sensation Emily Gonzalez leads the team with a .423 batting average, 22 hits and four home runs on the season. The two best contact hitters are sophomore Jayne Sepulveda and junior Allie Laub. Sepulveda is second on the team in hits with 18 and Laub is third with 12.
Riley Nielson leads the rotation with a 6.08 ERA in 11 appearances and is second on the team in strikeouts. The freshman pitcher trails sophomore Keimon Winston, who leads the team in strikeouts with 16.
Abilene Christian Wildcats
The Wildcats are 6-23 overall on the season and 0-3 in WAC play. ACU is currently on an eight-game losing streak, and last time out, they were swept by Utah Tech University.
Junior Avery Miloch is the power hitter for the Wildcats, leading the team with a .329 batting average. Miloch is first on the team in hits with 27 and first in home runs with a total of seven on the season. She is also second in RBIs with 15. Freshman Sammie Shelander leads the team with 17 RBIs and has 24 hits on the season.
Junior Talia Nielsen leads the Wildcats with a 5.30 ERA, has pitched two complete games and is second on the team in strikeouts with a collected 31. Her strikeout tally puts her just behind junior Riley White, who leads with 34 and three complete games.
First pitch
This is the first time these programs will face off on the diamond. Saturday, March 25, will be a double-header with the first game starting at 1 p.m. MST and the first pitch of the second game at 3 p.m. MST. The last game of the series will be on Sunday, March 26, with first pitch at 11 a.m. MST. The series will be played at Poly Wells Field.
Story by Anthony Colasuono
Photos courtesy of SUU Athletics
