Top-Seeded UNCG Softball Contends No. 4 Western Carolina in SoCon Tournament
Thursday, May 11
Who: vs. No. 4 Western Carolina
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Where: Chattanooga, Tenn. | Frost Stadium
Watch (ESPN+)
2023 SoCon Softball Tournament Central
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team, who earned the top seed in the 2023 Southern Conference (SoCon) softball tournament will face off against the fourth-seeded Western Carolina on
Thursday, May 11 with a first pitch scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
UNCG (34-20, 13-4 SoCon) completed a sweep of Western Carolina with a 6-0 win on Sunday during the regular season finale to claim the top seed. The Spartans enter the SoCon Championship on a five-game winning streak in conference games. UNCG has outscored its opponents 34-9 during its current win streak and the Spartans lead the league in seven offensive statistical categories, including home runs (62), RBIs (269) and runs scored (278).
The Catamounts (21-24, 8-6 SoCon) moved onto the second round of the tournament after winning 3-2 against No. 5 Mercer on Wednesday.
TICKETS
An all-session adult pass can be purchased for $30, while youth (3-12) all-session passes are $15.
Daily passes can be purchased for adults for $10 & $15 for youth. A group (10 or more) can be purchased for $5 each. Faculty/staff are $5 each and a student with an ID from a SoCon school is free admission.
PATH TO THE TOP SEED
This is the sixth-straight year that UNCG won and earned the top seed in the Tournament.
The Spartans went into the final three-game series needing to win two games to win the regular season title outright.
UNCG did more than that and swept Western Carolina at home for a 13-4 SoCon record.
The Spartans didn’t play a third game against Furman due to weather and UNCG had the highest win percentage.
LAST TIME OUT
UNCG swept Western Carolina at home with scores of 6-2, 8-0 (6 inn.), and 6-0.
Jorde Chartrand had a big hand in two of the three wins, where she went 5-for-6 at the plate with seventh RBI.
Maddie Spell tossed her eighth complete game of the season allowing two hits, two runs, and striking out two batters in the 6-2 victory during game one.
Rhyann Jones won her 11th game of the season and fifth shutout during the game twos, 8-0 win.
During game three, Jessie Shipley hit her 10th homer of the season and Jaden Cheek crushed her fourth blast of the season.
SPARK OF SHUTOUTS
UNCG has had 10 shutouts this season.
This is the most since the 2018 season when the Spartans had 14.
Six of the 10 have been shorted games.
WEEKLY HONORS
Delaney Cumbie was named SoCon Player of the Week (February 13 & March 6)
Chartrand also was named SoCon Player of the Week (April 17 & May 8)
Spell was voted SoCon Pitcher of the Week (February 20 & April 3)
Jones was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week (March 20)
POSTSEASON AWARDS
UNCG’s Janelle Breneman, in her 11th season, won her fourth SoCon Coach of the Year Award.
Four other Spartans garnered All-SoCon first team honors, including Rhyann Jones, Brooklynn Maxwell, Grace Loftin, and Jorde Chartrand.
Jones also was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team.
SPARTAN QUICK HITS
Chartrand leads the Spartans with a .367 batting average.
Chartrand and Jessie Shipley pace the Spartans with 36 RBI.
Chartrand also leads UNCG with 81 total strikeouts in the circle after pitching 99.1 innings thus far.
While pitching in conference games, Jones leads the Spartans with 39.1 innings thrown with a 1.96 ERA.
Brooklynn Maxwell is second with a .344 batting average and has stolen six bases to lead the team.
She has currently reached base in 14-straight games.
Grace Loftin leads the team with 14 doubles, while Cumbie is second with 13, and Maxwell has 12.
Maycin Brown and Shipley lead UNCG with 10 home runs each.
Jones is 11-2 in the circle and leads the team with a 2.42 ERA.
Maddie Spell has 10 wins (10-5) and has tossed a team-best 112.1 innings.
SPARTAN SOCON RANKINGS
UNCG is leading the conference in 10 categories including: double plays per game, doubles, doubles per game, home runs per game, on base percentage, scoring, shutouts, slugging percentage, win-loss percentage, and walks.
NATIONAL RANKINGS FOR UNCG
UNCG has led the nation in walks since April 6th. The Spartans have totaled 252 walks this season which is a new UNCG record for single season walks.
The Spartans are 12th in the nation with 0.48 double plays per game.
They are tied for 18th in total home runs (64) and 24th in home runs per game (1.19).
UNCG is 50th in scoring (5.26), 55th in shutouts (10), 59th in doubles (68), 62nd in slugging percentage (0.445), 65th in on-base percentage (0.372), and 71st in win-loss percentage (0.630).
Delaney Cumbie is second nationally in walks per game (0.96), while Samantha Lagrama joins her in the top 25 and is 25th in walks per game (0.71).
Cumbie is 42nd in on-base percentage (0.495) and 57th in runs per game (0.91).
Spell is 49th nationally in walks allowed per seven innings (1.25).
Chartrand is 28th nationally with four saves.
SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA
Western Carolina has won eight of the past 14 games.
Western Carolina was voted to finish fourth in the conference.
Bailey Huneycutt and Brooklynn Brewington were voted to the Preseason All-Conference first team, while Myra Twitty was voted to the second team.
Huneycutt and Brewington were voted to the All-SoCon first team.
Nationally, the Catamounts are ranked 40th in hit batters (16), 64th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.32), and 88th in fielding percentage (0.967).
Brewington is 44th in the nation and leading the conference in stolen bases per game (0.50).
She is also 67th in the nation and leading in the conference in runs per game (0.89).
Taylor Norton is 44th nationally with 1.23 walks allowed per seven innings.
Brewington is leading the team with a .389 batting average (61-for-157), while Huneycutt is second on the team with a .370 batting average and Natalie Henry has a .300 hitting clip.
Twitty and Huneycutt pace the Catamounts with nine home runs each.
Huneycutt has a team-best 37 RBI. Four other Catamounts have double-digit RBI.
In the circle, Tessa Juett has thrown 115.0 innings this season, striking out 107 batters.
She is 8-11 overall with 12 complete games, one save, and three shutouts.
HISTORY VS. WESTERN CAROLINA
UNCG leads the all-time series 33-20.
The Spartans have taken the last three series against the Catamounts, dating back to the 2019 season.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro