March 9, 2012
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Andrew Jennette
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The softball teams with the best records in Conference USA will open league play against each other this weekend at the UCF Softball Complex.
UCF (15-7) will play Tulsa (14-4) in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and a single game at noon Sunday. The Knights have won 10 consecutive games, the team's longest streak since 2008 and the fourth-longest in school history.
The series pits the best offense in C-USA against the conference's best pitching staff and top defense. Tulsa comes into the weekend hitting a league-best .343 with 117 runs scored in 18 games. UCF will look to shut down the Golden Hurricane's hitters with a pitching staff that has allowed only 37 earned runs in 22 games and that leads the conference in wins, ERA, complete games and batting average against. The Black and Gold are also tops in the league in team defense with a .963 fielding percentage.
UCF has featured a three-pronged attack led by freshman Mackenzie Audas (Plant City, Fla.), senior Ali Schmidt (Cordova, Md.) and junior Alex Hartshorn (Tampa, Fla.). Audas has a team-best 7-4 record with a 1.58 ERA, and she leads the Knights with 80 innings pitched, 11 complete games, 75 strikeouts and a .184 batting average against. Schmidt is 5-1 with two saves and a 1.31 ERA in 53.1 innings. Hartshorn has three wins and leads the Knights with just eight walks issued on the season.
Tulsa is led by juniors Samantha Cobb and Lacey Middlebrooks. Cobb is hitting .439 with six home runs and 24 RBI in 18 starts at shortstop. Middlebrooks is hitting .429 with 14 RBI and a .537 on-base percentage. Middlebrooks is also the top pitcher on the Golden Hurricane's staff, as she is 5-1 with a 1.15 ERA and the reigning C-USA Pitcher of the Week.
Following the Tulsa series, the Knights will have 16 home games remaining, including an April 11 contest against in-state rival Florida. Season tickets cost only $40. Tickets are available online at UCFAthletics.com and Ticketmaster.com or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) UCF-1000.
UCF fans can follow all of the action on UCF All-Access with live video and audio. Fans also can follow UCFAthletics.com's Gametracker as well as www.twitter.com/UCF_Softball.