March 12, 2012
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Andrew Jennette
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF softball team will take a break from conference play to take on Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Northern Illinois and Iona at 4 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
UCF, 16-9 overall and 1-2 in Conference USA, has showcased elite pitching all season, as it leads Conference USA in wins, ERA, complete games, strikeouts and batting average against. The Knights, who are 12-3 at home, also have the top-ranked defense in the conference with a .966 fielding percentage and just 24 errors.
UCF's pitching staff 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 and Schmidt rank second and third in the conference with 1.49 and 1.51 ERAs respectively.
Audas has a team-best eight wins, and she leads the Knights with 13 complete games, 93 strikeouts and a .182 batting average against. Schmidt has five wins, two saves and a .206 opponents' batting average. Hartshorn has three wins.
Tuesday's opponent, Northern Colorado (9-9), lost three games at the Stetson Classic in Deland last weekend. The Bears are led by junior outfielder Lindsey Smith, who is hitting .396 with three home runs and 19 RBI in 18 starts.
Wednesday's opponents, Northern Illinois and Iona, are 7-9 and 7-5 on the season respectively. Northern Illinois is led by sophomore infielder Shelby Miller, who is hitting .333 with six home runs and 15 RBI. The Iona Gaels are led by senior infielder Chelsea Sheehan, who is hitting .472 in 13 starts.
Upcoming home games include an April 11 contest against in-state rival Florida. Season tickets are $40 and are available online at UCFAthletics.com and Ticketmaster.com or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000.
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.