DIAMOND PREVIEW: UCF

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida softball heads back on the road for a single-game midweek matchup against in-state opponent UCF on Wednesday, Mar. 29, at 6 p.m., in Orlando, Fla.

The Ospreys are coming off a 4-1 week, including a pair of wins each against Florida Atlantic and Stetson. UNF will be in search of its first road win of the season when they head down to play the Knights.

The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with updates being made through live stats, as well as on Twitter at OspreySB.

WHAT TO KNOW

First midweek road game since playing Florida A&M and No. 6 Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
UNF has a 4-1 record in midweek games this season with their only loss coming to #6 FSU.
They are also 7-2 this season against in-state opponents with wins against Bethune-Cookman, FAMU, FAU and Stetson.
Ospreys have held opponents to a combined four runs scored in each of their last five games.
They also scored four or more runs in four of the five games on the week, including a run-rule against FAU.
Shannon Glover is coming off a superb weekend with six hits, three RBIs, three runs, a double and a two-run HR on the week.
She recorded a hit in every game against Stetson this past weekend, including three hits in the second doubleheader game.
The senior holds the team lead for average (.383), runs (22), hits (36), home runs (4) and total bases (59).
Chloe Culp has also been a hot bat this season with a .360 average and 32 hits, as well as 31 RBI to lead the conference.
She also has 11 doubles this season, which ranks 12th overall in the nation and only three shy of the lead.
Glover and Culp have combined for 19 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games, as Glover is on a current streak of seven straight games reaching base.
Kayla Harper remains a perfect 17-for-17 on stolen bases to keep the highest steal percentage in program history (.889).
Ashley Connor is the leader in the circle with a 1.62 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 91.0 innings pitched.
She also holds a 7-7 record with five complete-game performances and five saves.
The sophomore transfer is ranked fourth in the nation in total saves after picking up two this past week.
Izzy Kelly has the most wins on the team with a stellar 9-1 record and 37 total strikeouts on the season.

OPPONENT NOTES

UCF has earned a 19-18 record with a 1-2 record in conference play and 15-6 record at home. They have played in five tournaments to start their season, including matchups against 11 top-25 teams and five teams that received votes. Between the two, they went a combined 7-14 in all games played against those squads. The Knights are also 2-1 against ASUN teams this year with a pair of wins against Kennesaw State, but a loss to Stetson. They enter their midweek against UNF losing five of their last six games, including a series loss to No. 22 Wichita State. Chloe Evans and Jada Cody are the top hitters for UCF, as they are the only two with averages over .300 and more than 30 hits. Together, they have combined for 55 runs, 69 hits, nine home runs and 42 RBIs in 37 starts. The Knights have plenty of power in their lineup with five hitters on their team having four or more home runs. Pitching for UCF varies with all three of their starting pitchers having over 63 innings pitched on the year. Sarah Willis holds the best ERA at 2.43, but Kaitlyn Felton has the most strikeouts with 66 total and Grace Jewell has pitched the most innings with 68.2 total in the circle.
- UNF trails the overall series against the Knights, 16-6, with the last meeting being a 2-1 defeat at Jacksonville, Fla., in 2022.

UP NEXT

The Ospreys continue on the road with an ASUN series against Jacksonville State from Apr. 1-2 in Jacksonville, Ala.

WHAT TO KNOW

OPPONENT NOTES

UP NEXT

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ashley Connor

Chloe Culp

Shannon Glover

Kayla Harper

Izzy Kelly

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