OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha softball team heads to Kissimmee, Fla., this weekend for the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The tournament features some of the biggest names on the Mavericks' schedule this season with Jacksonville State, Elon, College of Charleston, Georgia, and Florida all set to take the diamond with the Mavs. UNO begins play on Friday at 10 a.m. (CT) against No. 10 Georgia and will play Jacksonville State immediately after at 2:30 p.m. (CT). The game against Georgia will be shown nationally on ESPN3. On Saturday, the Mavs play Elon at 10 a.m. (CT) before a 12:15 p.m. match up against No. 1 Florida. UNO wraps up the tournament on Sunday at 9 a.m. (CT) against College of Charleston. Check OMavs.com for live stats and possible live audio links.
Following the Mavericks
Live stats links for the week can be found on the softball schedule page of OMavs.com. Unfortunately, some spring tournaments do not provide live stats. This weekend, Omaha's game against Georgia well be shown nationally on ESPN3.
Fans can follow the Mavericks all season long on Twitter (@UNOSoftball) and Facebook (/UNOSoftball) for all the latest news, notes, and behind the scenes photos. Follow @omavs for the latest on all 15 Omaha Athletics programs.
The 2016 Mavericks
Omaha is coming off a 3-2 weekend at the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. The Mavericks finished the weekend with a 3-2 record with wins over UC Santa Barbara (17-16, 9 innings), Purdue (8-5) and Southern Utah (9-6). UNO lost to North Texas (11-3, 5 innings) and No. 13 Arizona (12-2, 5 innings).
For the weekend, senior third baseman Sydney Hames led the Mavericks with a .500 batting average including three home runs and nine RBI. Hames earned Summit League Player of the Week honors for her efforts on the diamond. Junior outfielder Lizzie Noble hit .353 with one home run and four RBI. Junior Nicole Warren hit two doubles and three home runs with nine RBI and batted .316. Warren was 2-for-3 in stolen base attempts. Sophomore Kelly Pattison added two home runs and four RBI with a .286 batting average.
In the circle, freshman Laura Roecker started three games and earned her first career win against Big 10 member Purdue. She struck out nine batters over the weekend. Junior Abbi Clanton appeared in four games, starting two, and picked up wins over UC Santa Barbara and Southern Utah. Clanton struck out five batters in her four appearances. Noble made three relief appearances for the Mavericks with two strikeouts and five walks.
Omaha is coming off a 22-28 overall record and a 6-10 Summit League mark. The Mavericks started the 2015 season with five tournaments and went 10-12 in those games, with three of those losses against Top 25 teams. Omaha finished sixth in the league, but the Mavs were not eligible for postseason as part of their transition to Division I.
Scouting the Opposition
No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia returns six position starters and three pitchers from their Super Regional team last season that finished with a 44-17 overall record and 14-9 SEC record. The Bulldogs come into their matchup with the Mavericks with a 4-0 record, winning by a combined score of 48-5, and are ranked 10th in the country. Georgia is led by seniors Alex Hugo and Chelsea Wilkinson. Last season Hugo hit .389 while mashing 22 homeruns with 73 RBI and this season is hitting .571 with 1 homerun and 8 RBI. Wilkinson posted a 28-11 record last season with a 2.11 ERA and 266 strikeouts and this season is off to a 2-0 start with a 1.75 ERA. The Bulldogs were predicted to finish sixth in the preseason SEC poll.
Series History
Omaha and Georgia have met once before with the Bulldogs defeating the Mavericks 8-0 in 5 innings.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Jacksonville State brings back eight position starters and two pitchers for last year's team that went 38-17 overall and 18-6 in Ohio Valley play. This season the Gamecocks are off to a 2-2 start. Jacksonville State is led by sophomore utility player Whitney Gillespie. Last season, Gillespie hit .327 with 9 homeruns and went 11-6 in the circle with a 2.67 ERA and 4 saves. This season, Gillespie is hitting .385 with 4 RBI and hasn't had a pitching appearance yet. The Gamecocks were picked to finish 2nd in the OVC preseason rankings.
Series History
This weekend will make the first meeting between Omaha and Jacksonville State.
Elon Phoenix
Elon has seven position starters and two pitchers returning off of last season's team that went 31-22 overall and 11-10 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Elon is off to a 2-2 start with both losses coming against No. 10 Georgia. The Phoenix are led by senior pitcher Kayla Caruso and junior outfielder Alaina Hall. Caruso pitched to a 12-5 record with a 3.62 ERA and this season is off to a 1-1 start with a 4.67 ERA. Hall hit .358 with 4 triples last season and this season is hitting .400 with 2 triples and 9 RBI. The Phoenix are projected to finish fourth in the CAA preseason rankings.
Series History
Omaha and Elon have never met prior to this weekend.
No. 1 Florida Gators
Florida returns seven position starters and two pitchers off of last season's National Championship team that went 60-7 overall and 18-5 in SEC play. The Gators are rated No. 1 in the country after they went 4-0 opening weekend outscoring its opponents, 38-1. The Gators are led by senior infielder and reigning SEC Player of the Year Kelsey Stewart. Last season, Stewart hit .435 with 11 triples and 41 RBI and this season is off to a slow start hitting .091 with 4 walks. The Gators were selected to finish first in the preseason SEC rankings.
Series History
The Mavericks and the Gators have never met on the diamond before this weekend.
College of Charleston Cougars
College of Charleston brings back seven position starters and two pitchers from last year's team that went 24-29 overall and 7-14 in Colonial Athletic Association play. The Cougars are off to a 3-1 start this season. The Cougars are led by senior outfielder Rebecca Mueller and junior pitcher Samantha Martin. Mueller hit .350 with 5 homers and 41 RBI last season and this season is hitting .429 with 3 RBI. Last year, Martin made 40 pitching appearances going 11-12 with a 3.60 ERA and this season is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA. College of Charleston is slated to finish third in the CAA preseason poll.
Series History
This weekend will make the first meeting between Omaha and the College of Charleston.
Up Next
The Mavs travel back east for the Black & Gold Tournament hosted by Alabama State in Montgomery, Ala. Omaha will face Akron, Alabama State, Eastern Kentucky, Gardner Webb, and Howard. UNO kicks off the tournament against Akron on Friday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. (CT) before facing Eastern Kentucky immediately after at 4 p.m. (CT). On Saturday, the Mavs play Howard at 10 a.m. (CT) and Alabama State at 6 p.m. (CT). The Mavericks wrap up play on Sunday against Gardner Webb at noon.
