SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist returns to Bison Softball Park after an eight-game road stretch for a weekend series against the Blossoms of Arkansas Monticello on Friday evening.
Friday will feature a doubleheader, beginning at 4 p.m., followed by a single game on Saturday at noon.
It will be the 18th all-time meeting between the two, with UAM holding a 10-7 series lead.
The Bison are coming off a tough weekend in Arkansas, where they dropped three games to Southern Arkansas. Fortunately, OBU remains in the top eight of the conference, sitting at the No. 6 spot with a 13-14 record against league opponents.
Oklahoma Baptist's GAC placing makes this weekend's series much more significant, as UAM sits two games back of the Bison with an 11-15 record.
Reagan Ford and Samantha Campos lead OBU offensively, batting .333 and .315. Campos' 45 hits lead the team, while Ford has compiled 13 hits in the last eight games.
Jocee Sparks' team-best nine home runs are tied for sixth in the Great American Conference, while freshman Sammie Greene's 22 stolen bases are a GAC lead. Greene needs one more stolen bag to eclipse the Bison Division II-best mark (22) set by Shelby Savage in 2017.
In the circle, Kayleigh Jones' 250 strikeouts rank second in the nation while the team remains atop the Division II leaderboards with 400 strikeouts.
SCOUTING THE BLOSSOMS
Arkansas-Monticello enters the weekend with a 17-26 overall record, including an 11-15 mark in the conference.
The Blossoms are coming off a 1-1 split in a series with Southern Nazarene last Friday. UAM lost game one by a 4-2 tally before winning the second 6-4.
UAM is led at the plate by junior Hannah Holdbrook and senior Haley Cornell, the only Blossoms batting over .300 this season. Holdbrook has a team-high 36 hits, while Cornell's .556 slugging average ranks No. 1. Additionally, Holdbrook leads the squad in stolen bags (9).
Sophomore Grace Neal has seven home runs, while Cornell backs her up at the No. 2 with five on the year.
Eight different pitchers have entered the circle this season, with Sam Stephens drawing the most action with 17 starts. Stephens has 41 strikeouts in 23 appearances, while Jamie Franks leads the team with six wins. Collectively, UAM has a team ERA of 6.47.
