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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – After going 3-2 at the Madeira Beach Showcase and senior pitcher, Sarah Leal, earning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, the University of the Incarnate Word softball team heads to College Station to take on No. 6 Texas A&M Wednesday in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. live on the SEC Network +.

HOW TO WATCH

Fans of UIW softball can catch all the action live on SEC Network +. SEC Network + provides digital-only events to SEC Network subscribers through WatchESPN and the ESPN app on smartphones, computers, tablets and connected devices (Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One).
 
FIRST PITCH
 
Wednesday will mark the first meetings on the softball diamond between the Cardinals and Aggies. TAMU will be the highest-ranking team UIW has faced since the Cardinals battled then-No. 4 Oklahoma on Feb. 17, 2017.
 
SCOUTING THE TEXAS A&M AGGIES
 
2018: 18-3 overall, 0-0 SEC (hosts Penn State Tuesday night)
Last Game: W 10-1 (5 innings) vs. Louisiana Tech (3/4)
Head Coach: Jo Evans
Offensive Leaders:
#18 Sarah Hudek – 21 GP, .421 BA, 24 H, 3 2B, 11 RBIs
#13 Ashley Waters – 21 GP, .379 BA, 22 H, 2 HR, 16 RBIs
#8 Tori Vidales – 21 GP, .349 BA, 22 H, 5 HR, 28 RBIs
Pitching Leader:
#11 Trinity Harrington – 6 GP, 5-1, 1.16 ERA, 3 SHO, 25 SO
Summary: Texas A&M has won three straight and six of the last seven games, with the only loss being an 8-7 defeat against Utah on Mar. 2 as part of the A&M Invite. The Aggies host Penn State Tuesday evening before hosting the Cardinals. Despite ranked sixth and having an 18-3 record, in the always difficult SEC, the Aggies have the eighth-best record in the conference, as Tennessee leads with a 21-1 mark.
 
On the season, Tori Vidales is 3rd in the SEC with 28 RBIs and also leads the Aggies with five home runs, while Keeli Milligan is 4th with 12 stolen bases. Sarah Hudek leads the Aggies in batting average (.421) and hits (24). Payton McBride has appeared in seven games and is 3rd in the SEC with a perfect 0.00 ERA, going 1-0 with two saves, three walks, and six strikeouts. As a team, Texas A&M is batting .311 and holding the opponents to a .226 average. The staff ERA is 1.70. Texas A&M has played two Southland Conference opponents so far this season: Stephen F. Austin (W 4-0) and Sam Houston State (W 9-1 (5 innings) and W 3-0).
 
 
THE CARDINAL FILE
 
2018: 3-6 overall, 0-0 SLC
Last Game: W 5-3 vs. Eastern Michigan (3/4)
Head Coach: Joe DiPietro (1^st season)
Offensive Leaders:
#11 Victoria Bratcher – 9 GP, .367 BA, 11 H, 3 2B, 4 RBIs, 4 R
#0 Marcela Lopez – 9 GP, .357 BA, 10 H, 2 RBIs, 2 R
#16 Shelby Neatherlin – 9 GP, .333 BA, 8 H, 2 2B, 3 R, 1 RBI
Pitching Leader:
#25 Sarah Leal – 5 GP, 3.39 ERA, 3-2, 4 CG, 14 SO
Summary: UIW went 3-2 at the Madeira Beach Showcase, defeating Villanova, Alabama State, and Eastern Michigan. Sarah Leal went 3-0 in the circle with a sub-3.00 ERA, striking out 16 and walking only three. For her efforts, she was named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week.
 
On the season, Victoria Bratcher leads the team with a .367 batting average, going 11-for-30 with four runs, three doubles, and four RBIs. Breana Nevarez and Hope Sobolewski are tied with Bratcher with a team-best four RBIs. Marcela Lopez is hitting .357 with 10 hits, two runs, and a pair of RBIs. Delaney Guzman, Angel Villanueva, and Suzy Soza have each hit a home run.
 
On the season, thanks to her stellar play in Florida over the weekend, Leal is 3-2 with a 3.39 ERA, nine walks and 14 strikeouts. Four of her five starts have been complete games. As a team, the Cardinals are batting .226 while the opponents are hitting .302. The staff ERA is 4.62.
 
UP NEXT

UIW opens Southland Conference play with a three-game series at Sam Houston State Friday and Saturday, Mar. 9-10. Friday's doubleheader begins at 3 p.m., while Saturday's finale starts at noon.

STAY TUNED

The Cardinals play at Texas State Tuesday, Mar. 13 at 2 p.m. and UT Arlington on Mar. 14 at 4 p.m.

To purchase tickets, contact UIW Ticket Sales Coordinator Alma Lara at 210-805-3012.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Incarnate Word Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow Incarnate Word Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like Incarnate Word Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.