SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word softball team prepares to host the University of Texas Arlington (UTA) for its first game of the week on Tuesday, March 15. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT. The Cardinals then travel to Lubbock, Texas, to compete in the Red Raider Classic where they will face the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) and Texas Tech University (TTU).
 
FOLLOW THE GAMES

• UTA | Tuesday, March 15
  • Watch Live on UIW Sports Network
  • Follow Live Stats
• Red Raider Classic | Saturday-Sunday, March 19-20
  • Follow Live Stats

 
LAST TIME THEY MET
UTA
The Cardinals and Mavericks last faced on March 14, 2018, when UIW fell 9-0. The Cardinals are 0-5 overall against UTA.
 
UNC
UIW and UNC have only met one time, on Feb. 20, 2016. The Cardinals fell to the Bears, 6-2, at a neutral site in Beaumont, Texas.
 
TTU
This is the first meeting between the Cardinals and Red Raiders.
 
KEYNOTES

• Ryleigh Mata leads UIW with a .435 batting average, which ranks her second in the Southland Conference (SLC).
• Maddie Boldt hit her ninth home run of the season against ACU; this places her first in the SLC. Boldt has an .845 slugging percentage, which is also at the top of the SLC.
• Kendall McGary registered her third home run of the season, a career high, against ACU. This brought her RBI total to 17, second-best on the Cardinal roster.
• Avalon Sanchez leads UIW in RBIs this season with 19. This also ranks her tied for second in the SLC.
• Ashley Trapp (2-4) and Natalie Myers (2-1) have each registered two wins in the circle for the Cardinals this season. Trapp has struck out 43 batters, ranking her fifth in the SLC. Myers has struck out 25 on the season.

 
UIW HIGHLIGHTS
The Cardinals are coming off a doubleheader sweep against ACU. They defeated the Wildcats in the opening game, 3-1, and ended the day with a 5-4 victory. This brought UIW to a 7-14 overall record and an even 3-3 mark on the road.
 
SCOUTING UTA
The Mavericks come to San Antonio with a 6-11 overall mark and a 1-3 record on the road. UTA dropped a series, 3-0, to South Alabama. Jadyn Erickson has a team-high .371 batting average. Meagan Smith leads the team in home runs, knocking three out of the park this season while also recording UTA's only triple so far. In the circle, Jessica Adams has pitched 64 innings for the Mavericks, striking out 35 batters. She leads UTA with a 4-7 record.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO
The Bears head to Lubbock with 7-16 overall mark, a 3-10 record at neutral sites and are 2-4 on the road. UNC is coming off tournament play where they faced Colorado State University (CSU) and the University of Washington (UW). They went 1-1 against CSU (L; 2-13, W; 4-3) and 0-2 against UW (L;2-15, L; 0-9), bringing them to a 1-4 record on the weekend. Lauren Strathearn leads the Bears with a .377 batting average. Kaileigh Holland has a team-best three home runs this season. In the circle, Meghan Golden has pitched 61 innings and has struck out 65 batters. She is 5-5 on the season for UNC. 
 
SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders are 12-12 this season and are 7-2 at home as they prepare to host the Red Raider Classic. Prior to the tournament, they will face Tarleton State University on Wednesday for a mid-week game. TTU is coming off its first home tournament of the season where it hosted the University of Tulsa and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Red Raiders went 4-0 on the weekend, sweeping both teams and totaling 28 runs. Payton Jackson leads the Red Raiders with a .352 batting average, while Carson Armijo, Ariana Villa and Abbie Orrick have all knocked three out of the park this season. In the circle, Kendall Fritz has pitched 64 innings this season, striking out 48 batters. She has an 8-4 record.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics, and like UIW Athletics on Facebook.   
Follow the team on Twitter @UIWSoftball and Instagram @uiwsoftball.