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MOBILE, Ala. – No. 14/16 University of South Alabama softball takes a short trip down I-10 West this weekend for a five-game set at the first annual 2014 Gulf Coast Softball Classic, hosted by the City of Gulfport and the Mississippi Gulf Coast at the Gulfport Sportsplex.
 
Ticket information, tournament schedule and driving directions to the event can be found by accessing the event's official web site, via link listed above. Play-by-play audio will be provided by Braden Cheek on Friday and Saturday.
 
USA (11-1) was granted a recovery spell this week after its Wednesday bout at Nicholls State was called off for rain, the Jaguars fresh off a 5-0 week. Last Wednesday, the club went 11 innings in a 2-1 win at UAB, marking the second win over the Blazers this year, before a 4-0 showing at the Citrus Classic: a turnaround capped by a third win over a top-25 opponent.
 
With two swings of the bat last week, Jaguar freshman Amanda Minahan lifted USA over UAB and No. 17 Georgia to keep alive a now six-game winning streak that began with a 2-1 win over No. 21 LSU in Baton Rouge.
 
The Jaguars are scheduled to face Ohio and Nicholls State this Friday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, before clashes with UT-San Antonio and No. 12 Baylor at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.. USA matchup with the Bears has been tabbed second amongst the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's "Featured Five" games for the upcoming softball weekend
 
A Sunday afternoon bout with UT-Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m. concludes the trip.
 
USA is batting .282 overall and has outscored its opponents, 71-18, through the first 12 contests, an average of almost six runs scored per contest.
 
Blair Johnson was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Monday for her performances last week, in which she led USA at the plate, batting .556 (10-for-18) with eight RBI, an .889 slugging percentage and .526 on-base percentage. Her four RBI versus Lehigh tied the school's single-game record.
 
Farish Beard is now 6-1 on the year after two wins last week, The junior boasts a 0.24 ERA with 54 strikeouts, 11 hits allowed and only one earned run given up in 29 1/3 innings. Hannah Campbell, a perfect 3-0 with two saves in eight appearances, takes a 0.89 ERA into the weekend.


USA head coach Becky Clark is one win away from the 400^th of her career in only 11 years.
 
Scouting Ohio
The Bobcats put together a big weekend at the plate, recording at least 11 hits in four of its five games at the Frost Classic. Every starter recorded a hit against Northwestern State as the Bobcats pounded out 11 base knocks.
 
Junior outfielder Adrienne Gebele (Annapolis, Md.) garnered MAC East Division Player of the Week recognition after batting a team-best .556 with a .778 slugging percentage, totaling a team-high 10 hits and four doubles and tying for the team lead with four RBIs. Three of her five games were multi-hit outings. Gebele collected two hits - including a double - and drove in a run against Tennessee Tech on Friday. She helped Ohio record a win over Austin Peay later that day with a double.
 
Gebele saved her best for Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the triumph over Middle Tennessee State, then going 3-for-4 again later that afternoon in a 3-1 victory over Butler. Gebele closed the weekend with a double, a walk and three RBIs in a 7-6 the extra-innings win over Northwestern State. Through 13 games, Gebele is the team's top hitter with a .476 batting average - including a team-high six doubles.
 
Six Bobcats hit .300 or better last weekend, and four hit .400 or better. Freshman Madison Claytor  batted .529 with nine hits and three RBIs. Senior Alexandria Basquez hit .471 with eight hits - including two doubles - and four RBIs.
 
Scouting Nicholls State
The Colonels are 5-11 on the year with wins over Alabama State, Southern (thrice) and Columbia. Nicholls State is batting .289 on the year and has been outscored, 87-60, while outhitting opponents, 116-115.
 
Brittany Marcet leads the club at the plate with a .391 average, going 18-for-46 in 16 games. She also leads in home runs (4), RBI (13) and slugging percentage (.717).
 
Jackie Johnson has gone 3-6 in the circle with 50 strikeouts and 32 walks allowed in 51 innings pitched. She has a 2.82 ERA, which leads the Colonels' next pitcher, Hannah Haydel (1-3; .716 ERA) by almost five runs.
 
USA holds the all-time series with Nicholls State, 8-5, and has won the past five meetings. The Jaguars outscored Nicholls State, 15-1, in two victorious meetings in 2013.
 
Scouting UT-San Antonio
The Roadrunners are off to a 7-8 start and are coming off a 3-2 showing at their own Mid-Major Classic. UTSA upset No. 15 Texas in Austin earlier this season and suffered a narrow 5-3 loss to Oklahoma State in San Antonio days later.
 
Megan Low leads UTSA at the plate with a .429 average on 18-for-42 hitting. She has driven in a team-leading 19 RBI and eight home runs, while also leading in slugging percentage (1.071) and on-base percentage (.564).
 
Nicole Merill is 2-3 in the circle with a 3.26 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 27 walks in 43 innings pitched, followed by Kacy Freeze, who is 4-4 with a 4.30 ERA, 43 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings.
 
Scouting No. 12 Baylor
The twelfth-ranked Bears are fresh off a 4-1 showing at the Mary Notter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., where the club downed No. 16 Missouri, No. 11 Stanford, California and Northwestern.
 
Baylor is led at the plate by Kaitlyn Thumann, who is batting .417 on 20-for-48 hitting. She also leads in on-base percentage (.517).
 
Clare Hosack has driven in a team-leading 16 RBI with her .711 slugging percentage and four doubles.
 
Whitney Canion is 7-2 in the circle with a 1.10 ERA, having struck out 65 to 18 walks and only nine earned runs allowed in 57 1/3 innings pitched. Heather Stearns is close behind with a 5-1 record and 1.61 ERA. Stearns has struck out 23 batters and allowed only six earned runs in 26 innings pitched.
 
The Bears have outscored opponents, 82-27, this year and outhit them, 133-71.
 
Scouting UT-Chattanooga
Chattanooga is coming off an undefeated weekend at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga.  The Mocs claimed wins over Northwestern State, Butler, Radford, Toledo and Campbell while hosting its first home games of 2014. 
 
UTC was led by sophomore shortstop and second baseman Criket Blanco and Alyssa Taylor, respectively.  Both middle-infielders smashed two homeruns each and lifted their averages above .300.  Chattanooga's pitching staff was paced by sophomore Katie Henderson as the hurler posted a 3-0 mark and maintained a 0.82 ERA over 17.0 innings of work.
 
Friday Games
11:00 AM – University of Texas San Antonio vs. Louisiana Lafayette    
12:00 PM – Texas State vs. Memphis   
2:00 PM – Mississippi State vs. University of Texas San Antonio   
3:00 PM – Ohio vs. South Alabama   
3:00 PM – Nicholls State vs. Chattanooga   
5:00 PM – Louisiana Lafayette vs. Baylor University   
6:00 PM – Chattanooga vs. Ohio   
6:00 PM – South Alabama vs. Nicholls State   
8:00 PM – Baylor University vs. Mississippi State  
 
Saturday Games
11:00 AM – Chattanooga vs. University of Texas San Antonio   
11:30 AM – Texas State vs. Ohio   
12:00 PM – Mississippi State vs. Memphis   
2:00 PM – University of Texas San Antonio vs. South Alabama   
2:30 PM – Louisiana Lafayette vs. Chattanooga   
3:00 PM – Nicholls State vs. Mississippi State   
5:00 PM – Baylor University vs. Texas State   
5:30 PM – Ohio vs. Louisiana Lafayette   
6:00 PM – Memphis vs. Nicholls State   
8:00 PM – South Alabama vs. Baylor   
 
Sunday Games
9:30 AM – Nicholls State vs. Texas State   
10:00 AM – Mississippi State vs. Ohio   
10:30 AM – Memphis vs.  Louisiana Lafayette   
12:30 PM – Baylor University vs. University of Texas San Antonio   
1:00 PM – Texas State vs. Mississippi State   
1:30 PM – Chattanooga vs. South Alabama
All Times Central and Subject to Change
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
 
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