MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball brings a 12-game Sun Belt Conference winning streak into the weekend, as the second-place Jaguars look to either make a push for the top of league standings or extend its lead over third-ranked Georgia Southern when USA travels to Statesboro for three games against the Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.

A Saturday doubleaher begins at 2 p.m. CT, with Sunday's finale starting at noon CT. Links to live stats and play-by-play audio can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each USA contest via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
 
USA (24-11, 12-2 SBC) is currently one game back of league-leader Louisiana-Lafayette while comfortably ahead of Georgia Southern (24-17, 9-3 SBC). The weekend kicks off a potent eight-game road swing for the Jaguars, with two SBC series and a pair of Southeastern Conference opponents on the docket.
 
With it, South Alabama carries the momentum of 14 wins in its last 15 games, as the Jaguars have increased their offensive proficiency to match lights-out pitching from the righty duo of Devin Brown and Destin Vicknair.
 
The Jaguars have batted .336 in the recent span, led by sophomore second baseman Kaleigh Todd, who has contributed a .471 batting average with 24 hits and 17 runs in the last 15 contests. Senior catcher Stephanie Pilkington has batted .400 over the same length of time with 13 RBI and a .550 slugging percentage.
 
Senior third baseman Emily Messer has continued to impress in her collegiate swan song, as the Mobile, Ala., native leads the Jags this year in batting average, hits, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Messer is a mere 14 hits away from tying the program's record in a season, sitting at 57 with 14 regular-season games remaining.
 
Brown is even nearer to a new single-season program standard, with her season total of 226 strikeouts only eight away from Tara Donaldson's 2009 mark. The hometown hurler enters the weekend among the NCAA's top five in strikeouts, strikeouts per seven innings and shutouts.
 
Vicknair, meanwhile, has reeled off five consecutive victories since establishing herself as the clear number two, proving her efficiency with 68 strikeouts against only 22 walks in 83 1/3 innings.
 
South Alabama is 5-4 on the road this season, with the four losses all coming to programs currently ranked No. 11 in the nation or better (No. 11 LSU, No. 5 ULL twice, No. 1 Florida).
 
Georgia Southern is 11-2 at home this season.
 
South Alabama leads the all-time series with Georgia Southern, 3-0, as the teams met for the first time in a Sun Belt Conference series in Mobile last season. The Jaguars swept the series by a combined score of 25-2, with two victories coming by way of the league's mercy rule.
 
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).