MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama are scheduled to begin a four-game road swing with a midweek matchup at McNeese State on Wednesday.  First pitch versus the Cowgirls is set for 6 p.m. at Cowgirl Diamond on the McNeese State campus.

Game Notes (PDF)

GAME: 32 | AT MCNEESE STATE
Wed., March 28 | 6 p.m.
Venue: Cowgirl Diamond | Lake Charles, La.

GAME INFORMATION
Television: None
Radio: 99.5 The Jag FM
Live Stats: www.USAJaguars.com
Live Stream: www.USAJaguars.com
Twitter: @WeAreSouth_SB

South Alabama JAGUARS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | RPI: 45
Record: 17-14, 5-3 SBC
Head Coach: Becky Clark (Mobile, '95)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP) – .256 / .325 / .342
Runs Per Game: 3.5
Runs Per Game Allowed: 3.2

McNeese State COWGIRLS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | RPI: 56
Record: 22-10, 5-4 SLC
Head Coach: James Landreneau
Team Slash Line (AVG / OBP / SLG) – .289 / .471 / .394
Runs Per Game: 5.8
Runs Per Game Allowed: 3.8

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS    
– South Alabama (17-14, 5-3 SBC) comes into the midweek contest versus McNeese after taking two of three over the weekend from Georgia State in Mobile.
– The Jaguars dropped a one-run decision in the series opener, but bounced back to take the final two games, 10-3 and 5-0.
– South Alabama had 11 extra-base hits, including nine doubles, and hit .407 as a team in the series versus the Panthers.
– Freshman Kamdyn Kvistad led the offensive attack for the Jags as she was 8-for-9 with a pair of doubles, a home run, three runs scored and four RBI in the series.  Kvistad reached base safely in each of her first nine plate appearances and had eight-straight hits.
– Kvistad (.281) currently leads the team in home runs (3) and walks (14), while she has driven in 13, which is tied with fellow freshman Lyric Cabral for second on the club.
– Senior infielder Kaleigh Todd is also coming off an impressive offensive performance over the weekend as she hit .583 (7-for-12) in the three-game set.  
– After getting off to a bit of a slow start earlier this season, Todd now leads the team with a .337 average and 31 hits.  She has also stolen eight bases.
– Brittani Reid is hitting .310 and her 15 runs scored are one more than Todd.  Of her 27 hits on the year, 10 have gone for extra bases – 6 doubles, 2 triples and 2 home runs.  The sophomore is tied for 10th in the league in doubles.
– Senior shortstop Kristian Foster (.253) is tied for sixth in the Sun Belt with seven doubles.
– In the circle, Devin Brown (11-8) continues to lead the club.  Brown's 1.93 earned run average is third in the SBC, while she second in the SBC in strikeouts (128), strikeouts looking (36), wins and innings pitched (116.0).  She is also 20th nationally in strikeouts coming into play this week.
– Over her last eight starts, Brown has now struck out 66 - including 10 in game one against Georgia State - and walked just six in her 52 innings of work.  She has had nine or more strikeouts in five of those seven outings.
– Alexis Reid (6-6, 2.66 ERA) is coming off an impressive pair of performances over the weekend as she went 2-0 against the Panthers and didn't allow an earned run in her 14 innings of work in the series, and tossed a six-hit shutout on Sunday in the series finale.

SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS    
– McNeese State (22-10, 5-4 SLC) comes into the game against the Jaguars after picking up a three-game conference sweep at home over Incarnate Word.  The Cowgirls took the series opener 8-0 in five innings and then picked up a pair of one-run decisions (5-4 and 6-5).
– Morgan Catron was selected as the Southland's Hitter of the Week on Monday after homering three times last week for the Cowgirls.  Catron batted .444 average in the series and had a 1.566 slugging percent as all four of her hits went for extra bases.    Catron blasted three home runs in the series and drove in six runs and scored five times.  Her two-out, two-run walk-off home run in the finale clinched the series sweep for McNeese.
– Catron is currently batting .330 on the year and her 10 home runs are tied with fellow teammate and All-American catcher Erika Piancastelli for tops on the team. Catron has also drive in a team-high 31 runs and scored 16 runs of her own.
– Piancastelli is batting .348 with 29 RBI and 21 of her 32 base hits have gone for extra bases.  The senior has 11 doubles to go along with her 10 home runs, and also enters play with a .793 slugging percentage.
– Justyce McClain is putting up All-American numbers as well for the Cowgirls as she is hitting at a .435 clip through 32 games.  She has 47 hits – 13th in the NCAA – and has scored 30 runs, both team highs, while she is also 15-for-20 in stolen base attempts.
– As a team, the Cowgirls have been extremely aggressive on the base paths as they have 89 stolen bases in 108 attempts.  The Cowgirls are averaging 2.66 stolen bases per game, which is fourth-best in the NCAA entering play this week.  Seven players have seven or more stolen bases, led by McClain.
– McNeese also has 77 extra base hits – 36 doubles, 6 triples and 35 home runs – to go along with their 159 RBI.

THE SERIES VS. MCNEESE STATE    
– The meeting between South Alabama and McNeese State will mark the eighth in the all-time series between the two clubs.
– The two teams split last season's two meetings with the Jaguars winning 1-0 in eight innings in Mobile, but the Cowgirls picking up a 7-1 decision in Lake Charles.
– South holds a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series, but McNeese has taken each of the two meetings in Lake Charles.

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. MCNEESE STATE    
Series: 4-3 (H: 2-1 / A: 0-2 / N: 2-0)
Extra-Inning Games: 1-1 (H: 1-1 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
Run-Rule Games: 1-0 (H: 1-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 3/17/10
Last Meeting: 2/28/17
Longest South Alabama Streak: 3 ('12-'15)
Longest McNeese State Streak: 1, 3x, last ('17)
Current Streak: 1 by McNeese State
Last 5 – 3-2

JAGUARS VS. THE SOUTHLAND    
– South Alabama holds an all-time record of 42-11 (.793) against current Southland Conference members.
– The Jaguars have faced at least one opponent from the SLC in each of their previous 11 seasons.
– McNeese State is the only SLC opponent South is currently scheduled to face this season.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
-On the offensive turn-around as of late: "I feel like things are starting to come together for us in all facets and our offense is obviously a huge part of that.  When we compete and apply pressure to the pitcher, we are a very good offense.  I thought we had pieces of that in the first game [against Georgia State], but I really saw us take over in the second and third games [of the series] and grind out at-bats."
-On facing McNeese: "McNeese has played a competitive schedule and are well coached.  We know that they are a good team and are always compete with a lot of intensity.  I think the key for us going into this week is to stay locked into the mentality we have had when we are successful, which is compete and refuse to give in."
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_Jags. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
    
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub

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