Stephen F. Austin
UT Arlington
SFA Heads to Phoenix to Start Their Quest for a WAC Championship
5/10/2023 10:47:00 AM | Softball
UT Arlington vs Stephen F. Austin
Dates/Times: May 10th @ 6 p.m.
Livestream: ESPN+
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Field: GCU Softball Stadium
Series: UT Arlington leads 58-39
PHOENIX, Arizona: SFA heads to Phoenix to begin their quest for a WAC championship today. They will play UT Arlington at 6 p.m. this evening.
A look at the Lumberjacks:
The Jacks come into today at 27-22 overall, and their 15-9 record in the WAC earned them the number 3 seed in the tournament. The Lumberjacks are getting hot at the right time, as they are 6-1 in their last seven games and are playing very good softball at the moment. Gaby Garcia is the one to watch, as she broke the SFA single season home run record last weekend and will surely look to do more damage in the tournament. On the season she is batting .292 with those 17 record-breaking home runs and a 1.086 OPS. She's not the only dangerous bat in the Jacks lineup, as Mackenzie Bennett has had a massive season. She is leading SFA with a .373 batting average, a 1.092 OPS, 42 RBI's, and 13 doubles while hitting 10 homers. She has been a force all season, especially during conference play, as she is hitting an absurd .442 with a 1.242 OPS. Lexi Benson has also been great in conference play, hitting .362 with seven doubles and six home runs. Camryn Middlebrook is hitting .295 on the year and brings speed on the base paths, as she is second on the team with 13 stolen bases. The Jacks offense has been amazing the whole year and in the conference, and they'll hope it stays hot to enable them to make a run.
On the pitching side, Brooke Gainous has been absolutely unhittable in conference play, having a 1.90 ERA while holding opponents to a .246 batting average. She has also pitched 71 innings over that time, leading the team. Alexis Telford has also been solid, having a 3.34 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. Overall, those two will likely determine how far the Jacks go this postseason, and strong showings from both could mean very good things for the Lumberjacks.
A look at the Mavericks:
The Mavericks come into the tournament sitting at 21-28 overall and 11-13 in the WAC. They are coming off a series win over Sam Houston, so they will hope that carries over to today. Marley Neises is the person who gets it going for UT Arlington, as her .381 average, 1.083 OPS, 20 steals, and 25 RBI's lead the team. Her seven home runs are also tied for first. The Mavericks will be hoping for big days out of her. Lindsey Franklin is solid as well, as she is hitting .294 with a .962 OPS with seven home runs. Morgan Westbrook is hitting .338 in the conference as she looks to carry over that success. On the mound, UT Arlington is led by Jessica Adams and her 2.93 ERA. She has been a workhorse for the Mavericks, having pitched 177 innings on the year. Gracie Bumpurs will also pitch for the Mavs, and she has a 5.22 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP with six wins on the season. The Mavericks hope their pitching staff can keep them in games this week.
