DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University softball team is next scheduled to play three games against Canisius College and two games against host UNCW from Friday-Sunday, Feb. 25-27, with all five games being contested at Boseman Field on the campus of UNC Wilmington.
 
Fans are encouraged to check NCCUEaglePride.com or the NCCU Eagles Athletics app for updates as the schedule is subject to change.
 
GAME INFO:

DATE: Fri., Feb. 25 vs.  Canisius (2 PM; LIVE STATS)
DATE: Fri., Feb. 25 vs. UNCW (4:30 PM; LIVE STATS)
DATE: Sat., Feb. 26 vs. UNCW (11 AM; LIVE STATS)
DATE: Sat., Feb. 26 vs. Canisius (4 PM; LIVE STATS)
DATE: Sun., Feb. 27 vs. Canisius (10 AM; LIVE STATS)
LOCATION: Boseman Field, Wilmington, N.C.
FOLLOW: LIVE STATS (different links above); @NCCUAthletics
 
NC CENTRAL DUGOUT:
 
The Eagles went 1-3 at the PC Invitational last weekend, earning their second win of the season against University of Detroit Mercy. NC Central (2-6 Overall) was selected fourth out of eight teams in the MEAC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish Poll.
 
Freshman Jaden Davis has won each of her last two starts and leads NCCU's pitching staff with a 3.27 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 25.2 innings of work. Davis (2-1) is just one of three pitchers in the MEAC to have already recorded multiple wins on the season. Davis (.227) has also hit safely in four of her first eight collegiate games.
 
Freshman left fielder Jaidyn Hamby is the only Eagle batting over .300 on the season. Hamby has a .333 batting average with team-best totals of seven RBI, four runs scored and two doubles.
 
Sophomore shortstop Jaylah Barr hit her NCCU-leading second home run of the season in Saturday's win over the Titans. Barr (.222) has already had three multi-RBI performances and is second on the team with six RBI.  
 
Junior outfielder Diamond Porter is second on the team with a .238 batting average and she matches Hamby with four runs scored while being the only Eagle with multiple stolen bases so far.
 
Senior catcher/designated player Madison Mifsud (.190) and sophomore first baseman/utility player Hailey Batista (.111) are both Preseason All-MEAC honorees along with Barr who have all started every game this season.
 
CANISIUS DUGOUT:
 
The Griffins (Buffalo, N.Y.) have played their first eight games in the Carolinas and are coming off a split at UNCW on Wednesday, winning the first game 8-6 and then losing the nightcap 3-2. Canisius (4-4 Overall) played in the championship game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Softball Championship last season and is picked sixth out of 11 teams in the 2022 MAAC Softball Preseason Poll.
                                      
Fifth-year senior outfielder Erin Hufford is a two-time All-MAAC honoree and she leads the Griffins with 12 hits, seven runs scored and four stolen bases. Hufford (.414) has hit safely in seven of her first eight games and is on a four-game hit streak.
 
Sophomore Christie McGee-Ross is another left-handed batting outfielder like Hufford. McGee-Ross currently leads Canisius with a .458 batting average.
 
Fifth-year senior Lindsi Dennis (.385) and junior Sophia Recrosio (.353) gives Canisius two other bats in the lineup who are batting over .350 on for squad that batting .293 on the season.
 
Sophomore Gianna Fazzolari, who hit a team-best four home runs as a rookie last season, already has four home runs to lead the Griffins for a second straight season. Fazzolari (.280) also leads Canisius with seven RBI.
 
Sophomore Sydney Costan (.083) earned All-MAAC laurels as a rookie last season, but is off to a slow start so far this campaign.
 
Sophomore Megan Giese (1-2, 1.70 ERA, 23 SO, 24.2 IP) and senior Alexis Churchill (2-1, 3.94 ERA, 8 SO, 16.0 IP) have pitched majority of the innings for the Griffins so far this season. Churchill and senior Emily Nicosia (1-0, 9.45 ERA, 10 SO, 6.2 IP) led Canisius with eight wins apiece last season.
 
UNCW DUGOUT:
 
The Seahawks bounced back from just their second loss of the season with a walk-off win over Canisius to cap Wednesday's doubleheader. UNCW (9-2 Overall) is picked sixth out of eight teams in the 2022 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Softball Preseason Poll.
 
Senior two-way player Janel Gamache was a Second Team All-CAA selection last season and is leading the Seahawks offensively with a .400 batting average, 14 RBI and nine extra-base hits, including four home runs. In the pitcher's circle Gamache is 1-0 with a 1.11 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched.
 
UNCW boasts a 2.45 pitching staff ERA. Freshman Emily Winstead (2-0, 2.03 ERA, 24 SO, 20.2 IP), junior Amberlyn Pearce (3-0, 2.10 ERA, 10 SO, 16.2 IP) and freshman Kara Hammock (3-2, 3.50 Era, 30 SO, 26.0 IP) have accounted for the other eight wins on the season.
 
The Seahawks have two other players in the lineup batting over .350 on the season in sophomore Tayler Vitola (.368) and freshman Lauryn Richardson (.357). Vitola leads the squad with 14 runs scored and three stolen bases while Richardson matches Gamache with a team-best .500 on-base percentage. Senior Anna Knox (.231) is amongst UNCW's leaders with nine RBI, three home runs and three stolen bases.
 
Gamache is the two-time reigning CAA Softball Player of the Week while Richardson is the current CAA Softball Rookie of the Week.