JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Softball travels to Jacksonville, Florida this week where the Wildcats will take on the North Florida Ospreys in a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday, March 8, at the UNF Softball Complex. The doubleheader is the final nonconference game for the Wildcats before beginning Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play this weekend as BCU hosts Alabama A&M to Sunnyland Park.
 
Last weekend, the Cats were in action at THE Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida. BCU took on teams from Hofstra, Coastal Carolina, LIU, Creighton and Southern Indiana. The Wildcats defeated USI on the final day of competition by a 4-1 decision.
 
Bethune-Cookman (2-17) is facing UNF for the second time this season, as the two sides met at UNF Softball Complex back on February 19, as part of the JU/UNF Invitational co-hosted with Jacksonville University. The Ospreys took that game by a 10-0 decision.
 

Wednesday, March 8
3 p.m. (DH) – at North Florida | Live Stats | Watch | Tickets
 

• Bethune-Cookman defeated Southern Indiana 4-1 in the Wildcats' last game on Sunday at THE Spring Games
• Desirae Martinez leads the Wildcats in batting with a .300 average for the season
• Kallie Earlington registered her first career home run at THE Spring Games, while Maria Galvan tallied her first hits of the campaign as well
• Carrington Robinson is 7-for-8 in stolen bases for the Wildcats, while Shania Owens is 5-for-6 in that department
• Victoria Guzman recorded her first win of the season over the weekend against USI
• Halyne Gonzalez has the team-low ERA for the Wildcats with a 4.11 mark on the year
• Alyssa Lopez went the distance for the Cats in the pitcher's circle against LIU, while Ajah Mallary started in the circle against Creighton

                                                                                                                                   

"This is going to show us exactly where we are, and where we need to be, once SWAC play gets underway this upcoming weekend. There are still a lot of things we need to get prepared for going forward."
 
"North Florida can hit, and it shows with, I think, four or five players having home runs for their team this season. We are going to have to pitch well and play well, defensively. But their pitching is also good. So, it's going to take a total team effort, and we must perform well in areas, actually."
 
"I always want to play the toughest nonconference schedule that we can play, and I think this season may be one of the toughest we've had in a long, long time. But it helps – it really does. We see exactly what we need to do better, and where we are as a team, mentally and physically. This schedule shows us so many things other than just a win or a loss."
 

SCOUTING NORTH FLORIDA (10-6, 0-0 A-SUN)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Jeff Conrad (First Season)
2023 Batting Average: .272; Runs Per Game: 4.6; Hits Per Game: 6.6; Slugging Percentage: .390
2023 ERA: 2.42; K/BB Ratio: 2.09; Opp. Batting Avg: .230
 
UNF NOTES & STATS

• UNF has split six of the seven days with two or more games played
• The Ospreys have scored eight runs or more in three of the last four meetings against Bethune-Cookman
• Shannon Glover has produced multi-hit performances in six of her last eight outings, including a current four-game multi-hit streak
• Glover has scored on solo home runs in back-to-back games against Troy, as well to cap off a 9-for-14 weekend at THE Spring Break Challenge
• Ashley Connor set a season-high in strikeouts with seven against Charleston Southern, while also recording a complete-game with no earned runs allowed against CSU and a save against Troy

 

Bethune-Cookman finally comes home to Sunnyland Park when the Wildcats host their home- and SWAC-opener against Alabama A&M beginning with the first of a three-game series against the Bulldogs on Friday, March 10, at 1 p.m.
 

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