LAKEWOOD, NJ (Feb. 23, 2023) - Georgian Court Softball takes the field again this weekend at an early season tournament that sees them playing five teams in Columbus, Ga.

What
NFCA Leadoff Classic

Opponents
No. 17 Alabama-Huntsville (9-3, 3-0 GSC)
Northern State (4-0, 0-0 NSIC)
West Chester (1-1, 0-0 PSAC)
Le Moyne (1-1, 0-0 NE10)
California (PA) (0-0, 0-0 PSAC)

Where
Columbus, Ga. - South Commons Complex

When
Friday-Sunday Feb. 24-26
Friday, Feb. 24 vs. No. 17 Alabama-Huntsville - 3 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 24 vs. Northern State - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. West Chester - 3 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Le Moyne - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 26 vs. California (PA) - 11:30 a.m.

How to Watch
• The NFCA will provide free live video for all games at the link above. Be sure in the search bar to search for "South Commons Complex". There will not be live stats for games this weekend.

Previously vs. This Weekend's Opponents
• The only team the Lions have never faced in their history is Alabama-Huntsville.
• Against Northern State, Georgian Court is 4-1 all-time. They last met in 2019, a 6-0 win at the PFX Spring Games. The Lions scored five in the third to break a scoreless tie. Noone who played in that game is on the current Lions roster. 
• The Lions and West Chester played a doubleheader in 2001. The teams split with the Lions winning game one 6-3 before falling 6-5 in game two.
• In 2018, Georgian Court fell to Le Moyne, 5-2. That was the last time these two in-region rivals met. The Dolphins scored four in the first inning making that hold up in a 5-2 win. 
• It's been over a decade since Georgian Court and California (PA) met. They played in Kissimmee, Fla. in 2009, a 4-2 Lions win. 

Last Time Out
• Georgian Court got their season started in Arizona playing in the Cactus Classic.
• After dropping game one, the Lions won three of their final four, finishing the weekend 3-2.
• The Lions picked up wins over Simon Fraser, Western Oregon and Minnesota-Crookston.
• Following the weekend, Sarah Clancy was named the CACC Pitcher of the Week.

Individual Milestones
• In her next game played, Taylor Lipkins will hit 50 games at GCU. She's also two stolen bases away from 25.
• Jadalynn Rodriguez is six hits and and seven runs scored away from 50.
• With three more runs scored, Kiara Meikle will get to 50 in her career.
• Brittany Gable also needs one more game played to get to 50 in her career. She'll get to 25 runs with three more and 25 hits with five more.
• Adriana Mungo will reach 100 games played if she gets into four of the five this weekend. 
• With one more RBI, Jayda Jones will knock in the 50th of her career.

Lions in the CACC (statistic minimums set by NCAA)
• Offensively the Lions have gotten off to a hot start this season. They're hitting .348 as a team which is 16th nationally and second in Division II.
• GCU is also in the top-25 nationally in on-base percentage reaching at a 42% clip. 
• While the Lions are yet to connect for a long ball, the team does have 12 doubles, 2.40 per game which is 13th in Division II. 
• On the base paths, GCU is swiping three bags per game, second-most in the CACC and 12th in the country.
• With four doubles, Jayda Jones is leading the CACC. Her 0.80 doubles per game are just outside the top-10 in Division II.
• Taylor Lipkins has been setting the table for the Lions. She ranks in the top-10 in the nation in runs, stolen bases, and walks per game.
• With 1.40 RBI per game, Adriana Mungo is second in the league.

About the Opponents
No. 17 Alabama Huntsville Chargers
• There are two teams out of 20 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic that won 40 or more games in 2022. One is Georgian Court. The other is Alabama-Huntsville. 
• The Chargers were 41-17 last season losing in the sub regional final to number 1 seed Auburn-Montgomery.
• Before the season, Alabama-Huntsville was picked to finish third in the Gulf South Conference with Kaylee Vaught and Megan Shurtz making the Preseason All-GSC Team.
• UAH has gotten off to a 9-3 start this season and have won four straight.
• Lawren Hayes leads the team with 19 hits and 15 runs scored. She's reaching base at a 57.8% clip.
• The Chargers have hit eight home runs this season led by Alexa Douthitt's three.
• On the rubber, Shurtz and Katie Bracken have been a dynamic duo. UAH has a team ERA of 2.83. Bracken has allowed just three earned runs in 24.2 innings with 33 strikeouts.

Northern State Wolves
• The Wolves started their season playing four teams from the NAIA ranks. They won all four games two weeks ago in Aberdeen, SD.
• In the Northern Sun preseason polls, the Wolves were picked to finish 13th among 16 teams. 
• The team went 12-38 last year and just 4-24 in league games.
• In the circle, Lexi Chase was 18-4 last year pitching at Iowa Lakes Community College. She's 2-0 this season Meghan Anderson has struck out 15 in 11 innings pitched.
• Last year, Liv Richardson hit .385 for the Wolves with nine home runs and 38 RBI. 
• Kyra Knudtson has led the offense thus far in 2023 with a .528 batting average . Tevan Bryant has a team-high six RBI with two doubles and a home run.

West Chester Golden Rams
• West Chester finished last year at 24-22 and 7-9 in the PSAC.
• The Rams have had 15 straight winning seasons despite missing the PSAC Postseason for the first time since 2009 last season.
• In the PSAC East Preseason Poll, West Chester was picked to finish fifth.
• In a funny bit of scheduling, West Chester opened the season Feb. 10th with a doubleheader against Le Moyne. They split that DH in Pennsylvia. The Golden Rams first opponent at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, none other than Le Moyne. Meaning they'll start the year with three straight against the Dolphins, two weeks apart. 
• Madison Melvin stole 56 bases last season to lead all of Division II. She's off to a fast start this season with four hits in six at bats. Two of her four hits are triples, making it difficult to steal many bases.
• Samantha Klug got the win in the Golden Rams 8-2 win over Le Moyne earlier this month. She went the distance allowing two unearned runs with five strikeouts and no free passes.

Le Moyne Dolphins
• Le Moyne didn't originally schedule three straight with West Chester, but due to some cancelations, that's what will happen.
• The Dolphins were on the other end of West Chester's 1-1 split Feb. 10. Their plans got derailed and haven't played since then leaving them 1-1 so far this season. 
• Last year Le Moyne went 20-22 and 12-14 in the NE10. That wasn't good enough to qualify for the NE10 Tournament.
• Before the season started, Le Moyne was picked to finish 10th in the 13-team Northeast 10.
• Frankie Larobardiere has two doubles in five at bats this season. Audrey Benderski has a pair of two-baggers as well.
• Laura Bennett appeared in both ends of the Dolphins season opening double header. She got the save in the team's win and has a 1.68 ERA in 8.1 innings this season.

California (PA) Vulcans
• The only team the Lions are facing this season who is yet to get their season underway is California (PA)
• The Vulcans were 22-13 overall last season and 12-4 in the PSAC. They fell early in the PSAC Tournament though, going 0-2.
• At one point, Cal was ranked as high as fifth in the NCAA Atlantic Regional Rankings, but dropped five of their final seven games to fall out entirely. 
• In the PSAC preseason coaches poll, The Vulcans were picked to finish third in the west. They picked up two first-place votes.
• The Vulcans return seven regulars in the lineup, including the 2022 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Freshman of the Year Caleigh Rister. 
• Rister is a two-way player who hit .415 for the season with 20 extra-base hits and a .560 on-base percentage. In the circle she went 13-4 sporting a 1.58 ERA.