OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University softball team (9-6) hosts games at the Miami Softball Stadium for the first time of the season this Saturday and Sunday. The RedHawks will face Eastern Illinois and Green Bay twice each in a round robin sponsored by Best Western – Sycamore Inn.

Saturday's action begins with a neutral site game between Eastern Illinois and Green Bay at noon. Miami will play EIU at 2:30 p.m. and immediately follow with a game against Green Bay at 5 p.m. On Sunday, the neutral site game begins at 10 a.m. Miami will play Green Bay at 12:30 p.m. and Eastern Illinois at 3 p.m.

The RedHawks went 4-1 at THE Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Fla. last weekend. Miami began the weekend with wins over Iowa (2-1) and Florida Atlantic (4-3). On Saturday, the RedHawks suffered their only loss of the weekend to Middle Tennessee (7-2) before bouncing back with a win against South Alabama (3-2). Miami wrapped up the weekend with an exciting win in the bottom of the seventh inning against Florida Gulf Coast (3-2).

Morgan Lott led the Miami offense last weekend, totaling three multi-hit games, including a 3-of-4 performance against FGCU. Lott led the RedHawks in batting average (.444), at-bats (18), runs (3), hits (8), doubles (1), triples (1), total bases (11) and slugging percentage (.611). Her triple moved her into a tie for the fourth-most career triples in program history with nine.

All three pitchers on staff saw considerable time in the circle with each earning at least one win on the weekend. Taylor Rathe led the trio in earned-run average (1.00), giving up only one earned run in her seven innings of work. Courtney Vierstra led the staff in wins (2), appearances (5), complete games (1), saves (2), innings pitched (15.0), strikeouts (26) and opponents' batting average (.170) as she passed 100 strikeouts this season. Vierstra's 101 strikeouts is tied for sixth in the country and leads the conference.

OPPONENT PREVIEW

Eastern Illinois (9-8) travels to Oxford after going 2-3 last weekend at the 11^th Annual Bulldog Classic on Georgia's campus. Both of EIU's wins came against Western Carolina as the Panthers won by a 6-2 margin and a 4-2 margin. EIU was shutout twice by Boston College and once by Georgia. Sophomore infielder/pitcher Hannah Cravens leads the Panthers offense in batting average (.358), hits (19), home runs (4), RBI (18), total bases (35), as well as slugging percentage among starters (.660) and on-base percentage among starters (.443). Senior pitcher/first baseman Jade Montgomery leads the pitching staff in ERA (4.39), wins (6), appearances (13), games started (9), complete games (2), saves (1), innings pitched (55.1), strikeouts (35) and opponents' batting average (.253).

Green Bay (3-12) had the weekend off from games after going 0-5 at the Western Kentucky Hilltopper Classic two weeks ago. The Phoenix lost two games each to Ball State and Western Kentucky and one game to Indiana State, though three out of the five games were decided by two runs or fewer. Junior infielder Morgan Bihun leads the Green Bay starting offense in batting average (.342), hits (13), doubles (3), home runs (2), RBI (9), total bases (22), slugging percentage (.579), walks (6) and on-base percentage (.457). Junior pitcher Kayla Schwebke leads the pitching staff (with at least one full inning pitched) in ERA (6.75), wins (2), appearances (10), games started (9), complete games (4), innings pitched (50.2), strikeouts (27) and opponents' batting average (.286).