The UConn Huskies (15-8) are scheduled to take on the Georgetown Hoyas (6-18) this weekend in Storrs.
Connecticut has played well in the small sample size of Big East play. In games against Seton Hall and Providence College, the Huskies won four of the six conference games. Their last game came against Boston College on Tuesday in which the Huskies won 9-7. Outfielder Aziah James went 3-for-3 and brought in three RBIs while pitcher Payton Kinney pitched three innings to earn her fourth win this year.
Unlike UConn, Georgetown hasn’t had a lot of success this season. The Hoyas come into the weekend with a 6-18 record in 2023 but have wins against conference opponents Villanova and Seton Hall.
Georgetown holds the all-time record between these two teams, winning seven of their 13 matchups. However, UConn took two of three in their last meeting.
A key player to note is Hoya’s outfielder Cameron Kondo. She already has six home runs this year and 22 RBIs, accounting for a fourth of her team’s total runs. Kondo is coming off a game against Seton Hall in which she recorded three hits in five at-bats, blasting a home run and driving in four RBIs. The outfielder isn’t just a threat at the plate, she’s made a difference on the bases as well with four steals in six attempts.
Georgetown’s pitching has been an area that’s struggled this season. Brooke Plonka has pitched in 70 innings so far, sporting a 4.11 ERA with 32 earned runs in 17 appearances. Pitcher Julia Parker has pitched in the most games up to this point for the Hoyas (18), holding a 7.08 ERA in 54.2 innings pitched. As a staff, Georgetown has a 5.94 ERA in 160.2 innings.
For UConn, their offense has multiple weapons that can do damage. Catcher Grace Jenkins leads the team with five home runs and 18 RBIs and James has 27 hits and 18 stolen bases just to highlight a few. Six batters have an average above .300, and another six have double-digits in RBIs. The team is hitting around .296 as a unit with 117 runs scored.
UConn’s pitching has performed well too, they hold a 4.21 staff ERA with 128 strikeouts in 147.2 innings. Pitcher Payton Kinney has a 4-5 record and a 2.98 ERA in 42.1 innings pitched. Freshman Hope Jenkins is 7-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 64 innings pitched, surrendering 29 earned runs.
To go along with their good play, the Huskies are racking up awards and accolades. James and Lexi Hastings earned Big East Honor Roll last week while Payton Kinney was named Big East Pitcher of the Week for her efforts, already her second time this season. On top of that, shortstop Jana Sanden joined the 100-career hit club last week against Providence.
Due to rain in the forecast, UConn and Georgetown will play a doubleheader on Friday with game times of 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. then again at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Each game will be hosted by UConn at Burrill Family Field at the Connecticut Softball Complex. The games can also be streamed on the UCONN+ service.
