This weekend, the UConn softball team (8-5) will travel to sunny Conway, S.C., for more out-of-conference action in the Chanticleer Showdown, hosted by Coastal Carolina. The showdown will consist of five games: one will be against Wisconsin, two will be against Bowling Green while the other will be against the host team, Coastal Carolina. The Huskies look to continue their offensive hot streak after a strong showing in their previous games, proving why they’re the team to beat in the Big East this season.
The headline of the Huskies’ offensive success comes from none other than freshman infielder Cat Petteys. Petteys has immediately made an impact for the Huskies right from the get-go, recording 16 hits (including two home runs) in her 37 at-bats and posting a team-high .432 batting average. Last week, she was awarded Big East Conference Honor Roll and Big East Freshman of the Week for the first time in her young career, and it surely won’t be her last.
Another player having herself a fiery season at the plate, is junior catcher Grace Jenkins. While her efforts have been somewhat unnoticed in terms of Big East Honor Roll accolades, Jenkins has been absolutely mashing the ball. Posting a .395 batting average, Jenkins leads the team in total bases (34), home runs (5) and RBIs (19). Jenkins has been crucial in driving in runs via the long ball, which has been critical in the Huskies’ solid start to the season.
Defensively, the Huskies have somewhat struggled, recording 22 errors compared to their opponents’ 15. However, it is still early in the season and the Hook C still has plenty of time to kick these defensive woes out of their season.
The good thing about out-of-conference softball action is seeing where you stack up against teams from all over the nation, some of which play at very high levels of competition. One of those teams is Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers are 12-2 on the season and have been virtually dominating their opponents in all facets of the game. The Chants are highlighted by Idaho native Delaney Keith, who is hitting .429 at the moment with a whopping 11 home runs. With Keith, the Chanticleers are no joke, making their games against the Huskies very interesting.
The Wisconsin Badgers are also having a solid season themselves, currently boasting a 9-6 record in out-of-conference play. Pitcher Gabi Salo is having a very good season in the circle, posting a 4-2 record while displaying an impressive .95 ERA through 36.2 innings pitched, also striking out 27 batters. Husky fans should keep an eye out for her to make an appearance against the Huskies this Friday.
Though Bowling Green is struggling with their 3-7 record, the Falcons are coming off a very nice 9-4 win over a tough Tulsa team. Though the Falcons have displayed lots of early season struggles at the plate, sophomore middle-infielder Taylor Behrendt is slashing .355/.419/.412, solidifying herself as a bright spot in the Falcons young, struggling lineup.
Each game will be played in Conway at the beautiful St. John Softball Stadium. The Huskies will take on Wisconsin at 11 a.m., followed by another matchup against Bowling Green. The following day, the Huskies will take on Coastal Carolina at 6:30 p.m., preceded by another dual against Bowling Green at noon. To conclude the series, Hook C will face Coastal Carolina yet again, this time on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.