The UConn softball team will travel to Providence to take on the Providence Friars in a Big East weekend series. The Huskies (22-13) are currently second in the conference standings and are looking for a strong showing against a Friars team that sits sixth in the table with a 15-21 record.
The timing of this weekend’s games has shifted due to the expectation of inclement weather on Saturday, April 12, with the programs playing a doubleheader on Friday, April 11 starting at 1 p.m. The series finale has been scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 13.
Connecticut will arrive in Providence on the heels of a dominant 10-4 win over UMass in the middle of the week. The victory featured junior pitcher Hope Jenkins in the circle for UConn. Jenkins has been reliable for the Huskies, posting a 7-2 record with a 4.76 earned run average in 22 appearances. Payton Kinney, a graduate student, is another strong presence in the circle, boasting the best ERA of any UConn pitcher so far this season at 2.13. She is 6-2 in 14 starts and 20 appearances.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Huskies are led by Grace Jenkins, who hit her 11th home run of the season in the win against UMass. G. Jenkins is currently hitting a torrid .385 with 46 runs batted in and a slugging percentage of .795. Kaitlyn Breslin and Kaiea Higa are also important contributors for the UConn offense; Breslin is batting .372 with 35 RBIs on an equal number of hits, while Higa has 29 RBIs and a .369 batting average. Overall, six Connecticut players are batting .340 or higher, a testament to the team’s high-powered offense so far.
UConn will face a Providence team that is coming off a win of their own, a tight 5-4 affair against the Bryant Bulldogs. The Friars will be looking for offensive production from sophomore Cameron Dunn, who is at the .400 batting threshold with 32 RBIs. Senior Emma Douma, who contributed a home run and two RBIs in the Bryant game, also poses a scoring threat.
On the Friars’ pitching staff, senior Jessica Walter has had the most successful season so far, hurling to the tune of a 4-0 record with a 2.70 ERA.
The series against Providence will appear on the streaming site FloSports.