FLORENCE, Ala. (February 27, 2025) – How can you not be romantic about softball?
 
The University of North Alabama softball team will welcome Oakland — the university in Michigan, not the former professional baseball team — for a four-game series this weekend at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium. Friday's doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader finale begins at 12 p.m.
 
The Lions enter with an 11-3 record following a 5-1 win over Memphis on Wednesday in the home opener. UNA continues a 10-game homestand this weekend with the UNA Invitational against Samford, ULM and Detroit Mercy looming next week.
 
All four games will have live stats will be available via StatBroadcast. Season tickets or single game tickets can be purchased at this link. There will not be a video stream this weekend.
 
SERIES INFO
North Alabama vs. Oakland
Friday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. & 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Location: Florence, Alabama
Venue: Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium
 
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NOTES
 
LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama scored five runs in the first two innings to cruise past Memphis for a 5-1 win on Wednesday in Florence. Junior infielder Bayleigh Rouse hit a two-run double in the first inning, then the Lions added three more in the second. Junior pitcher Katie Simon allowed just one run on a solo homer, giving up just three hits with one walk in her third win of the season. UNA is 5-0 all-time against the Tigers.
 
AMONG THE LAST UNBEATENS: UNA started 9-0 for the first time since the 2016 season, where the Lions won the NCAA Division II National Championship with a 60-7 record. Entering last Friday, UNA was one of just 10 teams in Division I with an undefeated record through nine games. The other nine were from power conferences, including seven SEC teams and two from the ACC. Only three remain this week — Oklahoma, South Carolina and LSU.
 
THE DAWN OF DOVER: Sophomore Briley Dover was voted ASUN Player of the Week after the first week of the season following a 10-for-18 weekend at the Stinger Classic. On that Saturday against Nicholls State, Dover went 5-for-5 with a single, double, two triples and a homer in the seventh inning to complete the cycle. She is the first Division I player at UNA to hit for the cycle, hit two triples in one game and to have five hits in one game.
 
SIMON STRIKES: Twin sisters Emily Simon and Katie Simon have joined forces with Alivia Wilken in the circle this season. The three starters have a combined 1.87 ERA over 90.0 innings. The ERA ranks as the 16st lowest in the country and the lowest in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Combined with one inning from freshman Kaylee Snyder, the pitching staff has allowed a .186 opponent batting average.
 
TRIPLE THREATS: The Lions rank third in the nation with nine triples this season, trailing ACC teams Virginia (13) and Louisville (10). Only six teams in the NCAA came claim to have nine or more triples so far, while only 26 can claim to have six or more. Six Lions have hit at least one triple, led by Dover with three.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES: Oakland heads down south with a 4-3 record, including two wins over Fairfield and two over Alabama A&M. The three-game series in Normal, Ala. finished with 3-1 and 5-2 wins for Oakland, but ended with a 11-1 loss to the Bulldogs in the finale. Sophomore Alyssa Balcom is the player to watch, as she is batting .400 with eight hits at the plate and owns a 1.53 ERA over 18.1 innings in the circle. She leads the team in both hitting and pitching.
 
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the first all-time meeting between UNA and Oakland.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.