FLORENCE, Ala. (March 9, 2026) – The University of North Alabama softball team will host an opponent from the SEC for the second straight season on Tuesday, but this time, it will be at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium as the Lions welcome Ole Miss at 5 p.m.
UNA is currently 17-4 overall and 7-0 at home this season. In most recent ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll from March 2, Ole Miss is receiving votes and brings an 18-8 overall record to Florence.
The marquee matchup will air on ESPN+ with "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray, UNA Hall of Famer Ande Jones and Arielle Schafer on the call. Live stats are available at RoarLions.com.
Tickets can be purchased at this link or by calling 256-765-5466.
GAME INFO
Teams: North Alabama vs. Ole Miss
Date: Tuesday, March 10
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Florence, Alabama
Venue: Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium (Built in 2006; Named in 2019)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Click Here
Game Notes: Click Here
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: Junior infielder Briley Dover and senior outfielder Laura Leigh Wheeler were the undisputed heroes for UNA on Sunday, hitting a pair of walk-off homers to complete a doubleheader sweep of Detroit Mercy at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium. Dover ended the first game with a 5-4 final, while Wheeler's walk-off ended a 5-3 victory.
WHEELING ON TV: Wheeler made the No. 5 top play on SportsCenter Top 10 on Monday, making a diving catch in the gap against Detroit Mercy. SportsCenter also included her walk-off home run as the cherry on top. This marks the second time in two years UNA's softball team has appeared on SC Top 10. Last year's play was Bayleigh Rouse's game-ending double play to beat Memphis. The Lions return to Memphis on Wednesday.
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS: UNA has won a weekly award from the Atlantic Sun Conference in three of the last four weeks, including Holly Merritt winning Player of the Week on Feb. 17 and Katie Simon winning Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 23. Earlier today, Dover was named the ASUN Player of the Week following a week where she batted .692 with nine hits, including two homers and two doubles, six runs, seven RBI, three stolen bases and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
MOVE OVER DOVER: Dover has been a steady rock for the Lions since her freshman season, playing third base, shortstop and second base this season. Her bat in the two-spot has also been crucial, as she has 12 multi-hit games and nine games with multiple runs scored — including a four-run game against Southern. Dover is batting .465 this season with 33 hits to rank fifth in the ASUN.
LIONS ON STREAKS: The Lions have won seven straight games to open the home slate. A key reason for this is UNA's consistent offense, as junior third baseman Bayleigh Rouse has reached safely in 17 straight games and has a nine-game hitting streak. Senior centerfielder Gyvan Hammons has reached in 16 straight with her own nine-game hit streak from the leadoff spot, while true freshman infielder Livy Huter has reached in 14 straight with a seven-game hit streak.
LEAGUE LEADERS: UNA currently leads the ASUN with a .334 batting average and ranks second behind defending champion North Florida with a 3.32 ERA. Dover leads the ASUN with 28 runs scored, while fifth-year senior Alivia Wilken is one of two ASUN players with more than one save — tied with EKU's Tayteum Vigansky atop the league with two saves.
NCAA RANKS: UNA ranks among the top 50 of the 308 teams in Division I in multiple categories, batting average, scoring per game, RBI per game, home runs, slugging percentage and shutouts. UNA also has the 19th best win percentage in the country at 81.0 with a 17-4 record. This ranks second in the ASUN behind UNF with a 23-5 record.
PITCHING PRODIGIES: UNA has a collective 3.32 ERA between four pitchers — all of whom are regular contributors with at least 18 innings pitched this season. The clubhouse leader so far has been Katie Simon with a 7-0 record and 2.35 ERA, while Wilken has a 6-3 record and 2.83 ERA. Those two have combined for 69 strikeouts to just 29 walks.
TAKE YOUR BASE: Senior catcher Natalie Shaw has been a force at the plate, including her first collegiate home run against Belmont at the Samford Tournament. She is also among the top five players in the NCAA and leads the ASUN with one walk per game...17 walks in 17 games.
SCOUTING THE REBELS: Ole Miss is 18-8 overall with a 2-2 record in true road games so far. The Rebels are coming off three-straight losses to No. 4 Alabama, who is currently 23-0 to start the season. Ole Miss lost just 2-1 in the finale. The Rebels made the College World Series in 2025 for the first time in program history. Sophomore Persy Llamas is batting .430 with 37 hits to lead the way, while true freshman Madi George has 30 hits and a .417 average, including seven homers. Three Ole Miss pitchers have at least 38 innings and are all under a 2.68 ERA. Senior Emilee Boyer leads that group with 59.2 innings and a 2.11 ERA, though 4-5 on the season with two of her losses coming to Alabama. Jamie Trachsel is in her sixth season at Ole Miss, becoming the fastest Ole Miss head coach to 100 wins in 2023.
COMMON OPPONENTS: Ole Miss swept both games of a doubleheader with UT Martin last Tuesday, while UNA defeated UT Martin 8-4 at the South Alabama Invitational on Feb. 22. Ole Miss has also played fellow ASUN school Central Arkansas, winning 10-2 in five innings.
SERIES HISTORY: Ole Miss leads the series with a 3-0 record, including wins in 2020, 2021 and 2025. All three games have been decided by four runs or less. Last year, UNA lost 4-0 at the Rocket City Showcase in Huntsville, as late runs from Ole Miss allowed the Rebels to pull away in the final few innings. The other two games were 6-2 and 3-0 road losses. This will be UNA's first time hosting Ole Miss at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
