FLORENCE, Ala. (April 13, 2026) – The University of North Alabama softball team is on the tail end of a five-game road trip that included visits to three states, and that stretch will end on Tuesday in Mississippi as the Lions battle Ole Miss on Tuesday.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in Oxford, Miss.
The game will air on SEC Network + with Jake Hromada and Missy Dickerson on the call.
UNA will also have a hometown broadcast crew on Roar Lions Productions featuring Grant Wakefield and Mike Ezekiel. Fans can listen live to the booth cam on multiple platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, Varsity Network and RoarLions.com free of charge. Fans can find their preferred platform at this link.
SERIES INFO
Teams: North Alabama vs. Ole Miss
Dates: Tuesday, April 14
Times: 6 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Mississippi
Venue: Ole Miss Softball Stadium (Newly opened in 2025)
Watch: SEC Network +
Listen: Roar Lions Productions
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Click Here
Game Notes: Click Here
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: Last weekend, the Lions suffered their first series loss in conference play with a three-game sweep at the hands of Eastern Kentucky. Despite the losses, UNA remains just a half-game back of first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference Gold Division standings with a 10-5 record. Two of the three games were decided by one run, including a 7-6 loss in the opener and a 6-5 loss in the finale that spanned nine innings.
LAST MIDWEEK GAME: UNA continued a seven-game win streak with a 4-3 win at Tennessee Tech last Wednesday. This streak spanned series against Bellarmine and Lipscomb and the win over Tennessee Tech before being broken by EKU this past weekend. This marked UNA's first trip to Cookeville since 1987, as the Lions are now 2-0 against the Golden Eagles on their home field. Laura Leigh Wheeler had the clutch hit with a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA is 28-11 overall and remains the ASUN team with the fewest overall losses. The Lions won their first four ASUN series before the sweep at EKU. UNA had only suffered back-to-back losses one other time this season prior to EKU, but no more than two in a row. Despite all of this, the Lions remain top five in the ASUN for batting average, ERA and fielding percentage and are one of just two in the ASUN that can claim this along with defending champion North Florida.
SCOUTING THE REBELS: Ole Miss is 26-18 overall with an 11-9 record in home games so far. The Rebels are coming off three-straight losses to No. 13 Texas A&M, who is currently 11-4 in the SEC. Ole Miss lost by a tight 10-9 score in the finale. The Rebels made the College World Series in 2025 for the first time in program history, but have stumbled a bit since SEC play began with a 2-13 record against a tough slate of ranked SEC teams — including four straight series against top-five teams in Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
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. Both have also played Alabama, with the Lions falling in five innings and Ole Miss recorded two close losses and one six-inning defeat.
SERIES HISTORY: Ole Miss leads the series with a 4-0 record, including wins in 2020, 2021, 2025 and just last month in 2026. All four 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.
MARCH REWIND: Last month on March 10, UNA hosted Ole Miss for the first time in program history. The Lions scored two runs in the second inning and led all the way until the seventh, as the Rebels tied it up and forced extra innings. Madi George was the hero, hitting the game-tying home run in the seventh and the go-ahead two-RBI double in the eighth.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE: The top five hitters in UNA's lineup are all batting above .300 this season, led by junior infielder Briley Dover in the two spot. She is batting .377 with 46 hits, including nine homers and nine doubles, and 43 runs scored. Leadoff hitter Gyvan Hammons and the meat of the order — Bayleigh Rouse, Laura Leigh Wheeler and Holly Merritt — all have at least 35 hits. The bottom half is boosted by nine-hole hitter Natalie Shaw, who leads the team with a .484 on-base percentage and 25 walks. True freshman Karley Moreland has two homers in the last three games and is batting .277 in 22 starts.
BRINGING "EK" TO EKU: Junior left fielder Emma Kate Wright has been successful at EKU the last two seasons, including a go-ahead sacrifice fly to win 5-4 last season. In the three-game set this year, Wright went 4-for-11 with at least one hit in each game. She had three doubles, an RBI and a run scored.
PITCHING PROWESS: UNA ranks second in the ASUN with a collective 3.58 ERA this season. Fifth-year senior ace Alivia Wilken leads the group with a 3.01 ERA over 93.0 innings to sport an 11-4 record and two saves. Senior Katie Simon has also been key with a 10-4 record and a 3.35 ERA over 83.2 innings.
BOOST FROM THE TWIN: Last week, UNA got a major boost to its pitching staff with the return senior Emily Simon, the twin of Katie. Simon was selected along with Wilken as the ASUN Co-Preseason Pitcher of the Year this season. In her two appearances, Simon has a 2.21 ERA over 6.1 Innings. She pitched three innings at Tennessee Tech and 3.1 at EKU — both starts. She had a 2.18 ERA over 80.1 innings last season.
ON DECK: UNA returns home for a three-game set this weekend against Austin Peay. Both the Saturday doubleheader and Sunday finale are set for 1 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
