*** Updated: April 17, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. ***
FLORENCE, Ala. (April 17, 2026) – The University of North Alabama softball team has three series remaining against Atlantic Sun Conference opponents, beginning Saturday with a visit from fellow contender Austin Peay.
The Lions and Govs are set to begin the series with a Saturday doubleheader at 12 p.m. The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. With potential rain expected, times are subject to change. Fans are encouraged to monitor the UNA softball social media pages for the latest information.
Both Saturday games will be streamed on ESPN+ with "Voice of the Lions"
Benjamin Ray and Ande Jones on the call. Due to conflicts, Sunday's game will not have an ESPN+ stream, but
Grant Wakefield will bring live coverage from the Roar Lions Productions radio broadcast booth cam.
On Saturday, UNA will host 2026 Bassmaster Classic World Champion Dylan Nutt — who is also a student at UNA and a Nashville native. Nutt will throw out the first pitch and will stick around during the game to interact with fans. His boat and his trophy will be at the stadium. Nutt's twin brother, Carter, will also be at the game following his win at the 2026 Bassmaster College Classic alongside his teammate Bryce Dimauro.
Sunday will be UNA's annual "Green Out" in support of the Alabama Kidney Foundation.
SERIES INFO
Teams: North Alabama vs. Austin Peay
Dates: April 18-19
Location: Florence, Ala.
Venue: Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium
Saturday Promotion: First Pitch from Bassmaster World Champion Dylan Nutt
Sunday Promotion: Alabama Kidney Foundation "Green Out" Game
Game 1 —
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Tickets |
Game Notes
Game 2 —
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Tickets |
Game Notes
Game 3 —
Audio |
Live Stats |
Tickets |
Game Notes
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: UNA played its final midweek game this week at Ole Miss, falling 7-3 on Tuesday in Oxford, Miss. The Lions had the first two hits of the game, but the Rebels took the lead on back-to-back homers from freshman phenom Madi George in the third and fifth innings. Down 7-0 in the seventh, UNA began to rally and scored three runs, forcing a pitching change mid-inning. UNA kept the bases loaded and had the tying run come to the plate, but a great defensive play on a hard-hit ball to third allowed Ole Miss to survive the scare.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA is 28-12 overall and remains the ASUN team with the fewest overall losses. UNA also has the best win percentage at home among ASUN teams this season with a 12-2 record at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium. In conference play, UNA owns series wins over Central Arkansas at home and Austin Peay on the road, as well as back-to-back sweeps of Bellarmine and Lipscomb. UNA is one of two ASUN schools — along with defending champion North Florida — who rank top five in the league in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage.
SCOUTING THE GOVS: While most of the attention has been on the top three in the ASUN Gold Division — EKU, Central Arkansas and North Alabama — Austin Peay is very much in the mix with a 26-18 overall record and an 8-7 record in league play. The Govs took two of three against Lipscomb last weekend and are coming off a close 3-2 loss to UT Martin on Tuesday. The Govs lead the ASUN with 64 homers and have grounded into the fewest double plays with just six.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR UNA: The Lions are led by five starters hitting above .300 this season, including
Briley Dover with a .373 average and a 1.101 on-base plus slugging (OPS) percentage. Sophomore first baseman
Holly Merritt has been the team's slugger and is coming off a 3-for-3 game at Ole Miss. She leads the team with 12 homers, though all three hits were singles at Ole Miss. In the circle,
Alivia Wilken leads the way with a 3.01 ERA over 93 innings.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR APSU: The Govs have three of the ASUN's top 10 slugging percentages on their roster with junior duo Brie Howard and Katie Raper leading the charge. Those two have combined for 32 homers this season, while Howard leads the league with 60 RBI. Senior infielder Sammie Shelander has also been tremendous, batting .417 and riding a 12-game hit streak. Senior Alanah Jones has pitched 125.2 innings and has a 2.95 ERA to rank fourth in the conference. She also ranks fourth with 90 strikeouts this year.
SERIES HISTORY: UNA leads the all-time series with an 11-8 record. The series began in 1990 with a two-game split — both as members of Division II. The series was not renewed until 2019 when UNA moved up to Division I. In 2023, APSU joined the ASUN and made this series a regular occurance. UNA swept the 2023 series in Clarksville, but Austin Peay took two of three in Florence in 2024. This spilled over into the 2024 ASUN Championship, where UNA won 3-0 in a single elimination game vs. APSU. In the 2025 season, the Lions and Govs split the first day of the series, but Austin Peay took the final game 8-4. Earlier this season, UNA took two of three in Clarksville.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE: The top five hitters in UNA's lineup are all batting above .300 this season, led by Dover in the two spot. She is batting .373 with 47 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 Merritt — all have at least 35 hits. The bottom half is boosted by nine-hole hitter
Natalie Shaw, who leads the team with a .479 on-base percentage and 26 walks. True freshman
Karley Moreland had two homers last weekend at EKU.
PITCHING PROWESS: UNA ranks second in the ASUN with a collective 3.63 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. Emily was selected along with Wilken as the ASUN Co-Preseason Pitcher of the Year this season. In her three appearances against Tennessee Tech, EKU and Ole Miss, Simon has a 1.91 ERA over 7.1 Innings. She had a 2.18 ERA over 80.1 innings last season.
ASUN ROUNDUP: The ASUN Gold Division will have three high-impact series this week, including Central Arkansas at EKU who are tied atop the division with 10-4 league records. UNA is just a half-game back at 10-5 and will host an Austin Peay team looking to gain ground with an 8-7 record. Bellarmine travels to Lipscomb as both look to separate from the bottom. In the other division, FGCU will host Jacksonville, North Florida welcomes Queens and Stetson hosts West Georgia. Jacksonville and Stetson sit atop the standings at 11-4, followed by FGCU at 9-6.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
