CONWAY, Ark. (April 24, 2026) – The University of North Alabama softball team enters the penultimate week of the regular season with a major showdown awaiting in Arkansas this weekend, as the Lions will take on Central Arkansas on Saturday and Sunday in Conway, Ark.
Saturday will be a doubleheader between the Lions and Bears, while Sunday will be the single-game finale. Both days will begin at 1 p.m.
All three games will air on ESPN+ and will have live stats available via SIDEARM.
This series has major implications for both teams, even though both have clinched their spots in the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship set for May 5-9 in Jacksonville, Fla. UNA and UCA are two of five teams that have already clinched along with EKU, Stetson and Jacksonville. However, a division title and tournament seeding remain on the line.
The Lions are 13-5 in conference play and have a tight lead in the ASUN Gold Division. In a tie for second place in Central Arkansas and EKU with matching 11-5-1 records following a win-loss-tie against each other last week. UNA is in the driver's seat for the first ASUN division title in program history and can clinch as early as this weekend depending on its series with UCA and EKU's series with Bellarmine.
UNA and Central Arkansas have played 34 meetings all-time entering this weekend and have formed a compelling rivalry since the first meeting in 1998. However, a new wrinkle will be added to the rivalry this weekend as both are ranked in the D1Softball Mid-Major Poll with UNA at No. 20 and UCA at No. 21.
Earlier this season, UNA took two of three from the Bears. However, last year's trip to Conway ended with three straight losses for the Lions to end the regular season.
North Alabama is one of just five schools in Division I to be leading a conference or division in both baseball and softball this week. The others are Campbell, Jacksonville State, Winthrop and Florida A&M. UNA's baseball team has an 11-7 record to lead the ASUN Gold Division by one game.
SERIES INFO
Teams: North Alabama vs. Central Arkansas
Dates: April 25-26, 2026
Location: Conway, Arkansas.
Venue: Farris Softball Complex
Game 1 —
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Tickets |
Game Notes
Game 2 —
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Tickets |
Game Notes
Game 3 —
ESPN+ |
Live Stats |
Tickets |
Game Notes
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: UNA took control of the ASUN Gold Division with a thrilling three-game sweep of Austin Peay last weekend. The Lions won both games of the Saturday doubleheader, closing out a 5-4 win in the opener and hitting a season-high five home runs to win 7-5 in the nightcap. The finale capped a dominant weekend with a 9-1 mercy rule victory for the Lions. This marked Austin Peay's first time being swept in over two years.
PROVING HER MERRITT: Sophomore first baseman
Holly Merritt was named ASUN Player of the Week on Monday following a week where she went 9-for-11 over four games for an .818 batting average and a 1.455 slugging percentage. She went 3-for-3 against Ole Miss last Tuesday, then went 6-for-8 with two homers and a double in the Austin Peay series. This was the second weekly award for Merritt after she won it back in February.
JUST KEEP WINNING: UNA brings a 31-12 overall record into the weekend, clinching the team's fifth-straight season with at least 30 wins. Head coach
Ashley Cozart has never suffered a losing season in her career with 2026 marking her 17th straight season at .500 or better — 13 of which have been at UNA. The Lions are 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 LIONS: The Lions are 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. UNA ranks fourth with a .304 batting average, including all five of the top five hitters above .300. The Lions are also second in the league with a 3.51 ERA with four pitchers above 30 innings. UNA has two series wins over Austin Peay and one each against Bellarmine, Lipscomb and Central Arkansas. The only series loss came on three losses at EKU.
SCOUTING THE BEARS: The Bears remain dangerous as ever with a 29-17-1 record and a 11-5-1 record in conference play. UCA has been difficult to beat on its home turf with a 13-5 home record, including just one home loss in ASUN play to Austin Peay. UCA has not dropped a series since falling to North Alabama on opening weekend, including a 3-1-1 record against EKU this season. The Bears rank second in hitting with a .308 average and own a 4.31 ERA in the circle.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR UNA: Merritt has overtaken the batting average lead for UNA with a .391 average, which would set the Division I school record if the season ended today. Another player to watch at the top of the order is
Gyvan Hammons, who has reached base in 41 of 43 games and has 16 stolen bases to sit just two away from tying the Division I school record. The glue has been junior
Briley Dover, who has scored 45 runs in 43 games to lead all UNA players. She is just five away from the Division I school record. Senior pitcher
Alivia Wilken is the player to watch in the circle, owning a 12-4 record and 2.96 ERA over 101.2 innings.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR UCA: The Bears, like UNA, have five starters hitting above .300 this season. The preseason all-conference duo of sophomores Addie Graham and Kaitlyn Graham lead the charge with 105 hits combined this season, while graduate catcher Emma Robertson has been the power threat with 10 homers and 51 RBI this season. Another graduate student and longtime thorn in the side for opponents is pitcher Bailie Runner with a 12-6 record and 3.81 ERA over 108.1 innings.
SERIES HISTORY: UCA leads the all-time series with a 20-14 record. UNA won the most recent series last month with a 6-5 win in the opener and a 7-5 win that took eight innings to decide in game two. The Bears salvaged the series that Sunday with an 8-6 win. Senior
Katie Simon pitched 6.0 shutout innings in the opener to overcome a 5-0 deficit in the first inning, while senior
Laura Leigh Wheeler was the nightcap hero with a walk-off homer in game two. The series dates back to 1998 with 24 of the 34 meetings coming at the Division I level since 2019.
VETERAN GROUP: This year's UNA team features an unusually high number of seniors with nine on the roster. All nine have been regular contributors this season, including four pitchers, three outfielders, one catcher and one utility player. This senior class has combined to play in 557 games over the last three seasons. The four pitchers have combined for 736.1 innings at UNA in that span.
BIG BAT INNING: In the first inning of game two against Austin Peay, UNA's first time through the lineup included seven hits with four homers, a single, a double and a triple to finish with the team cycle. This resulted in six runs for the inning in 10 plate appearances. Wheeler, Merritt and juniors
Emma Kate Wright and
Bayleigh Rouse all had homers in that inning, while Hammons beat an infield single, sophomore
Jenna Madison gapped one in left-center and senior
Natalie Shaw ripped a triple down the right field line.
BOOST FROM THE TWIN: After missing 40 games with an injury that dated back to last season, senior pitcher
Emily Simon made her 2026 debut on April 8 against Tennessee Tech. She pitched 3.0 innings in her soft launch back to action, allowing just one run on one hit. She has been stellar since her return, owning a 1.66 ERA over 12.2 innings. She picked up a save against Austin Peay on April 18, getting the final out in a 5-4 win. Simon was voted the 2026 ASUN Preseason Pitcher of the Year along with teammate
Alivia Wilken by the ASUN coaches back in February.
ASUN ROUNDUP: As the race to the ASUN Championship picks up, Bellarmine will host EKU, Austin Peay will head over to Lipscomb and UNA will play UCA. In the other division, West Georgia will travel to North Florida and FGCU will host Queens. The top matchup in the ASUN Graphite Division this weekend is between Stetson and Jacksonville — the two leaders separated by just one game.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
