Rock Hill, S.C.— As the regular season begins to wind down, Winthrop softball will hosts USC Upstate this weekend in a key Big South Conference series.  
 
WINTHROP vs. USC UPSTATE
WHERE: Rock Hill, S.C. | Terry Field
WHEN: Friday, Apr. 16, 4 p.m. | Saturday, Apr. 17, 2 p.m. (doubleheader)
RECORDS: Winthrop (20-21, 7-7 Big South) / USC Upstate (19-11, 8-1 Big South)
LIVE STATS: Game 1 / Game 2 / Game 3
LIVE VIDEO: none
FOLLOW: @Winthropsoftbal
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH USC UPSTATE

• The Eagles and Spartans have met 12 times
• USC Upstate leads the all-time series 8-4, but the Eagles have won three straight meetings
• The team's last met in the 2019 Big South Tournament as the Eagles advanced to the championship game with a 2-1 win behind a complete game performance from Bella Roy

GLANCE AT THE EAGLES

• Winthrop has won four straight league games, including a series sweep of Presbyterian College last weekend at home
• Eagles have worked their way back to the upper half of the league standings, vying for one of the top four spots to qualify for the conference tournament
• The series with USC Upstate is the start of an eight-game home stand for the Eagles
• So far this year the Eagles are 9-6 at home and averaging 4.5 runs while allowing 2.1
• Madyson Watson and Aisha Weixlmann lead a pitching staff that has a home ERA of 2.06 and holding opponents to a .188 average
• Watson is 5-3 at home with a 1.70 ERA with 81 strikeouts to 11 walks in 57.2 innings
• Weixlmann is 4-1 at home with a 2.31 ERA and 32 strikeouts to 11 walks in 39.1 innings
• Weixlmann has tossed back-to-back shutouts in league action and was named the Big South Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday
• Macy McCall leads the team with a .362 average and is batting .395 at home with 17 runs and 13 stolen bases
• McCall broke the program's record for steals in a single-season with her 34^th in the win over PC on Sunday
• Ansley Gilreath leads the league in homeruns, slugging percentage, and total bases
• Taylor Charlton homered for the fifth time in 11 games in the 6-2 loss at #17 Clemson on Tuesday
• Over that 11-game span Charlton is batting .407 with eight runs, five homeruns, 12 RBI and an on-base percentage of .543

HEAD COACH WINDY THEES

• Head coach Windy Thees is in her third season at Winthrop and in her 17^th season as head coach of a collegiate softball program
• Spent five seasons at Georgia State & College compiling a 163-92 record followed by six years at Memphis (172-151) and three seasons at Ole Miss (69-94)
• In her 17 seasons she's compiled an overall record of 466-394 and a record of 303-302 at the helm of a D1 program
• Led Ole Miss to five wins over nationally-ranked opponents that included a 2-0 victory at #1 Florida in 2014
• In 2003 she led Georgia State & College to a runner-up finish in the Division II National Championship
• Thees was a four-year starter at Florida State as both a catcher and second baseman

RECORD BOOK WATCH

• Westbrooks now has 128 career RBI, which is 5^th on the all-time list
• She needs 17 to become the all-time leader in RBI at Winthrop
• Gilreath now has 115 career RBI and is now all alone in 8^th all-time
• Gilreath moved into 2^nd on the all-time homerun list with 32 while Westbrooks is now all alone in 5^th  with 24
• With 70 career walks, Gilreath is tied for 5^th all-time
• Westbrooks has 62 career walks and is now 8^th all-time
• Westbrooks is 10^th on the all-time hit list with 196
• Westbrooks is also moving up the ranks in doubles with 39 in her career, which is 8^th
• Watson broke into the program's Top 10 for career wins and reached 300 career strikeouts in the win over Furman
• Watson is now 7^th all-time in strikeouts and became the 10^th player in program history to record 300 strikeouts in a career
• She became the 8^th play in program history to reach 400 career strikeouts
• Her 418 career strikeouts put her 6^th all-time

SEASON HONORS
Taylor Charlton – Big South Conference Player of the Week (Apr. 5)
Ansley Gilreath – Big South Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 15, Mar. 8)
Madyson Watson – Big South Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 22) / Big South Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 1)
Aisha Weixlmann – Big South Conference Pitcher of the Week (Apr. 12)
 
ON DECK
Winthrop continues its home stand Tuesday, Apr. 20 at 4 p.m. when it welcomes Gardner-Webb to Terry Field.
For everything Winthrop softball visit www.winthropeagles.com or follow us on social media @Winthropsoftbal, winthropsoftball (Instagram) or www.facebook.com/Winthrop-Softball. a