ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop softball heads to Clearwater, FL for the Under Armour Showcase this weekend for one last tune-up before getting into Big South Conference action next week.

800 WINS
With victory over UNC Wilmington in the first game of the doubleheader on Wednesday, Co-Head Coach Mark Cooke reached 800 wins in his career. Cooke is in his 27^th year with the Eagles and 31^st as a collegiate coach. While he reached 800 in his career, Cooke has won 715 games at Winthrop.

FRESHMEN MAKING IMPACT
This season there are several freshmen that have been thrown into the fire from the start of the season and have made an impact. Freshman Morgan Lowers has worked her way into the leadoff spot and has the fourth best average on the team at .275. She is tied for the best hitting streak by an Eagle this season hitting safely in seven straight and also has a season-best nine consecutive games reaching base. Lowers has been solid defensively in the outfield having seen action at all three outfield positons. Blake Wallert has started this season at shortstop, minus a couple of games for an injury, and is third on the team in batting at .282. Wallert is third on the team in runs scored with nine. The Eagles have had to depend heavily on Kiley Majette and Keleigh Romine in the pitching circle and most recently Chace Helms. Majette has tossed a team-high 56 innings and has four wins. Romine has four starts and 12 appearances as she's tossed 20.2 innings. This past Wednesday Helms made her season debut and threw 5.2 innings of relief. With senior Dallas King's injury forcing her into limited action, this trio will see plenty of action.

WINNINGHAM RETURNS, MAKES BIG IMPACT
The return of redshirt sophomore Megan Winningham to the lineup has made a big impact on the team offensively. Since she made her debut on Feb. 26 against Brown, the team batting average has shot up from .167 to .285 following Wednesday's doubleheader with UNCW. In her 11 games this season, Winningham is batting .324 with three runs, 11 hits (T-2^nd on team), three home runs and has 11 RBI (2^nd on the team). In the loss to Albany she had a career-high five RBI as she hit her first career grand slam. One of the most noticeable increases in batting average with Winningham's return was Paige Haley's, which was .200 through the first two games and she's batting .394 since as she currently leads the team at .333. Through the first 10 games of the season the Eagles averaged 2.9 runs per game, but have averaged 5.4 per game since.

A LOOK AT THE EAGLES
Winthrop heads to Clearwater, FL for the weekend at 9-12 on the year after splitting the doubleheader with UNCW on Wednesday. The Eagles are batting .285 as a team in the last 11 games and scoring 5.4 runs. Paige Haley is leading the team in batting at .333 as she leads the team with 13 runs and an on-base percentage of .411. Haley is also tied for the team lead in stolen bases with four.
Megan Winningham is batting .324 with three runs (.429 with RISP), three homers and 11 RBI as she continues to provide a spark. Blake Wallert and Morgan Lowers are third and fourth on the team in batting and have combined for 15 runs, six doubles and 11 RBI. Leah Young leads the team with a career-high five home runs and 17 RBI as well as 10 walks. Lowers is batting .533 with runners in scoring position this season and Haley is batting .500. In the last 11 games one of the best hitters has been Zharne Glover at .364 with six runs and five RBI.

SCHEDULE
Friday, Mar. 11
Winthrop vs. Fairfield, 4:30 p.m., no live stats
Winthrop vs. Hartford, 6:45 p.m., no live stats
Saturday, Mar. 12
Winthrop vs. North Florida, 11:30 a.m., no live stats
Winthrop at South Florida, 4:15 p.m., Live Stats
Sunday, Mar. 13
Winthrop vs. Central Michigan, 11:15 a.m., no live stats
 
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
FAIRFIELD
The Stags enter the weekend with a 4-6 record after falling to Central Michigan 9-1 in a single-game on Wednesday. Fairfield is already down in Clearwater as it took on two mid-week contests with Central Michigan and Western Michigan (2-0 win on Tuesday). The loss to Central Michigan ended a three-game win streak. Winthrop has won the only two meetings in this series.
Leaders (Batting): Tori Reed (.371, 8 runs, 13 hits, 3 triples, 7 RBI), Kate Robinson (.310, 4 runs, two home runs, 6 RBI), Lauren Filicia (.273, 6 runs, 5 SB)
Leaders (Pitchers): Lauren Falkanger (2-1, 3.58 ERA, 7 appearances/4 starts, 27.2 IP, 15K, 13BB), Destinee Pallotto (2-3, 4.76 ERA, 6 appearances/4 starts, 28.1 IP, 17K, 6BB)

HARTFORD
Hartford enters the weekend with a 1-12 record, having lost seven straight. So far this season the Hawks are 0-5 against team's from the Big South Conference. This weekend is the start of 11 straight games in Clearwater, FL for the Hawks who will play Lehigh next Tuesday before sticking around for the USF-Under Armour Invitational Mar. 18-20. Winthrop has won the only meeting with Hartford as the two teams met on Feb. 28, 2015 in an 8-0 win behind a big day from Leah Young at the plate (2-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, triple).
Leaders (Batting): Sawyer Fried (.361, 4 runs, 4 doubles, 5 sacrifices), Elizabeth Newkirk (.353, 3 RBI, .450 on-base %)
Leaders (Pitching): Lexi Wilkerson (1-2, 9.25 ERA, 24.1 IP, 16K, 16BB), Bianca Ross (0-5, 9.93 ERA, 29.0 IP, 13K, 6BB)

NORTH FLORIDA
The Ospreys are already down in Clearwater as well as they will be taking on Penn on Thursday, Mar. 10. Heading into that contest they were 8-12 on the year and on a four-game winning streak. UNF started off the season 0-7 before going 8-5 in the last 13 games. This is just the second meeting all-time as UNF won the first meeting in 2010 as the Eagles were blanked 3-0.
Leaders (Batting): Navia Penrod (.373, 14 runs, 7 RBI, .419 on-base %, 7 SB), Katie Mandigo (.333, 10 runs, 9 RBI, .400 on-base %), Shelby Duncan (.328, 7 runs, 8 doubles, 15 RBI)
Leaders (Pitching): Logan Green (4-6, 2.76 ERA, 5 complete games, 73.2 IP, 28K, 19BB), Janet Snipe (1-4, 5.57 ERA, 27.2 IP, 5K, 9BB), Katie Beth Gordon (3-1, 1.80 ERA, 23.1 IP, 14K, 7BB)

SOUTH FLORIDA
Winners of six straight, the Bulls are 14-9 on the year and coming off a doubleheader sweep of Utah on Wednesday. Of the team's 23 games, 17 of them have been home games. USF is batting .314 as a team and scoring 4.96 runs per game. USF leads the all-time series 9-2.
Leaders (Batting): Juli Weber (.427, 20 runs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 14 RBI, 7-7 SB/SBA, .469 on-base %), Lee Ann Spivey (.338, 17 runs, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, 12 RBI), Mia Fung (.333, 15 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs 13 RBI), Lauren Evans (.302, 13 runs, 17 RBI)
Leaders (Pitching): Cheyenne Eggens (6-0, 2.23 ERA, 50.1 IP, 19K, 14BB), Erica Nunn (6-5, 3.30 ERA, 57.1 IP, 51K, 32BB)

CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan is coming off a 9-1 win over Fairfield on Wednesday and is 8-10 heading into the weekend. CMU has wins over Pittsburgh, #9 Arizona, ECU and Florida Gulf. CMU has won four of the last six games. Winthrop and Central Michigan have met four times with CMU winning all four meetings.
Leaders (Batting): Katelyn Rentschler (.412, 6 runs, 6 home runs, 18 RBI, .415 on-base %), Lacy Tolfree (.364, 11 runs, 5 RBI, 4 SB, .475 on-base %), Carol Ann Sexauer (.298, 4 doubles, 13 RBI)
Leaders (Pitching): Rachael Knapp (5-4, 2.93 ERA, 59.2 IP, 81K, 19BB), Hanna Warren (1-5, 4.57 ERA, 33.2 IP, 14K, 16BB)