JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With Atlantic Sun Conference Regular Season Championship implications on the line, the first-place EKU softball program heads to the Sunshine State for a three-game series against third-place North Florida on Saturday and Sunday at UNF Softball Complex.
This weekend's series is scheduled to begin with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. EST. The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Fans can find Saturday's games streamed live on ESPN+ with Matison Little and Jesse Ough on the call.
EKU (36-6, 17-1 ASUN) has won eight consecutive ASUN Conference series dating back to the 2023 season, including all six series this season. Six of the eight consecutive conference series have come via sweep.
The Colonels enter this weekend's series receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA Top 25 polls. EKU's 36-6 record indicates the best start to a season in program history.
On Thursday, EKU freshman two-way player
Maddi Rutan was named to the NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 list, recognizing the top freshman in NCAA DI softball. She was the only freshman in the ASUN Conference tabbed for the award. The Columbus, Indiana native is just two weeks removed from being named the No. 5 two-way player in the country by Softball America and is a three-time ASUN weekly honor recipient.
This season, Rutan sports a 21-3 overall record with a 1.85 ERA and 126 strikeouts. In conference play, she has a perfect 10-0 record with a lower 1.38 ERA and 63 Ks. Conference opponents are hitting just .161 against Rutan.
Offensively, outfielders
Jaelin Haynes and
Jeanay Riley lead the output, both hitting over .395 on the season and have combined for 94 hits, 19 doubles, five triples, six homers, and 46 RBIs. EKU leads the ASUN Conference in hitting.
North Florida (29-15, 13-5 ASUN) is coming off a series win at Jacksonville last weekend, the Ospreys have won two of their last three series.
Junior two-way player Allison Benning leads UNF with a .350 batting average with 43 hits, 13 home runs, and 37 RBIs. From the circle, she has a 17-8 overall record with a 1.84 ERA and 164 strikeouts. Benning was named the No. 4 two-way player in the country by Softball America in the same poll Rutan was tabbed to.
The Colonels enter play in first place in the ASUN Conference standings by 3.0 games. EKU needs four wins in its next six games to clinch the outright ASUN Regular Season Championship for the first time as a member of the league and the first time since 2018.
EKU can clinch the regular season title this weekend depending on the outcome of its games with North Florida and the FGCU/Austin Peay series in Clarksville.
