RICHMOND, Ky. - After opening ASUN play with an undefeated weekend against Central Arkansas, the Eastern Kentucky University softball team is back on the road as they head to Columbia, Tenn. for a matchup against the top ten Lady Vols of Tennessee on Tuesday, March 18.

The Colonels (19-6, 2-0 ASUN) and the Lady Vols (25-4, 2-1 SEC) will be the main attraction of the Midstate Classic, being the final of three games played on the day at the Ridley Sports Complex.

Live stats will be available for the game at StatBroadcast, but the game will not be available for streaming. First pitch is slated for 6:30 PM ET.

SCOUTING THE LADY VOLS

The Lady Vols come into the game following a 3-0 sweep of UConn over the weekend. Before that, UT grabbed a 1-0 win over No. 16 Duke and a 2-1 conference-opening series win over No. 13 Georgia.

Tennessee ranks at No. 5 in the most recent D1Softball Top 25, as well as No. 7 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. The Colonels have received some national recognition as well, coming in at No. 22 in the D1Softball Mid-Major Top 25.

Leading UT in the circle is junior Karlyn Pickens. Pickens has recorded a 9-3 record in 14 appearances this season, totaling an ERA of just 0.77 in 73.0 innings pitched and striking out 108 batters. The right-handed pitcher has clocked a pitch tied for the fastest-ever recorded pitch in softball at 77 MPH - leaving a batter roughly the same time to react as a 100 MPH fastball in baseball.

Erin Nuwer has also been dangerous while pitching for the Lady Vols, recording a sub-1.00 ERA at 0.84 in 33.1 innings pitched. Sage Mardjetko sits in second place in total strikeouts for UT with 78.

Two Lady Vols average above a .400 in the batter's box, being Taylor Pannell and Kinsey Fiedler with a .476 and a .457, respectively. Pannell also leads the team in RBIs with 45, including 11 home runs, while Fiedler and Sophia Nugent tie for second at 28 apiece.

LAST TIME OUT

The Colonels opened ASUN play with a 2-0 series victory over Central Arkansas. A third game was played but was called off in the bottom of the 4th due to weather, tied 1-1, and did not meet the minimum length requirement to count as a complete game.

Maddi Rutan (8-4) pitched a marathon in game one, recording a career-high 11.0 innings pitched in the complete game win. Rutan allowed just five hits and one run while striking out ten batters. To put an exclamation mark on the performance, Rutan gave herself the win with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th for the 2-1 victory.

Game two of the series could not have been more different from game one as the Colonel offense exploded out of the gate en route to an 11-1 run rule victory in five innings. 

Makayla Mathis put up a new career-high in RBIs with four while Jada McLeod followed closely behind with three of her own. Skyler Billips, Taci Haase, and Rutan all recorded an RBI as well.

Victoria Byrum (6-0) pitched a complete 5.0 innings in the win, allowing four hits and just one run.