CHATTANOOGA – The Chattanooga Mocs softball team looks to close out Southern Conference action on a high note this weekend by hosting rival ETSU on Saturday and Sunday at Frost Stadium.
 
Saturday's doubleheader is slated for a 1 p.m. start while Sunday's series ender will begin at 2 p.m. The Mocs will honor its three seniors in Ashley Conner, J.J. Hamill and Brook Womack before the series finale on Sunday with a pre-game ceremony.
 
The three seniors have combined to appear in 392 games while starting 367 of them. Hamill and Conner have appeared in over 150 games while Womack has played in 95 since transferring to UTC in 2016. The trio has batted a combined .322 with 19 doubles, 12 homeruns, 69 RBI and 65 runs scored this season.
 
Chattanooga (23-24, 7-6 SoCon) is coming off a 2-2 week where they picked up a non-conference win over Tennessee State and a SoCon victory over UNCG. The Mocs down the SoCon-leading Spartans in Greensboro in game one of the series on Saturday, 5-4 in a ten inning affair. UTC currently sits in fourth place in the league standings but has the opportunity to rise to third after the weekend.
 
All three games of the series will be broadcasted LIVE on ESPN3 through the WatchESPN App platform. Saturday's promotions include 'Stress Relief Day' with a car smash and stress relief puppies and kittens and also post-game autographs will commence after the second game.
 
Fans can purchase tickets ($5) on GoMocs.com by visiting the schedule page or by calling the ticket office at (423) 266-MOCS.
 
A limited number of tickets are still available for the 2 p.m. doubleheader against nationally-ranked Auburn at Frost Stadium on Sunday, May 6. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ASAP through the schedule page or by calling the box office as only a small amount of tickets remain.
 
Full opponent preview and Chattanooga softball notes can be found below.
  
» Previewing: ETSU (13-23, 1-9 SoCon)
The defending Southern Conference Tournament Champions, ETSU enters the weekend with a 13-23 overall record and a 1-9 mark in league play. The Bucs are coming off an 11-3 loss to No. 7 Tennessee last week before dropping a pair of games to UNCG two weekends ago. They have dropped their last ten games with six of them being decided by two runs or less.
 
ETSU's offense is led by Lauren Lee and Taylor Wright who carry .316 and .300 batting averages, respectively, this season. Lee leads the team with 30 hits and ranks second on the team with a .347 on-base percentage in 29 games played. Wright ranks second on the team in homeruns (4), RBI (17) and slugging percentage (.488).
 
In the circle, the Bucs are anchored by senior pitcher Madison Ogle who leads the team and ranks seventh in the SoCon with a 2.73 ERA. She has totaled 12 complete games and has struck out 105 while limiting opposing hitters to a .243 average in 120.2 innings pitched.
 
» Chattanooga Team Notes | Game Notes

• The Chattanooga Mocs offense ranks in the top three in the Southern Conference in majority of offensive categories.
  • Mocs are hitting a SoCon-best .286 as a team while also ranking first in hits with 357.
  • Chattanooga has registered double-digit hits as a team in 12 games this season and has out-hit or tied opponents in the hit column in 10 of their last 11 games.
  • UTC ranks third in the conference with 183 RBI and features six different hitters batting north of .290 for the season.
• Head coach Frank Reed notched his 600th win at Chattanooga in Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Tennessee State.
  • He is currently 601-405 at UTC since taking over in 2002 & carries an impressive overall coaching record of 1,077-492 after spending time at nearby Chattanooga State.
  • He is the Southern Conference's all-time wins leader and has been named SoCon Coach of the Year a record eight times.
• The 2018 edition of the Chattanooga Mocs offense features 12 different student-athletes with at least one HR this season.
  • That marks the most different players to belt a HR in Chattanooga softball history dating back to 1994.
  • Seven of the 12 have recorded multiple HRs and is led by Brook Womack who has totaled six this season.

» Chattanooga Individual Notes | Game Notes

• Sophomore Aly Walker has been red hot for the Chattanooga Mocs softball offense over the past couple weeks.
  • After launching a two-out, walk-off homerun on April 14 against Furman, Walker has continued on to a five-game hitting streak while registering multi-hit games in three of them. She has combined for two doubles, two RBI and four runs scored over that span.
  • For the season, Walker now ranks fourth in the SoCon with a .352 batting average while sitting eighth in slugging percentage with a .514 percentage.
• Sophomore pitcher Celie Hudson has been huge for the Mocs pitching staff over her last few starts.
  • Hudson is 5-1 in her last six decisions, allowing just 11 hits and two runs (both earned) while striking out 15 over that span.
  • She tossed a pair of CG, one-hitters in wins over Furman & TSU.
• The senior trio of Ashley Conner, J.J. Hamill and Brook Womack will be honored before the series finale on Sunday.
• The three have combined to appear in 392 games while starting 367 of them. Hamill & Conner have appeared in over 150 games while Womack has played in 95 since transferring to UTC in 2016.

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