NOTES
STATS
VIDEO
 
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The third-ranked University of West Florida softball team will head to Cleveland, Mississippi, for a Gulf South Conference series on Saturday and Sunday. UWF leads the league with an 11-1 conference record and is 28-4 overall, while the Lady Statesmen are fourth in the GSC at 9-6.
 
All games can be followed through Delta State's video portal and live stats. Stats and audio will be free to view, while the live video broadcast will cost $8.
 
First pitch for the Saturday doubleheader is scheduled for 2 pm, and the Sunday series finale is slated for a 1 pm start.
 
A Look at Delta State
In the last decade under head coach Casey Charles leadership, Delta State has posted a 9-18 record against West Florida. The Lady Statesmen are 4-4 at home and 3-10 in Pensacola during that time. DSU went 0-2 against UWF in 2018, falling 3-1 in the GSC Opening Festival in Montgomery, Ala., and 5-4 in the second round of the GSC Tournament in Florence, Alabama.
 
The Lady Statesmen enter the weekend batting .285 as a team while averaging 4.8 runs per game. DSU holds a 3.75 ERA and is allowing 4.0 runs a game. Kelly Byrd has been a major offensive force for DSU, leading the team in batting (.463), doubles (10), home runs (7), and RBIs (25), while ranking 7th in the country in on-base percentage (.609).
 
Delta State enters this weekend's series with a 3-0 record against nationally ranked teams. DSU defeated No. 5 Saint Leo at the Gulf Shores Invitational in the first weekend of the year, and the team followed that with wins over No. 12 Illinois-Springfield (9-7) and No. 1 Southern Indiana (13-4).
 
Sweet Relief
West Florida has had one of the best pitching staffs in the country this year, ranking fifth in Division II with a 1.36 team ERA, but Grace Gilbert, Tori Perkins, and Kelsey Sweatt have been even better in relief. Across 33.0 innings of relief this year, the trio has struck out 39 batters, allowed opponents to hit just .124, and they have not allowed a single earned run.
 
Perkins, who has thrown 21.0 innings out of the bullpen, has struck out 20 batters and has posted a .113 opponent batting average, both of which lead the group.
 
How About Rhiannon Sassman
Senior Rhiannon Sassman has been on a tear in her senior season at West Florida, leading the Gulf South Conference with six triples and ranking in the top 20 in the country in hits (40; 19th), RBIs (34; 11th), and total bases (68; 16th).
 
The senior broke the GSC career triples record on Wednesday, March 13 against Montevallo, passing Lincoln Memorial's Nikki Carter (1993-96) with her 22nd career three-bagger. 
 
Sassman currently ranks seventh in UWF history with a .368 career batting average, fourth with a .603 career slugging percentage, ninth with 37 career doubles, third with 22 career triples, and first with 29 times hit by pitch. Her 22 triples also lead all active Division II softball players, rank second among active players at any NCAA level, and are the most in Gulf South Conference history.
 
Over five games from February 13-17, Sassman tallied 12 hits, scored eight runs, and slugged 1.471, while stealing four bases and not striking out on the way to earning her first GSC Player of the Week nod this year. She hit .900 (9-10) with three doubles, two triples, and two home runs in the weekend series against Christian Brothers, leading the team in each of those categories.
 
Oh Yeah, We're Ranked
UWF has been ranked in the top 10 in every poll from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association this year, and the Argonauts came in at No. 3 in Division II on Wednesday.
 
UWF was 6-2 since the previous poll, getting wins over No. 13 Valdosta State, then-No. 21 Wingate, and Gulf South Conference foe Montevallo. UWF's two losses in the week came to VSU and new No. 1 North Georgia.
 
At 28-4 for the year, the Argonauts rank in the top 10 in DII in seven categories, including winning percentage (.875; third), shutouts (11; third), ERA (1.36; fifth), fielding percentage (.977; eighth), and batting average (.355; seventh).
 
UWF has several student-athletes who place in the top 15 in national stat categories this year, as well. Teala Howard is second in the country with 50 hits, is eighth in batting (.515), and is ninth in runs per game (1.23). Rhiannon Sassman is third in DII with six triples and 11th with 34 RBIs, and Rachel Wright's five triples rank sixth in the nation. In the circle, Grace Gilbert's 11 wins are 13th in the country and Kelsey Sweatt in seventh in DII in hits allowed per seven innings (3.72).
 
Four GSC teams are ranked in the latest poll, with UWF coming in highest. Alabama Huntsville is ranked 10th, Valdosta State is 13th, and Mississippi College moved up two spots to No. 21.
 
No Sweatt
After posting a 0.70 ERA over two outings last week, sophomore Kelsey Sweatt has earned Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in her career. Sweatt is UWF's third student-athlete (Teala Howard, Rhiannon Sassman) to earn a weekly conference award this season.
 
Sweatt started games against Montevallo and No. 9 Valdosta State last week, getting the start in each. The sophomore threw three innings and struck out five batters against Montevallo, allowing only one hit. She earned the win with a complete game effort over VSU allowing just two hits and one earned run.
 
In all, Sweatt struck out 8 batters over 10 innings and allowed a .094 opponents batting average, improving to 9-1 for the season.
 
Sweatt ranks seventh in Division II in hits allowed per seven innings (3.72), and she the GSC in opponent batting average (.152). She is also third in ERA (1.43), fourth in strikeouts (75) and ERA (1.43), and fourth in wins (9).
 
Teala Howard Is Only A Freshman
Freshman Teala Howard has been one of the most electric players in the country this year, and after another outstanding weekend at Valdosta State, the rookie is second in Division II in hits (50). Howard also ranks ninth in the country in runs per game (1.23), eighth in batting average (.515), and 17th in stolen bases (26), each of which lead the GSC. Additionally, she is second in the conference with a .558 on-base percentage.
 
The Lake Butler, Florida, native is a three-time GSC Freshman of the Week and has recorded multiple hits in 11 of her last 16 games played, including a 4-for-4 day against Montevallo last Wednesday when she scored three runs. In all, Howard leads UWF with 18 multi-hit games for the season.