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PENSACOLA, Fla. – After a week of action on the road, the 21st-ranked University of West Florida softball team will come back to the UWF Softball Complex for a weekend series with Christian Brothers, on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch for the Saturday doubleheader is slated for 1 pm, and the series finale on Sunday is also scheduled for a 1 pm start.
 
It will be a busy weekend for the softball program. Between games on Saturday afternoon, UWF will be recognizing the 2020 senior class that lost half of its season and will be honoring the 2019 team that won the Gulf South Conference Championship, the South Region Championship, and made a trip to Denver, Colorado, for the NCAA Championship.
 
UWF is also hosting Bark at the Park this weekend. Treats and activities will be available for dogs in attendance, and dogs must be kept on a leash at all times during the event.
 
All games can be watched on a live stream and will feature live stats. Links for each can be found at GoArgos.com or at the links above.
 
University of West Florida athletics has increased attendance to 25 percent capacity for all softball home games at the UWF Softball Complex. Each game is first come, first serve to the general public. A set number of tickets will be held aside for Argonaut Athletic Club Booster members. AAC members can collect their tickets at the ticket window on gameday with their booster club card. Tickets are $7 for general admission, $5 for seniors, military members, and visiting students, and free for UWF students, UWF faculty and staff, and children under 6 years old.
 
Gates will open 60 minutes prior to first pitch. Tailgating in the parking lot is not allowed, and, as a reminder, pets are not allowed. Face coverings and at least six feet of social distancing will be required by spectators and staff at the UWF Softball Complex. All other COVID-19 visitor compliance guidelines must be followed.  
 
SCOUTING CBU
Christian Brothers enters the weekend at 2-12 overall, but Argonaut fans will see a better CBU team than they have seen in the past. The Lady Bucs have pulled wins against GSC teams West Alabama and Montevallo so far, with some interesting offensive numbers.
 
Josie Bond, a freshman with multiple hits in three of her last five games, leads the team in batting at .385. Bond is one of three Lady Bucs batters with an on-base percentage over .400, joined by Elaina McGill (.468) and Ashley Dyer (.475). McGill, despite hitting .194 for the year, has drawn 16 walks -- good for the seventh-most in the country. Dyer has drawn 12 walks and has been hit by 10 pitches this year, and CBU as a team has walked more than it has struck out.
 
It has been tough in the circle for CBU, with a team 6.61 ERA and a combined .385 opponent batting average. 
 
UWF is 36-3 against CBU since 2003.
 
A LOOK AT LAST WEEK
UWF was the first team this year to defeat Auburn Montgomery, taking two of three from the Warhawks on the road and moving up to 9-3 in the Gulf South Conference this year.
 
Courtney McLellan was on fire last week, hitting .429 and slugging .857 over five games against AUM and Spring Hill, and she, Jacquelynne Poling, and Ally Merrill each had three RBIs. Poling added three home runs over the week, giving her 10 for her career, which leads all active Argonauts.
 
The pitching staff put together a 2.76 ERA, with 26 strikeouts over 33.0 innings. The defense was sharp as well, with a .965 fielding percentage, and the Warhawks especially were stopped on the bases. AUM entered the series leading Division II in total steals (60) and steals per game (4.3). Over the three-game series, AUM went just 2-for-4 in stolen base tries, with Angela Agurkis and Brett Leiva each throwing out one runner.
 
PROFESSIONAL HITTER COURTNEY MCLELLAN
Courtney McLellan had another strong week, batting .429 with a double, a triple, a home run, and an .857 slugging percentage over five games. She also walked two more times and did not strike out, which is a common theme for her career -- McLellan has 24 career walks against just 13 career strikeouts, while adding 32 extra-base hits. She has taken a step forward offensively this season, with career highs in batting (.375), slugging (.696), on-base percentage (.453), and home runs (3). 
 
THE 2020 SENIORS
UWF will be honoring the seniors from the Class of 2020 on Saturday, after the group lost its Senior Day and senior seasons due to the pandemic. The seniors who will be recognized are catcher Ashley McNally, outfielder Jibrasha Moore, and infielder Callan Taylor.
 
Moore and Taylor were part of the 2017 team that went to the NCAA Championship in Salem, Virginia, and all three were significant contributors to the 2019 GSC Champions that also reached the NCAA Championship. Over Moore and Taylor's four years with the program, UWF won 148 games and had a .759 winning percentage.
 
REMEMBERING 2019
West Florida will also recognize the 2019 team during Saturday's doubleheader, with the team receiving championship rings for their efforts during that season. It was one of the best seasons in UWF softball history -- the team's 54 wins were the most for the program since 2005, their 1.80 team ERA was the best since 2006, and the offense scored more runs than any UWF team since 2010.
 
ALLY MERRILL HITS FOR POWER
Several UWF hitters have hit for more power than usual this season, but none have taken the steps forward that first baseman Ally Merrill has. Merrill has slugged .649 and hit .333, compared to career averages of .426 and .296, respectively.
 
A key contributor to the 2019 South Region Championship team and a starter for the last two seasons, Merrill has already set career highs in RBIs (14) and total bases (37) batting in the middle of the UWF order this season, and she has hit five home runs.
 
Merrill just wrapped up a seven-game hitting streak, batting 10-for-23 (.435) with three home runs, 21 total bases, a .913 slugging percentage, and a .500 on-base percentage.