Austin, Texas - The Concordia University Texas softball team will look to continue one of its best starts in program history when it hosts Hardin-Simmons for what should be a tightly-contested, four-game series between two of the top teams in the American Southwest Conference West Division on March 31 and April 1. The squads split a pair of twinbills with three of the games being decided by a single run last season. Forever Video Productions will be on board to webcast all four games with Sports Information Director Matthew Chmura calling all of the action from Old Settler's Park in Round Rock.

Concordia (14-6, ASC 5-1), which enters the weekend in third place in the ASC West, has relied on a young pitching staff consisting of four underclassmen - Kat Moreno, Teylor Schiefelbein, Teshia Krause and Alexis Lynn - to find success so far this season. The team's earned run average of 1.85 ranks second in the league behind nationally-ranked Louisiana College. Schiefelbein, who was named the ASC Pitcher of the Week on March 21, and Moreno have been the team's regular starters in the circle and boast earned run averages of 1.63 and 2.14, respectively, and have combined to allow just eight runs over the last 10 games. Schiefelbein, who has won her last eight starts, has a 10-2 ledger with 37 strikeouts against only 12 walks in 77.1 innings of work after registering her second collegiate shutout last Saturday. In addition to boasting a 6-0 ledger and an 0.78 ERA in league play, she has gone 26 straight innings without allowing an earned run to score and 24 consecutive frames without issuing a walk. Moreno has 63 strikeouts, which is tied for fourth in the ASC, and recently came within two outs of recording her first career no-hitter eight days ago at Texas Lutheran. Jessica Rattan leads the offense with a .529 average and has been one of the league's top power hitters this spring. Seventeen of her 30 hits have been for extra bases, which included clubbing a home run and a double in the Tornados' 13-0 win over Texas Lutheran last Saturday. Jordan Berry, a freshman who was named the NFCA National Player of the Week on March 9, has a .378 average, while Meghan Ferrell is batting .321 with two home runs and a team-best 23 RBI. Veterans Lauren Vansickle and Vicky Recek round out the five regular starters batting over .300. Vansickle also has a .442 average against the ASC West.

Hardin-Simmons (14-10, ASC 8-0), which was tabbed second in the American Southwest Conference West Division Preseason Poll, most recently had its 11-game winning streak snapped when it lost the nightcap of a twinbill to Mississippi College by an 11-6 score. More importantly, the Cowgirls enter the weekend as one of two unbeaten teams in conference play with four-game sweeps of Sul Ross State and Texas Lutheran. The squad has been led by Megann Lewis, the ASC West Division Preseason Player of the Year, and Taylor Namey so far this year. Lewis, who hurled a two-hit shutout against Mississippi College on Monday, has a 7-4 ledger with a 2.04 earned run average and 63 strikeouts over 75.1 innings. Namey leads the offense and ranks first on the team in six categories, including batting average (.394), home runs (6) and RBI (20). Amy Meyer and Jodi Hierholzer are other notable contributers on offense. They are hitting .370 and .365, respectively.

Game Information (Thursday, March 31)
4:50 p.m. Pregame
5:00 p.m. Concordia vs. Hardin-Simmons (Game One)
*7:00 p.m. Concordia vs. Hardin-Simmons (Game Two)

Game Information (Friday, April 1)
1:50 p.m. Pregame
2:00 p.m. Concordia vs. Hardin-Simmons (Game One)
*4:00 p.m. Concordia vs. Hardin-Simmons (Game Two)

*Time Approximate

Click Here to View Live Webcast!

Instructions for Viewing Webcast
1. Click on the above link.
2. Enter your first and last name as well as your email address.
3. Highlight "Concordia University Softball" and then click "Submit."
4. Click on "See Baseball Games here."
5. Type in the user ID and password that is provided to you on the white screen and click "OK."
6. Click on the play button in the middle of the screen.

Note: Due to raising costs needed to provide a quality broadcast, Forever Video Productions will be charging $5.49 (sales tax included) per game or $10.00 for doubleheaders for baseball and softball this spring.