Games #40 & 41
ART U Urban Knights (15-24-1, 11-9 PWC) vs. Concordia Eagles (32-9, 13-5 PWC)
Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Brisbane, Calif. – Mission Blue Field
Live Stats

Games #42 & 43
ART U Urban Knights (15-24-1, 11-9 PWC) vs. Dixie State Trailblazers (28-10, 16-6 PWC)
Sunday, April 17, 2016 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Brisbane, Calif. – Mission Blue Field
Live Stats

HOMESTAND BRINGS FIRST MEETINGS WITH EAGLES, TRAILBLAZERS
After splitting with Azusa Pacific to start its 10-game homestand, Academy of Art University now hosts two more teams among the top four in the Pacific West Conference standings. The Urban Knights' first-ever matchup with Concordia and the season's first look at Dixie State take place this Saturday and Sunday.

FIRST PITCH
Softball returns to Mission Blue Field this weekend with noon doubleheaders pitting ART U against Concordia on Saturday, Apr. 16 and Dixie State on Sunday, Apr. 17. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter & Instagram and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Now with five hitters batting above .300, Academy of Art continues to show versatility up and down the lineup. Junior outfielder Jessica West leads the team with a .349 average and 30 runs scored then it is freshman infielder Brenna Youngquist who follows with a .346 clip, 11 doubles, five home runs, and 35 runs batted in. Sophomore Brenna Mitchell is hitting .330 on the year, but in 15 PacWest Conference games, she is third in the conference at .478 (22-for-46) with a .739 slugging percentage.

Having done something productive (hit, reached base, sacrifice hit, etc.) in 30 of her 32 games thus far, freshman infielder Juliana Lopez is hitting .325 and is tied with Mitchell for the highest on-base percentage on the team (.438). Sophomore infielder Samantha Klune has gone 7-for-10 most recently and has upped her batting average to .303.

In the circle, Mitchell (10-8) ranks eighth in the PacWest in ERA (2.37) and fourth in innings pitched (118.0). Her two shutouts this year give her six in her career and have moved her into a tie with Kimberly Dauer for second in program history.

EVALUATING THE EAGLES
In their first year playing a PacWest schedule, Concordia has impressed on both sides of the softball. Offensively, the Eagles lead the conference with 47 home runs (would be tied for 14th in the country) and a 1.36 collective ERA (would be eighth in NCAA DII just behind No. 3 Humboldt State). CUI started 2016 by winning 17 of its first 18 games and has since gone 3-1 against Dominican and No. 9 California Baptist, was swept by Azusa Pacific, split with UH Hilo, and swept both Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific. Concordia carries three of the PacWest's top five home run hitters in Charlotte Foster (.333 AVG, 11 HR), Ryann Ferguson (.443 AVG, 10 HR), and Amy Eilefson (.273 AVG, 9 HR) as well as the two ERA leaders in BethAnn McCann (10-2, 1.04 ERA) and Grayson Harvey (17-4, 1.14 ERA). This will be the Knights and Eagles' first meeting to date.

BLAZING A NEW TRAIL
Having recently fallen out of the country's top 25, Dixie State is currently third in the PacWest standings. Last year's conference champion and NCAA DII National Champion runner-up, the Trailblazers (a newly released brand identity) fell to Humboldt State and West Texas A&M to start the year, but bounced back by winning 12 of their next 14 games. After Azusa Pacific took three of four from DSU, a 14-game win streak was broken up by No. 9 California Baptist who also went 3-1 against the Trailblazers. Ranked second in the PacWest in both doubles (73) and RBIs (211), Dixie State is led by Janessa Bassett (.457 AVG, 13 doubles, 21 SB) and Aryn Feickert (16-4, 1.52 ERA, 124.2 IP). DSU is 21-4 historically against ART U.

KNIGHTS SPLIT WITH APU TO OPEN HOMESTAND
Not backing down from an Azusa Pacific team currently third in the Pacific West Conference standings, Academy of Art University softball earned a split on Apr. 12 out at Mission Blue Field. After senior outfielder Andrea Gill tied the opener 1-1 in the fourth, Lopez and Youngquist each drove in runs during a fifth inning rally while Mitchell (10-8) turned in another impressive complete game for the 4-1 victory. The Cougars would fight back with consistent offense during a 12-1 game two win in five innings.

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U will finish its 10-part homestand next weekend with four games against No. 9 California Baptist over Apr. 22-23. Although it will not be the Knights final home gameday, Apr. 23 will serve as Senior Day for Andrea Gill and Elise Oldham.