Games #19 & 20
ART U Urban Knights (3-15, 0-2 PacWest) vs. Azusa Pacific Cougars (11-14, 3-9 PacWest)
Friday, March 17, 2023 at 4 p.m. & 6 p.m.
Azusa, Calif. – Cougar Softball Field
Live Stats | Live Video (Gm1) | Live Video (Gm2)

Games #21 & 22
ART U Urban Knights (3-15, 0-2 PacWest) vs. Azusa Pacific Cougars (11-14, 3-9 PacWest)
Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Azusa, Calif. – Cougar Softball Field
Live Stats | Live Video (Gm1) | Live Video (Gm2)

Games #23 & 24
ART U Urban Knights (3-15, 0-2 PacWest) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (11-11, 4-8 PacWest)
Monday, March 20, 2023 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Brisbane, Calif. – Mission Blue Field
Live Stats & Live Video

Games #25 & 26
ART U Urban Knights (3-15, 0-2 PacWest) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (11-11, 4-8 PacWest)
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Brisbane, Calif. – Mission Blue Field
Live Stats & Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART RETURNS TO CONFERENCE ACTION AT APU, HOSTING CUH
After making its Pacific West Conference debut earlier this month, Academy of Art softball now dives into its first pair of four-game series, traveling to Azusa Pacific to make up games from February that were pushed back due to weather then welcoming Chaminade to the Bay Area for the start of three conference series against Hawaii opponents.

FIRST PITCH
ART U's second conference doubleheader of the season begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 17 at APU's Cougar Softball Field then the series concludes on Saturday, Mar. 18 with another twin bill at noon. Following an off day. The Urban Knights are slated to host Chaminade in a pair of noon doubleheaders on Monday, Mar. 20 and Tuesday, Mar. 21 from Mission Blue Field. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
Academy of Art has its production coming from a variety of spots in the lineup as junior outfielder Maddie Sticka leads the team with a .323 batting average (15th in PacWest), junior infielder Haley Randall paces the squad with 12 runs scored (11th in PacWest) plus four stolen bases (ninth in PacWest), and senior outfielder Bethany Mitchell has the most runs batted in (9) as well as six doubles (fifth in PacWest) and two triples (fourth in PacWest). Mitchell (.288 batting average) is currently on a five-game hitting streak with both her and junior infielder Katie Humphreys (.289 batting average) each reaching base in five straight contests. Making up ART U's top three in batting average behind Sticka are freshman infielder Audrey Allen (.296) and Randall (.292).

Now having tossed the eighth-most innings in the PacWest at 56.2, freshman pitcher Kamielle Powell (3-8) checks in at seventh in the conference in strikeouts (26) and eighth in wins while her earned run average sits at 3.34 (11th in PacWest).

VISITING THE ZU
Azusa Pacific opened the season with four straight wins, but with seven losses in their last eight times out (all in Hawaii) has the Cougars at 11-14 overall and 3-9 in conference play. APU ranks third in the PacWest in both runs scored and runs batted in thus far and that is in large part thanks to Bella Fraser (13 runs scored) and Katie Korstrom (16 runs batted in) while Caitlin DeCanio adds the squad's highest batting average at .302. Korstrom also sports a 6-3 record, 2.07 ERA (sixth in PacWest), and 66 strikeouts (third in PacWest) over 74.1 innings (third in PacWest) as a pitcher, complemented by Liz Phillips (2-5) who offers a 2.73 ERA. A historical match up that has seesawed recently currently has Azusa Pacific ahead of ART U 13-9.

SWORD PLAY
Yet to leave Hawaii this season, Chaminade won four of its first six games then lost five of its next six before capturing an 8-7 win over No. 17 Concordia and splitting with Azusa Pacific. Coming into this departure from the islands, the Silverswords have won four of their last five contests and currently pace the PacWest with 14 triples as the trio of Taryn Fujioka, Keaolani Takemura, and Haley Hayakawa have combined for 10 to date. Takemura's .403 batting average is second in the conference while her 15 runs batted in are fifth and Fujioka holds the second spot with 21 runs scored. Jaeda Cabunoc (2-2) checks in at fifth in the PacWest with a 1.97 ERA through 32.0 innings pitched. Though CUH took three of four from ART U last season, the Knights are still firmly ahead 24-11 in the all-time series.

ACADEMY OF ART UNABLE TO OVERCOME OTTERS OFFENSE
Non-conference play took Academy of Art softball into Otter Sports Complex on Mar. 11 and, despite holding a lead at the outset of the second game, Cal State Monterey Bay was secured both sides of the twin bill, winning 7-0 and 14-2.

ON THE HORIZON
After finishing with Chaminade, ART U will host both Hawaii Pacific (Mar. 24-25) and UH Hilo (Mar. 27-28) for the Urban Knights' final conference games of the month.