Tucson, Ariz.-- The America East champion UMBC Softball team begins NCAA play at No.11 Arizona on Friday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN3.
UMBC (25-11), Ole Miss (34-20), Villanova (34-20) and Arizona (36-13) make up the four-team, double elimination region.
Fifth-year senior Maddie Daigneau (New River, Ariz.), who will be making her first appearance in her home state, leads the team in hits (39), runs (31), triples (four) and stolen bases (17). She is second on the team in batting average (.348), behind Julia Keffler (Huntingtown, Md.) who is hitting .350.
America East Championship Most Outstanding Player Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio) has a team-best 23 RBI, with four homers and a .306 average. Madison Wilson (Abingdon, Md.) has a team-high five homers.
Courtney Coppersmith (York, Pa.) is 19-2 with a 0.65 ERA and was named to the NFCA All-Region First Team earlier on Thursday. Madie Leach (Erie, Colo.) is 4-4 with a 3.18 ERA.
Scouting Arizona
The eleventh-ranked Wildcats enter play after dropping three-of-four at home last weekend to No.2 UCLA. Janelle Meoño leads the team with 60 hits and a .441 batting average. Dejah Mulipola has 17 homers and 55 RBI to go with a .392 average.
Alyssa Denham leads the rotation with an 18-7 record and a 1.72 ERA.
The winner will advance to play Saturday afternoon against the winner of Ole Miss-Villanova, while the two losing teams will face each other in an elimination game Saturday evening.
