March 16, 2007

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475

EL PASO, Texas - The University of Memphis softball team opens up its Conference USA schedule on Saturday as UTEP hosts a three-game series with the Lady Tigers at Lady of Troy Field. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. (MST). The final game of the series will be played on Sunday at noon.

Memphis (16-7) has won a program record five-straight games and is 11-2 in its last 13 contests. The Lady Tigers are hitting .263 as a team and are led by junior catcher Lindsay Kelso, who is hitting .345 with three home runs and 13 RBI. Kelso heads into the series with a program best 11-game hitting streak.

Seniors Jenna Kubesch and Nicki Johnson lead the team in pitching as the team sports a 2.37 ERA. Kubesch is 10-3 on the season with a 1.89 ERA and has 74 strikeouts in 81.1 innings. Johnson is 6-4 with a 2.95 ERA 48 strikeouts in 73.2 innings.

Last season, the Lady Tigers went 2-0 against UTEP in Southaven, Miss. Memphis swept the opening doubleheader against the Miners in the series before inclement weather canceled the final game of the series.

The Miners enter the series with a 17-9 record and are 1-2 in conference play. UTEP opened its conference play last week at Marshall, winning the final contest of the three-game series. In a midweek match-up, the Miners then split a doubleheader with New Mexico State on Wednesday.

As a team, UTEP is hitting .349 with 32 home runs, while its opponents are hitting .267. Freshman outfielder Ashley Ellis leads the team with a .475 batting average and has two home runs 23 RBI and 24 runs scored. Sophomore infielder Amber Bennett and junior first baseman Simone Holland lead the team in home runs with seven.

Miner pitchers sport a 3.36 ERA and have 157 strikeouts in 164.2 innings. Nichole Tunget leads the staff with a 6-2 record and a 2.24 ERA. The junior has struck out 61 batters and has started 11 games.

Lives stats of all three games are available through Gametracker. A link to the web cast can be found at GoTigersGo.com.