Blue Raiders continue C-USA play this weekend as they host the FAU Owls

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Softball (15-19, 2-4 C-USA) continues C-USA play this weekend as the Blue Raiders host the Florida Atlantic Owls for a three-game series on April 1-3 at Blue Raider Softball Field.

This weekend's contests will be broadcast on CUSA.TV and fans can also follow along on live stats on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Quick Hits

The Blue Raiders are coming off a program record-breaking midweek clash against the Mississippi State, which saw the Blue Raiders fall short, 19-14, against the Bulldogs in a game that produced the most combined runs between Middle Tennessee and its opponent in program history.
Freshmen Ava Tepe and Claire Czajkowski produced new career-highs in the Blue Raiders 19-14 contest against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Tepe knocked in a career-high three RBIs, while Czajkowski scored a career-high four runs in Wednesday's contest.
Freshman Laura Mealer also had a career day against Mississippi State, connecting on her fifth career home run and her first career three-run homer against the Bulldogs.
Head coach Jeff Breeden holds an all-time record of 205-288 and won his 200th career game as a head coach against UT Martin during the Blue Raiders' MTSU Invitational. Coach Breeden is in his 10th season as the head coach of the Blue Raiders.
Senior Corrina Dodd and junior Kelci Hill were named to the preseason C-USA All-Conference Team on Tuesday, February 8.
The Blue Raiders were selected sixth in the C-USA preseason coaches' poll, behind Charlotte, North Texas, WKU, UAB, and Marshall, which placed first through fifth, respectively.
The Blue Raiders return 13 starters, while adding seven impressive freshmen to bolster the Blue Raiders' 2022 lineup.
Despite losing seven starters, the Blue Raiders add plenty of talent, from a solid seven-player freshman class, to build a solid lineup for the 2022 season.

Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders enter this weekend's series after a program record-breaking midweek battle, which saw the Blue Raiders fall short, 19-14, against the Bulldogs in a game that produced the most combined runs between Middle Tennessee and its opponent in program history.

Freshmen Laura Mealer and Anyce Harvey, as well as sophomore Amaya Harris have paced the Blue Raiders through their 34 contests so far this season. Laura Mealer has hit a team-leading .366 average, connecting on a team-high 37 hits, including a team-high five home runs and two triples, as well as a team second-best six doubles. Mealer has also scored a team-best 24 runs and ranks second for the Blue Raiders with 10 RBIs this season.

Seniors Corrina Dodd has led the Blue Raiders in the circle this season. Dodd boasts a team-leading 6-4 record and a team-low 2.79 ERA in 12 appearances this season. Dodd has pitched a team-leading 62.2 innings, including five complete games, including one complete-game shutout against Murray State. Dodd has allowed 26 runs, 25 of which were earned, on 44 hits during the 2022 season.

Scouting the Owls
FAU (18-17, 6-3 C-USA) enters this weekend's series after earning a 2-1 series win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers last weekend. The Owls opened the weekend with a 1-0 shutout against WKU, before the Hilltoppers bounced back to earn a 4-2 win and even the series. However, the Owls had a bounce back of their own as they defeated the Hilltoppers 3-2 on Sunday in the rubber match to clinch the series.

Sara Berthiaume and Zoey Jones pace the FAU offense so far during the 2022 season. Berthiaume leads the Owls with a .374 batting average, and connecting on a team-leading 37 hits, including a team-leading seven doubles and five triples, as well as tying for the team lead with two home runs. She also leads the Owls with 19 runs scored this season. Jones is batting .256 and has hit a team second-best 21 hits, including five doubles. Berthiaume and Jones are tied for the team lead in RBIs with 12 each so far during the 2022 campaign.

Lynn Gardner and Gabby Sacco have led the Owls in the circle this season. Gardner boasts a team-best 10-5 record and is pitching a team-low 2.46 ERA in 18 appearances this season. Gardner has pitched a team-leading 99.2 innings and worked 12 complete games and six shutouts. She has allowed 42 runs, including 35 earned runs, on 91 hits this season. Sacco is second on the Owls with a 7-5 record and 70.1 innings in 14 appearances. She has thrown six complete games and a pair of shutouts, and has allowed 38 runs, 27 of which were earned, on 67 hits during the 2022 campaign.

Series History
FAU leads the all-time series 33-13 between the Owls and the Blue Raiders. At Blue Raider Softball Field, the Owls hold an all-time lead of 17-5. However, the Blue Raiders earned a 4-2 win on April 25, 2021, during the last meeting between the two programs in Boca Raton, Florida.

Up Next
The Blue Raiders will close out their five-game homestand on Wednesday, April 6, as they host the Murray State Racers for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Blue Raider Softball Field.

FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).

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Players Mentioned

Claire Czajkowski

Corrina Dodd

Amaya Harris

Anyce Harvey

Kelci Hill

Laura Mealer

Ava Tepe

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics