DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton softball team will complete its 2015 home schedule at UD Softball Stadium this weekend with a three-game set against the Massachusetts Minutewomen.  A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday with a first pitch at noon, followed by the series finale on Sunday at noon as well.  With a sweep this weekend, Dayton would clinch at least a share of their first regular season Atlantic 10 title in program history.

Thank You Seniors
Dayton will honor Lyndsey Diggs, Natalie Mariano, Tiffany Ricks, and Kayla English before Sunday's game as part of Senior Day. This senior class is the winningest in program history with 103 victories and counting.

Recent Action
The Flyers have a 32-12 record and are coming off a three-game series sweep of George Washington last weekend at home. The Flyers won both games of the Saturday doubleheader (4-1, 4-0) and prevailed with a score of 7-0 in the Sunday final.  They also defeated crosstown rival Wright State 9-6 on Tuesday afternoon.  Massachusetts enters the game with a 14-21 record overall. The Minutewomen most recently played at in-state rival Boston University Wednesday, losing 10-6.

Series Stuff 
Dayton has a 5-33 all-time record against the Minutewomen.  They last played last season, when UD defeated UMASS in the A-10 tournament 6-2.

Scouting Report
As a team, the Minutewomen are hitting for a .274 average while allowing their opponents to a .283 mark. They are led by Quianna Diaz-Patterson who is batting .535 (2nd nationally), with team highs in runs, hits, doubles and stolen bases. Bridget Lemire leads the team in home runs and RBI.

Weather Report
Saturday: In Dayton there will be a 90 percent chance of rain with a high temperature of 49 degrees.
Sunday: A few passing clouds, otherwise generally sunny, high 62 degrees.

Just Win Baby
With the 8-0 victory over Rhode Island on March 28 head coach Cara LaPlaca reached the 20-win milestone for her sixth time at UD, and her fifth season in a row.  LaPlaca then broke her record for most wins in a season at UD which was 27, following the 6-1 win over Saint Joseph's on April 12.  Next up she broke the school record for conference wins on April 18 with the 4-1 victory over George Washington.  She is now looking to break the overall record for most wins in a season at 35 (2000).

Home Sweet Home
The Flyers are a perfect 12-0 at home this season, and are riding a 15-game home win streak dating back to last season.  Dayton has never finished a season undefeated at home in program history.

Top Tossers
This season the UD pitching staff leads the Atlantic 10 in ERA with a 2.18 mark, which is good for 17th in the country. The staff is led by Kayla English who is tops in the A-10 with a 1.46 ERA (22nd nationally). Manda Cash ranks second in the conference with a 1.58 ERA (26th nationally). English also ranks first in the conference in hits per seven innings (4.27, 15th nationally), shutouts (6, 25th nationally), while Cash is tops in strikeouts per seven innings (9.4, 19th nationally) and in saves with seven (T-1st nationally)

Veterans Making Their Mark
Several Flyer seniors have made significant impacts on the Flyer record books in their careers:
 

• Kayla English holds the all-time career record in strikeouts with 552, ranks third in wins with 53, three away from the record, and third in innings pitched with 568.1.  She is also on the NCAA's active leader list for: appearances (30th), innings pitched (40th), victories (37th) and strikeouts (30th)
• Tiffany Ricks ranks first in slugging percentage (.648), second in home runs (32) and RBI (117), third in batting average (.352), runs (98), and doubles (32), and fifth in steals (32).
• Natalie Mariano is fourth in hits (175) and fifth in runs scored (89).
• Grad Student Jordan Jennings is fourth all-time in home runs (23) and is seventh all-time in RBI (84).

As always admission is free into the UD Softball Stadium.  On Sunday following the game kids can run the bases, and there will also be a autograph session with the UD softball team.