DAYTON - The University of Dayton softball team will play host to George Mason for a three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series this weekend. The Flyers and Patriots will kick off a doubleheader Saturday at 12 p.m. followed by a single game Sunday, also at 12 p.m. All three games will be played at UD Softball Stadium and admission is free.

All three games will be available to follow via live stats at Statbroadcast.com and also streaming video on ESPN+.

PROMOTIONS
Saturday - Alumnae Day
Sunday - Senior Recognition (~ 11:30 a.m.)

ABOUT DAYTON
Dayton (28-13, 12-2 A-10) enters this weekend's games enjoying a nine-game winning streak and sits atop Atlantic 10 standings with its .857 league-game winning percentage. The Flyers, who lead the A-10 with a .318 average (19th NCAA) and 351 hits, have six players hitting above .300 led by sophomore Emma Schutter (.457 - 11th NCAA) with 63 hits (5th NCAA), 34 runs and 26 stolen bases (15th NCAA). UD's pitching corps is led by freshman Izzy Kemp (10-5) who holds the team's low ERA of 1.32 (21st NCAA) and has collected 142 strikeouts, seven complete games and four saves (16th NCAA) over 105.2 innings of work.

SCOUTING GEORGE MASON
George Mason (27-15, 13-4 A-10) has won seven-straight games since dropping a 7-6 decision at St. Bonaventure on April 7, winning its A-10 series over SBU, George Washington and Saint Joseph's. The Patriots' offense is paced by Haley Taormina, one of three players who has started all 42 games, with 45 hits, 37 RBI (2nd A-10), 33 runs, 16 doubles (1st A-10) and five home runs. In the circle for Mason, Aly Rayle (13-5) carries a 2.09 ERA with 157 strikeouts and 13 complete games over 134.0 innings pitched.

SERIES STUFF
Dayton Leads: 16-10
Last meeting: April 3, 2022
In the 2022 three-game series between Dayton and George Mason, the Flyers won two out of three at UD Softball Stadium. On April 3, UD shut out Mason, 10-0, in five.

RPI RANKINGS
In the NCAA's Rating Percentage Index (RPI) for games through April 20, Dayton came in at 120 according to NCAA.com. George Mason was ranked 142.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
After 41 games in 2023, the Flyers are 72-and-83 in stolen bases led by sophomore Emma Schutter (26 - 1st A-10, 15th NCAA) senior Emily Daniel (23 - 3rd A-10). The team's 72 stolen bases on the season ranks second in the Atlantic 10 and the squad's 1.76 stolen bases per game ranks 39th in all of NCAA DI.

#WINNING
Dayton head coach Cara Clark-LaPlaca tallied her 233rd career win at UD on April 15, 2017 at La Salle, surpassing former Flyer head coach Jodi Eickemeyer as Dayton's all-time winningest coach. She now has 373 wins at UD.
Notable - coach Clark-LaPlaca currently has 504 career wins over 22 seasons as a head coach.

THREE STRIKES YOU'RE OUT
Over 105.2 innings pitched in 26 appearances for the Flyers, freshman right-handed pitcher Izzy Kemp currently ranks second in the Atlantic 10 with 142 total strikeouts and third in the league with 33 batters struck out looking. Her average of 9.4 strikeouts per seven innings ranks 26th nationally.

BRING ME HOME
Graduate student Alyssa Cacini leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 29 RBI on the season. For her career, Cacini has knocked in a total of 121 runs which currently ranks fourth all-time in program history. Former Flyer Abby Ehrenborg holds the all-time record with 134 career RBI.

TEAM SAVES
Three Flyer pitchers have combined for nine saves on the season and the Dayton pitching squad is just one save away from tying the single-season school record of 10.
Izzy Kemp  4
Haven Dwyer  3
Sarah Bailitz  2

CAREER CRIMINALS
Senior Emily Daniel and sophomore Emma Schutter have moved into Dayton's top 10 all-time stolen bases list this season. Schutter is now in third place all-time with 49 career stolen bases while Daniel, who spent her freshman season (2020) at Wright State, is in fourth place with 47 career stolen bases for the Flyers. Molly Meyer (2007-10) holds the program record with 66.

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