CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Following a 6-2 loss to three-seed North Georgia on Thursday, the six-seed East Stroudsburg University softball team looks to take down Nova Southeastern in an elimination game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Frost Stadium.

How to Follow: All NCAA Softball Championships contests will be broadcasted on NCAA.com, with Brendan Gulick and Leah Secondo and on the call. Follow @esuwarriors on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest updates from Chattanooga.

Tickets: All-Session Passes and Daily Passes will be available online or for purchase at the box office in front of Frost Stadium. Your purchased ticket will need to be presented at the entry gate of the stadium via your smartphone each time you enter. Admission is free for all children under the age of 2 while accompanied by a ticketed adult. 

Been Here Before: It’s not the first time ESU has had its back against the wall of elimination. After falling to Charleston in game one of the NCAA Super Regionals at Creekview. Behind epic shutout performances from Paige Zigmund and Leigh Ann Jenkins and timely hitting, the Warriors took down the Golden Eagles in consecutive games to claim its first regional title and punched its ticket to the program’s first NCAA Softball Championship.

Familiar Foe: Nova Southeastern is one of two teams the Warriors faced this season that advanced into the NCAA Softball Championship. ESU opened the season with a Florida trip and faced NSU in the opening doubleheader. The Warriors hung in tough with the Sharks, falling 9-8 in the opening game and 12-6 in game two’s matchup. In those two contests, ESU was led offensively by Jada Smallwood and Abigail Weirich, who combined for six RBIs and eight hits. For the full recap of the opening doubleheader, click here.

NCAA Tournament Leaders: In seven NCAA Tournament games this season, ESU has posted a 5-2 record and have been led offensively by Jada Smallwood with a .313 batting average, totaling four RBIs and on-base percentage of .450. Reilly Vicendese, Molly Nies and Abigail Weirich have each totaled three RBIs. In 46 innings, Paige Zigmund and Leigh Ann Jenkins have held opponents to a .200 batting average and a 0.91 ERA, allowing just four extra-base hits and six earned runs. 

About NSU: The seven-seed Sharks (43-15) were sent to the elimination bracket after falling 5-1 to two-seed Central Oklahoma in game three on Thursday. The pitching staff is led by NFCA Second Team All-America selection Alyssa Drogemuller, who holds a 24-8 record with an impressive 1.74 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. She pitched just two innings in the early season matchup with ESU, as the Warriors recorded two hits and two runs against the junior. She gave up eight hits and five earned runs to a powerful Central Oklahoma team in her first appearance in the NCAA Softball Championships. Pacing the bats is senior NFCA Second Team All-America selection Alexis Smith. She holds team-bests in batting average (.413), OPS (1.169), runs (64), hits (86), doubles (15), triples (14), home runs (5) and RBIs (48). She is a threat on the basepaths, successfully stealing 38 bags in 45 opportunities.  

Best in the Region: On Friday afternoon, the NFCA announced that ESU head coach Jaime Wohlbach and her staff of Erica Molinaro, Bo Vicendese and Rachel Seiverd were named to AETA/NFCA Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Led by eighth year head coach Jaime Wohlbach, the Warriors have ascended to new heights in 2023, earning the program's fourth NCAA Tournament selection, took hosting rights as the No. 1 seed in the region for both the NCAA Regional and NCAA Super Regional rounds, along with capturing the team's first ever regional title and a trip to its NCAA Softball Championships. Joining Wohlbach on the staff in helping the Warriors elevate to another level are third-year assistant coach Erica Molinaro, first-year volunteer assistant coach Bo Vicendese, and graduate assistant Rachel Seiverd. It's the first time an ESU Softball Coaching staff has been honored by the NFCA. Prior to the season, ESU was selected to finish sixth in the PSAC East Preseason Poll.

The Scenic City: Along with competing for a national championship and attending practices, the Warriors have spent time with a community service opportunity at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, attended the NCAA Softball Championship banquet at the Tennessee Aquarium. On Friday’s off day, the Warriors visited Ruby Fall, a historic Lookout Mountain to see visit the tallest and deepest underground waterfall that is open to the public in the United States.  

A Look Ahead: If ESU is successful at defeating the Sharks, the Warriors will play a second game on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. against UT Tyler.