Panthers Open Season Against Redhawks, Phoenix

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Sophomore lefty Jaclyn Spencer will toe the rubber for the Panthers in the season-opener against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks on Friday afternoon, at 2:45 p.m. in the UNI-Dome. The Panthers will also take on the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix on the same day, with first pitch set for 5 p.m.

Spencer, coming off a 14-win season, was selected to the Preseason All-MVC Team and is the clear-cut leader of the UNI pitching staff. In 2017 as a freshman, Spencer led the team in innings pitched (133.2) and strikeouts (147).

Also voted onto the Preseason All-MVC Team was Sammey Bunch, the starting shortstop for the UNI Panthers. Led by Spencer and Bunch, UNI hopes to continue its winning ways in 2018, and clinch an MVC title for the second year in a row.

The Redhawks are looking to improve on their record, following an inconsistent 2017 season. Southeast Missouri State finished 23-27 and did not receive an invitation to play in its conference tournament. UNI and Southeast Missouri State will matchup twice, with the second game between the two teams set for Saturday, Feb. 10^th.

Wisconsin-Green Bay concluded its 2017 season with an abysmal 4-31 record and did not play in the Horizon League conference tournament. The Phoenix will rely on a mix of young and veteran players to rebound from a difficult 2017 campaign.

Three things to know about the game:

In the series history between the teams, the Panthers own a 5-8 record against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, and a 13-4 record against the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix.
Sophomore IF Sammey Bunch started all 52 games in 2017 for the Panthers while batting .325 and leading the team in runs, doubles, triples and total bases.
In 2017, the Panthers dominated while playing in Cedar Falls, going 15-3 (.833) en route to successfully protecting their home field.

Tickets:
Fans can purchase UNI-Dome Classic tickets by calling 319-273-4849 or visiting unipanthers.com/tickets.

How to watch:
The games against SEMO and UWGB will be televised on ESPN3.

Live Stats:
Live stats for Friday's games will be made available via the UNI athletics website (www.UNIPanthers.com). Fans and media can visit @UNISoftball on Twitter for links to the stat feed.

Social Media:
For the latest information on Panther Softball, follow @UNISoftball on Twitter, unisoftball on Instagram and @UNIPantherSoftball on Facebook.

Calendar

Upcoming Events