UNI softball returns to action at Memphis, Auburn Plainsman Invite

UNI softball (3-2 / 0-0 MVC) at Memphis (0-9 / 0-0 AAC)

5 p.m. CT | Feb. 21, 2023
Tigers Softball Complex | Memphis, Tennessee
LIVE STATS

UNI softball (3-2 / 0-0 MVC) at Auburn Plainsman Invite

Jane B. Moore Field | Auburn, Alabama
Longwood (3-8 / 0-0 Big South) | Feb. 23 | 10 a.m. CT
Southeast Missouri State (4-5 / 0-0 OVC) | Feb. 23 | 7 p.m. CT
#24 Auburn (4-1-1 / 0-0 SEC) | Feb. 24 | 4 p.m. CT
- SEC Network+
Southeast Missouri State | Feb. 24 | 7 p.m. CT
Longwood | Feb. 25 | 10 a.m. CT
#24 Auburn | Feb. 25 | 1 p.m. CT
- Auburn Sports Network (Radio)
LIVE STATS

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Following a week-and-a-half away from competition, UNI softball begins a lengthy road trip across the southeast United States with a game at Memphis at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Immediately after taking on the Tigers, the Panthers then head to Alabama for Auburn's Plainsman Invite, which runs from Friday through Sunday. There, the Panthers will play two games each against No. 24 Auburn, Southeast Missouri State and Longwood.

Wednesday's game against Memphis will not be broadcast. Additionally, due to conflicts with other home events at Auburn, only games featuring the host Tigers on Saturday will have an SEC Network+ broadcast. That includes UNI's game against Auburn on Saturday at 4 p.m., and the Panthers' Sunday tilt against the Tigers will feature an audio stream on the Auburn Radio Network.

Live stats will be available for each of the Panthers' games this week.

The Panthers enter their seven-game week with a 3-2 record following the season-opening Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic. UNI began the season 3-0, shutting out both Western Illinois and Butler in its first two games of the season, before dropping its last two games of the event against Omaha and Western Illinois.

Taylor Hogan recorded a team-high five RBIs over the weekend, including an impressive four-RIB performance in the Panthers' 7-3 win over Northern Illinois on Feb. 10. Madison Parks recorded four hits and three RBIs, while Alexis Pupillo clubbed two home runs.

Anna Wischnowski starred in the circle, making three appearances and posting a 2-1 overall record. She has yet to allow an earned run this season. Her best performance of the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic came in the Panthers' first game of 2024 against Western Illinois, where Wischnowski pitched a career-high 5.2 innings and recorded a career-high seven strikeouts in UNI's 6-0 victory.

UNI begins its non-conference swing on Wednesday evening against Memphis, where the Panthers will serve as Memphis' first home opponent of 2024. The last meeting between UNI and Memphis came in 2016, and Wednesday's game will mark just the seventh all-time meeting between the programs. The Tigers enter Wednesday's contest with an 0-9 record and were picked ninth in the 2024 American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Following the game against Memphis, the Panthers will travel down to Auburn for its Plainsman Invite. UNI opens the event on Friday morning with the Panthers' first-ever matchup against the Longwood Lancers. Longwood won the 2023 Big South Conference Regular Season Championship with a 32-21 overall record and 15-5 conference record last season, and the team fell one game short of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Longwood was tabbed as the preseason co-favorites in the Big South and had five preseason all-conference selections.

The Lancers enter the weekend with a 3-8 record. UNI also faces Longwood on Sunday morning in the final day of the event.

The Panthers' second opponent on Friday is the Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) Redhawks, a squad the Panthers also face on Saturday night. The Redhawks, too, entered the 2024 season as the preseason favorite to win their conference. SEMO won the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Championship after going 29-14 in the regular season and 20-2 in conference play. Reigning co-Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Aubrie Shore has 12 hits and 10 RBIs for the Redhawks so far this season, and the team enters the weekend with a 4-5 record.

UNI rounds out the event with two games against No. 24 Auburn, which will mark the first-ever meeting between the Panthers and Tigers. Auburn is the first ranked opponent and the second 2023 NCAA Tournament participant on the Panthers' schedule, with Omaha being the first. Last season, Auburn went 43-19 and 15-9 in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play. Auburn qualified as an at-large selection in last season's NCAA Tournament and was placed in the Clemson Regional, where Auburn fell to Clemson in the regional championship.

Ahead of 2024, the Tigers were picked to finish fifth in the preseason SEC poll. Senior pitcher Maddie Penta, the 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year and a 2023 National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American, and junior shortstop Nelia Peralta were 2024 Preseason All-SEC selections. Auburn is 4-1-1 through six games in 2024.

The Panthers face Auburn at 10 a.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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