ADA – After being on the road for three weeks, the East Central University softball team will return to Tiger Field this weekend to host Northwestern Oklahoma State in a four-game Great American Conference series.  The teams will play a double-header Saturday, Feb. 27 starting at 1 p.m. and two more games Sunday, Feb. 28 starting at noon. (Note the change in the dates of the series)

The Tigers (5-10, 2-2 GAC) are coming off a series split with Southwestern Oklahoma State (Feb. 19-20), with two of the games going to extra innings.  ECU was led at the plate by senior Autumn Suydam, who hit .471 for the weekend, with eight hits and two RBIs.  Senior Marissa Shaffer went 1-1 in the circle, with 10.1 innings of actions, 11 hits and three runs allowed and four strikeouts.

The Rangers come into the weekend with a 1-11 overall record and a 0-4 mark in the league after dropping four to Southeastern opening weekend.  NWOSU is hitting .238 for the season and allowing a .346 by their opponents.

Jordan Haya is the most effective hitter, with a .395 batting average, four runs, 15 hits and nine RBIs.  Stephanie Couser adds 11 hits, six runs and a team-best 10 RBIs.  Jalena Arthur is one of four pitchers with over 12 innings of work this season.  Arthur has a 1-5 record in 29.2 innings, allowing 36 hits and 28 runs and striking out 13.

The teams have meet on just 12 previous occasions, with all the games taking place at Tiger Field.  ECU was set to face the Rangers in Alva, Okla., last season, but the series was cancelled due to weather.  The Tigers are leading the all-time series 8-4 overall and went 3-1 in 2014 when they last played.