Memphis Opens American Conference Championship against UTSA

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis softball team enters the American Conference Tournament as the No. 10 seed, with an opening round matchup against UTSA.

First pitch is set for noon CT/1 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast on ESPN+ with Evan Budrovich, Maria Trivelpiece and Savanna Collins on the call.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Memphis (18-38, 6-21 American) enters the tournament after falling to Wichita State over the weekend.

The 2026 Tigers offense has been etching itself into the record book, currently with top-10 marks in 15 different offensive categories. The tandem of Ariel Davis and Faith Brown have led the charge, with Davis' .387 batting average, 1.116 OPS, 58 hits, 35 runs, 21 walks and 12 doubles all being team highs. Brown returned to form this weekend, hitting her 10^th double and ninth home run of the year, also bringing in three RBI to put her in third place for single-season RBI in program history.

Avery Stutts established herself as Memphis' ace in her first collegiate season, leading the Tigers in wins (7), innings pitched (113.1), strikeouts (53), saves (2) and complete games (5). Her 37 appearances this season are the seventh-most by a Tiger in a single season. Mya Clark and Taylor Caton have served well as supplemental arms with 54 and 55.2 innings pitched, respectively, while also having roles at the plate. Caton's 43 strikeouts are the second-most on the team and she has also recorded 14 RBI with five home runs as a hitter. Clark has six extra-base hits and 11 RBI while also striking out 23 from in the circle.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS

UTSA (23-32, 11-16 American) comes into the first-round matchup on a five-game losing streak, with all five coming against teams from the Tar Heel State in Charlotte and tournament host, East Carolina.

The Roadrunners have had a balanced offense throughout the regular season with five players hitting at least .300 on the year, led by Sabrina Wick's .366 average. Wick also leads the American in stolen bases with 17. Four different UTSA hitters have at least seven doubles, while only two are above the 30-RBI mark, led by Taryn Madlock. Madlock's eight doubles, 10 home runs and 36 RBI are all team bests.

Arlette Hernandez has been UTSA's most utilized arm, tossing 177.2 innings on the year. Her 3.63 ERA, 13 wins and 148 strikeouts are all top marks on the staff. The only other Roadrunner pitcher with at least 10 percent of UTSA's innings pitched is Reagan Stoudt with 71. Stoudt has posted a 5.22 ERA in 26 appearances in the circle with 37 strikeouts.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UTSA

Memphis trails 3-6 in the all-time series, most recently being swept by UTSA in the regular season series.

In this season's weekend series in mid-March, Taylor Caton notched a double for her first career hit, and Ariel Davis hit .444 with an 1.101 OPS while bringing in two RBI and stealing one base.

POTENTIAL SECOND ROUND MATCHUP

If the Tigers advance, they will play North Texas (27-27, 14-13 American) in the second round at 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For complete information on Memphis Tigers Softball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram , and Facebook.

Memphis Opens American Conference Championship against UTSA

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Players Mentioned

Faith Brown

Taylor Caton

Mya Clark

Ariel Davis

Avery Stutts

University of Memphis Athletics