TROY, Ala. – The fourth-seeded ULM softball team (34-21, 14-10 Sun Belt) hits the road for Troy to compete in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championships against fifth-seeded Georgia Southern (29-24, 13-11 Sun Belt). The game will be available to stream on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at ULMWarhawks.com.

SERIES HISTORY VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN – 

The Warhawks will take on the Eagles for the 35th meeting this week, ULM fighting to maintain dominance in the series. ULM holds an 24-10 record against Georgia Southern, a series dating back to 2011, when the Warhawks won in a 10-5 contest in Knoxville, Tenn. ULM looks to continue their six-game win streak over the Eagles after a second-consecutive sweep in Monroe this season. In 11 weekend series against Georgia Southern, ULM has claimed seven of them, four being sweeps. In postseason play, ULM has faced Georgia Southern once, in 2016, where the Warhawks claimed the 2-1 victory to reach the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES –

The Eagles finished the regular season tied for fifth in the Sun Belt with a 29-24 record and 13-11 conference record. Most recently, Georgia Southern fell to James Madison on the road in the final weekend series of the season, claiming one of the three games. In conference play, Georgia Southern claimed series wins over App State, Georgia State, Coastal Carolina and Troy. Faith Barth leads the team in batting average and RBIs, with Delanie Thames leading with seven home runs and named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team. Pitcher Maddie Johnson has received Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors twice, posting a 2.03 ERA, pitching 13 complete games and four shutouts to be named All-Sun Belt First Team. The Eagles currently lead the conference with a .980 fielding percentage, a 2.49 team ERA and a .234 opponent batting average. 

POSTSEASON HISTORY –

The Warhawks will be traveling to Troy for the fourth season as the conference tournament host site, most recently occurring in 2021. In the 16 trips and 30 games ULM has played to the Sun Belt Championships, they claim a 14-16 record. In the last trip to the Sun Belt Tournament in 2024, the Warhawks faced South Alabama in the first round, falling after 12 innings to the Jaguars, 1-2. The Warhawks have made it to the semifinals twice since joining the Sun Belt, last occurring in 2019, head coach Molly Fichtner's first season. Only once has ULM advanced to the Sun Belt Championship game: In their first season competing in the tournament, 2008, the tournament also hosted by Troy that year.

COACH OF THE YEAR –

ULM head coach Molly Fichtner has been named the 2025 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, the first ULM coach to receive the honor. Rosemary Holloway-Hill received the honor from the Southland Conference in 1997, the only other conference coach of the year in program history. Pegged to finished seventh in this year's Sun Belt Preseason Poll, Fichtner led her team to the winningest season in over 25 years with a 34-21 record. She also led her team to ULM's best-ever finish in the Sun Belt and the most Sun Belt wins with 14. The 2025 Warhawks have broken over 15 single season records under Coach Fichtner, including batting average, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, total bases and slugging percentage. 

ALL-SUN BELT TEAMS –

Four Warhawks were named to the All-Sun Belt teams this week, with Morgan Brown, Meagan Brown and Brooklin Lippert were named to the All-Sun Belt First Team and Layla Thompson named to the Second Team.

With four players named All-Sun Belt, ULM claims the most all-conference honors since joining the Sun Belt. The Warhawks hold the most players named all-conference in 2025 with Coastal Carolina and the Ragin' Cajuns, each with four. As Brown, Brown and Lippert are named to the First Team, ULM also claims the most players awarded to an all-conference first team since 1992 with three.

LIPPERT LEADING OFF –

Brooklin Lippert has led off in each of the 55 games ULM has competed in thus far and currently holds an 18-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the Sun Belt. The streak ties the longest hitting streak since 2018, when Rochelle Roberts also extended through 18 games. Lippert leads the team with a .427 batting average (73-for-171), stealing a stunning 31 bases so far this season. Her 31 stolen bases ranks 10th in single-season records at ULM and ranks 17th nationally.  

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS –

In the 2025 season alone, ULM has put 15 entries in the single-season Top 5 records lists, including the most runs in a single season (332), hits (485), RBIs (286), doubles (79) and total bases (694). 18 sacrifice flies on the season ranks second, seven saves in the pitching circle sits at second with 162 walks and 35 home runs ranking at fifth.

WHAT'S AT STAKE –

Whichever team wins in the quarterfinals will compete next on Friday (May 9) at 7 p.m. CT, facing either Texas State, James Madison or Troy in the semifinals.