MONROE, La. – The ULM softball team (34-19, 16-5 SBC) looks to conclude the regular season at home, hosting Southern Miss (33-20, 13-7 Sun Belt). The Warhawks will face the Golden Eagles first on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT, then competing on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at noon CT. Streaming for the games will be on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on ULMWarhawks.com/Stats.

SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTHERN MISS – 

The Warhawks will be taking on the Golden Eagles for the 50th, 51st and 52nd meetings, ULM holding the advantage, 28-21. When playing at home, the Warhawks are 11-7 against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles have been currently holding strong against ULM, with a 7-3 record in the last 10 meetings. The last time the two teams played in Monroe was the first Sun Belt series, Southern Miss sweeping the Warhawks. Last season, ULM traveled to Hattiesburg and went 1-2 on the weekend. ULM has not captured a series over the Golden Eagles in Monroe since 1989, last winning over USM at home in 2007.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES –

The Golden Eagles have recorded a 33-20 record this season, sitting at 14-7 in league play. Southern Miss has picked up six Sun Belt series wins over the Ragin' Cajuns, App State, Troy, James Madison, Georgia Southern and South Alabama. Most recently, a sweep of the Jaguars has USM in good position as pitcher Kayla Giardina recorded a perfect game in the 8-0 finale. Giardina earned Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors after the performance. Another notable performance against South Alabama was Kinsley Gordon-Sivley, hitting a grand slam. Hannah Christian leads the Golden Eagles in most offensive categories, also leading the league with 71 hits. The team ranks 13th nationally and leads the Sun Belt with a .977 fielding percentage.

LAST TIME OUT –

The Warhawks traveled to Troy, going 2-1 on the weekend as the team snatched its sixth Sun Belt series of the season. In the opening game, the Trojans got off to a hot 2-0 start, the Warhawks clawing back in the fifth as Morgan Brown drove in a run and a throwing error allowing for the tie. The game was sent to extras, where Carson Jansky hit a two-RBI single in the 10th to find the 4-2 victory. In game two, Dakota Lake earned the complete game win in the circle, as Brooklin Lippert's three-RBI triple was the talk of the offense. Maryssa Zenzen and Meagan Brown also recorded RBIs in the 6-2 series-clinching win. Another extra-inning contest came on Sunday as ULM scored first this time from a Morgan Brown home run. Tied 2-2, both teams scored runs in the fourth to maintain the knot. In the bottom of the 10th, Troy walked it off, 4-3. Skylar Waggoner pitched 16.1 innings between two games, with a 0.86 ERA and 13 strikeouts.

FOR THE SENIORS –

This weekend, ULM will honor six seniors who will be playing for the final time at the ULM Softball Complex. Maddie Nichols remains as the only four-year senior on the roster, Carys Platt having spent three seasons with the Warhawks. Reece Briggs, Kelsey Kovar and Kennan Nunamaker record two seasons with ULM, while Ashanti McDade remains as the final senior, choosing to spend her final season with the Warhawks.

MID-MAJOR RANKINGS –

D1Softball and Softball America released their Mid-Major Rankings on April 27, the Warhawks remaining in the rankings for the fifth-straight week. Softball America placed them at No. 12 and D1Softball had the Warhawks at No. 13.

DOUBLE TROUBLE –

The Warhawks are now up to 76 doubles on the season. The number ranks second in the Sun Belt and 55th nationally. ULM is now just six doubles away from breaking the season record for doubles (81), set in 2025. Morgan Brown leads the team with 15, Meagan Brown close behind with 14.

SUN BELT STREAK – 

After defeating Troy, the Warhawks have extended their Sun Belt series win streak to six. Only falling in one series, the six-series streak is the longest since ULM has been in the league. The last time the Warhawks won six or more conference series in a row was 1997, when in the Southland Conference.

GOING THE DISTANCE –

Skylar Waggoner pitched 10.0 innings on April 12 against App State, claiming the 10-inning complete-game victory. She makes her mark in the record books as the ninth ULM pitcher to reach 10 innings or more. The last time a pitcher went the distance in double-digit innings was in 2019.

MO GOES YARD –

Two home runs in a game for Morgan Brown sets the standard again, reaching the milestone for the second time in her career. On February 28 against Jacksonville State, Brown claimed her second homer of the season in the second inning, then claiming another in the sixth. Brown becomes one of few Sun Belt players to have a multi-home run game in 2026. The redshirt sophomore has six home runs under her belt this season.

WHAT'S AT STAKE –

ULM is playing for the Sun Belt regular season title, the team's performance against the Golden Eagles potentially securing a share. The Warhawks will await seeding decisions before competing in the Sun Belt Conference Championships, held in Lafayette, Louisiana. The tournament runs from May 6 to 9.