Games #10 & 11
ART U Urban Knights (4-5, 0-0 PacWest) vs. Biola Eagles (2-3, 0-0 PacWest)
Friday, February 23, 2024 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Moraga, Calif. – Cottrell Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Games #12 & 13
ART U Urban Knights (4-5, 0-0 PacWest) vs. Biola Eagles (2-3, 0-0 PacWest)
Saturday, February 24, 2024 at Noon & 2 p.m. *Cancer Awareness Day*
Moraga, Calif. – Cottrell Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Games #14 & 15
ART U Urban Knights (4-5, 0-0 PacWest) vs. #24 Concordia Golden Eagles (7-4, 0-0 PacWest)
Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 1 & 3 p.m.
Hayward, Calif. – Pioneer Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Games #16 & 17
ART U Urban Knights (4-5, 0-0 PacWest) vs. #24 Concordia Golden Eagles (7-4, 0-0 PacWest)
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at Noon & 2 p.m.
TBA – TBA
Live Stats | Live Video

CONFERENCE ACTION COMES TO BAY AREA AS ART U BATTLES BU, CUI
Though varying conditions had halted recent games for Academy of Art softball, the Urban Knights were still able to complete a split with Simon Fraser most recently as the final tune-up before Pacific West Conference play begins with both Biola and No. 24 Concordia coming to the Bay Area over the week ahead.

FIRST PITCH
The Knights will play eight games in less than one week with Biola in town first for noon doubleheaders on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24 both at Saint Mary's Cottrell Field in Moraga. Those will be followed by another pair of noon doubleheaders against No. 24 Concordia on Tuesday, Feb. 27 and Wednesday, Feb. 28. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

Saturday's games will be Cancer Awareness Day, serving as an opportunity to honor and remember those who have battled the disease, celebrate survivors, and raise awareness for ongoing research and support.

KNIGHT WATCH
Still among the PacWest leaders in multiple stat categories including first in runs scored (37), tied for first in triples (3) and stolen bases (11), and second in batting average (.295) and runs batted in (32), Academy of Art carries four qualified hitters above the .360 mark including sophomore infielder Audrey Allen (.394), senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki (.387), senior infielder Katie Humphreys (.370), and junior utility Alexis Folks (.370). Allen's .394 clip is highest among conference hitters with 27 or more at-bats thus far after she has recorded a hit in eight of nine games and she adds three doubles to tie for the most in the PacWest as well as eight RBIs (second in PacWest). With seven runs scored and two triples to lead ART U, Grayhorse-Pupecki is second in the conference in both categories while Humphreys has pushed her reached base streak to nine games to start the year (11 straight games connecting the end of last season). Sharing the second-most runs scored in the PacWest with Grayhorse-Pupecki at seven, freshman outfielder Lida Wos' five stolen bases in five tries pace the conference.

Defensively, the freshman pitching tandem of Kayla Vaughan (1-2) and Alyssa Fullmer (2-1) each have earned run averages under 4.00 at 3.11 and 3.79 respectively. Fullmer (20.1) and Vaughan (18.0) join sophomore Kamielle Powell (1-1, 16.2) all among the PacWest's top 10 in innings pitched with the latter of that trio coming off her second collegiate shutout after blanking Simon Fraser in a 1-0 win on Feb. 16. With 16 strikeouts in her first 18.0 collegiate innings, Vaughan ranks fifth overall in the PacWest, but still first among non-seniors/grad students.

BIOLA'S BIO
Picked to finish third in the PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll, Biola got started with a 3-2 win over No. 16 Oklahoma Christian and a 5-0 victory against SF State, but since fell to Western Oregon and twice to No. 19 Adelphi. Alexa Medley's .400 batting average is 11th in the PacWest while no Eagle has more than three RBIs thus far. A dual threat, Raylene Roybal is 1-1 with a 2.90 ERA and eight strikeouts in 9.2 innings as a pitcher as well as batting .364 with a home run as a hitter. BU is out in front of the historical matchup with ART U 12-2.

FLY, GOLDEN EAGLES, FLY
A unanimous top pick in the preseason, No. 24 Concordia opened the year by defeating SF State and Western Oregon before extra-innings losses to both No. 16 Oklahoma Christian and Western Washington. The Golden Eagles then split with No. 25 Northwest Nazarene, swept No. 19 Adelphi, and split with Cal State East Bay most recently. CUI, who faces Dominican in a four-game series this weekend, leads the PacWest with 35 RBIs and seven home runs as well as ranking first in ERA (1.21) and strikeouts (81). Missy Nemeth's 10 RBIs are atop the conference, but Mary Baccay (.364) and Megan Johnson (.321) are the lone Golden Eagles inside the PacWest's top 30 in batting average. The tandem of Megan Casper (2-0, 0.55 ERA) and Katlin Entrup (2-3, 0.98 ERA) are the team's pitching leaders, both among the five lowest ERAs in the conference. Concordia has prevailed in all but one of its last 22 meetings with ART U.

POWELL'S SHUTOUT ENDS ART U HOME-OPENING SPLIT WITH SFU
In action at home for the first time this season, Academy of Art softball nearly completed a late comeback in the opening contest which Simon Fraser held on to win 4-2 then, after an early rally in the second, the Urban Knights exchanged scoreless frames the rest of the way as sophomore pitcher Kamielle Powell (1-1) signed off on her second collegiate shutout in the 1-0 victory out at Pioneer Field on Feb. 16.

ON THE HORIZON
With its first two PacWest series and the month of February complete, ART U will briefly depart conference play for road doubleheaders against Cal State Monterey Bay (Mar. 2) and SF State (Mar. 5).