CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Looking to stay near the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings, Austin Peay State University's softball team hits the road this weekend for a pair of tough OVC doubleheaders versus Southeast Missouri and UT Martin.

The Governors (22-16, 7-3 OVC) open the weekend's action Friday, 2 p.m., at Southeast Missouri (30-9, 8-2 OVC), marking the third straight OVC doubleheader in the last eight days where the Govs face a team that is currently atop the OVC standings – having already split games at Jacksonville State and Murray State at home.

Austin Peay closes the weekend's road swing with a, 1 p.m., Sunday doubleheader at UT Martin (25-17, 7-5 OVC), a team that currently sits just a game back of the Govs in the overall conference standings.

Entering the weekend, the Govs offense is led by senior Carly Mattson, who is hitting at a .350 clip, which includes nine doubles, nine home runs and 25 RBIs.

Mattson is followed by junior Kelsey Gross (.337, 2 HR, 16 RBI) and a trio of fellow seniors, Danielle Liermann (.336, 14 HR, 31 RBI), Kacy Acree (.331, 5 HR, 21 RBI) and Morgan Rackel (.309, 8 HR, 28 RBI).

In the circle, Rackel has been the workhorse of the Govs staff posting a 16-5 overall record – including winning her last nine decisions -- with a 2.16 ERA in 132.2 innings of work, while striking out an OVC-best 153 batters.

Two other Govs have picked up three wins each this year, with Gross posting a 3-1 record, two saves, a 1.98 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched, while Kelly Mardones is 3-10, with a 4.18 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched.

Scouting the opponents

Southeast Missouri

The Redhawks enter the weekend as the top-hitting team in the OVC, coming in with a .321 team batting average this season which also includes the conference's leading hitter in Rachel Anderson, who is batting .491 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs.

She is joined by Ashley Anderson, who is batting .391 and leads the conference in RBIs (41) and Mykaela Arellanes .387, who tops the conference in runs scored (43).

In the circle, the Redhawks are led by Haley Thogmartin (13-3, 1.62 ERA, 95 K's), followed by a pair of seven-game winners in Rachel Rook (7-2, 2.49 ERA, 57 K's) and Alexis Estes (7-2, 3.06 ERA, 25 K's).

UT Martin

The Skyhawks enter the weekend as the OVC's top running team with 99 total stolen bases this season, 30 more than their closest OVC rival, but do boost the league's second-leading hitter in Paige Clark, who is hitting at a .438 clip with 1 HR and 20 RBIs while leading the OVC with 26 stolen bases.

Haylee Short (.325, 1 HR, 22 RBI) and Aalia Bivens (.305, 3 HR, 13 RBI) are also hitting above .300 of the Skyhawks.

In the circle, its been a staff by committee for UTM, as all four of its main pitchers have at least six wins each, but no more than seven, led by Hannah Ridolfi's 7-6 mark, a 3.28 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 74.2 innings of work.

Governors Hit and Run

• Morgan Rackel has reached base in 15 straight games, tying for the sixth longest streak by a Gov since 2000.
• Kacy Acree needs one double to become only the second Gov in program history to reach 40 career doubles.
• Natalie Schilling needs one stolen base to tie Leigh Pettyjohn (1987-90) for second-place all-time in program history with 53 career stolen bases.
• Austin Peay needs one extra-base hit to tie the 2017 squad for the third-most extra-base hits by a Govs team in a season (96).
• Danielle Liermann needs one multi-hit game to reach 60 multi-hit games in her career.