CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Rain or shine, the Governors are playing softball this weekend.

Austin Peay State University's softball team faces Bellarmine for its fourth Atlantic Sun Conference series of the season, beginning with a 4 p.m., Friday game against the Knights and concluding with a 1 p.m., Saturday doubleheader. Inclement weather pushed the series south, as the Governors and Knights will play at Middle Tennessee's Blue Raider Softball Field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Last weekend, Austin Peay (28-6, 6-3 ASUN) dropped their first ASUN series of the season to Central Arkansas after falling in a Sunday rubber match. The series in Conway, Arkansas began with the Bears taking Game 1, 16-15 following a walk-off victory, but the Governors responded with a 9-1, five inning victory; however, UCA escaped with the series following a 12-3, five-inning contest in the series finale.

The Governors hit six home runs last weekend in Conway, improving their season total to 47, the most in the ASUN Conference and the third-most in program history, with the next mark on the all-time list being the 2018 team's 51 four-baggers.

All six homers from last weekend came from different athletes, with Skylar Sheridan hitting a pinch-hit homer in Game 2, while Ashley Diaz homered in her first-career start to lead off a three-home-run fourth inning in the 9-1 Game 2 victory.

Macee Roberts paced a 29-hit weekend for the Govs with five of her own, including a team-best two doubles, while Kayleigh Roper had four hits – including a triple and home run. Brie Howard led the team with seven RBI over the weekend, including a grand slam during a career-best five-RBI performance in Game 1.  

Led by seventh-year and the all-time winningest head coach in program history, Kassie Stanfill, Austin Peay leads the ASUN in: batting average (.333), doubles per game (1.62), hits (312), hit by pitch (35), home runs (47), on-base percentage (.412), RBI (229), slugging percentage (.562), and win-loss percentage (.824) – all which are Top 35 marks in the NCAA.

Bellarmine (4-22, 0-9 ASUN) currently is on a 15-game losing streak and dropped a Wednesday doubleheader to Tennessee Tech after falling in three-straight games at Lipscomb last weekend. 

This weekend's series, and all ASUN Conference contests, will be live streamed on ESPN+ with Austin Peay's ESPN+ host Ethan Schmidt on the call. Fans also can follow along to live stats at the link atop this article. 

Up Next

The Governors host rival Murray State in a 3 p.m., Tuesday midweek at Cathi Maynard Park in Clarksville. The contest against the Racers is a makeup date after a March 5 meeting had to be postponed due to inclement weather.

Series History

• Austin Peay is 16-9 all-time against the Knights.
• This will be the first meeting between the two at a neutral site.
• The meeting also is the second time the Governors and Knights have played one another this season, with Austin Peay sweeping the Knights to open ASUN Conference play, March 13-14, at Knights Field in Louisville, Kentucky.
• Austin Peay opened the past series against the Knights with back-to-back shutouts, winning 4-0 and 2-0, respectively. It then secured the series sweep with a 6-4 win. 

Offensive Options

• After being primarily used as a pinch runner throughout much of her career in Clarksville, outfielder Raylon Roach has started a career-best 31 games this season where she also has a career-best 28 hits, 22 runs, and 13 RBI while batting .308 with a .373 slugging percentage.
• Kylie Campbell has started all 190 games she has appeared throughout her four-year career at APSU. Campbell leads APSU with 44 hits, 5 triples, and a .411 batting average. Her 207-career hits are fifth all-time, while her 95-career RBI put her ninth all-time in program history. Campbell also ranks the third toughest player to strikeout in the NCAA which also paces the ASUN.
• Brie Howard has started 33 games at center field and is fourth on the team with 33 hits and a .337 batting average. Her 29-career HBP also are third all-time, and two from tying Shelby Norton (2010-13).
• Sammie Shelander has started 31 games this season, including the last 29 as the designated player. She is second on the team in RBI (29), fifth in hits (29), and sixth in batting average (.312).
• Sam Leski is second on the team and third in the ASUN with nine home runs. She also leads the team in RBI (37), which ranks second in the ASUN.
• Katie Raper already has made the most of her opportunities as a Governor, leading the team with 10 home runs, which is second in the ASUN, 62nd nationally, seventh in a single season, and the 20th-most by a Governor in a career (yes, 20th already).
• Kiley Hinton is third on the team fifth in the ASUN with seven home runs this season, while also leading the Governors with 12 doubles and 0.35 per game which both rank second in the ASUN. Hinton's .726 slugging percentage is second on the team and fourth in the ASUN, while her 70 assists are fourth in the ASUN and 80th nationally.
• Macee Roberts has started all 34 games at third base. There, she 34 hits - including at least one in 11 of her last 12 appearances and has struck out just once this season, ranking the 11th-hardest player to strikeout in the country and the second in the ASUN, trailing only Kylie Campbell.
• In her first game as a Gov, Kayleigh Roper walked off Florida A&M with a two-run homer in the season opener and has posted a .337 batting average with six home runs through 34 starts, batting ninth and playing shortstop

Circle Chatter

• Senior right-hander Samantha Miener leads Austin Peay with a 3.05 ERA and is tied for a team-best nine wins (9-2) in the circle. Entering the midweek against Bellarmine, Miener has a 25-31 career record across 331 innings. 
• Another senior righty, Ashley Martin's nine wins are tied for best on the team and fourth in the ASUN. Her six saves this season also are the most by a Governor in a single season and second in the NCAA.
• Clarksville native and Clarksville High School graduate Emberly Nichols has a career-high in nearly every statistical category, including her seven wins (7-2) which are third on staff. 
• The Govs' lone left-handed pitcher, Emma Thompson also is enjoying her career's best year with a 3-1 record and one save across 30.2 innings. She tossed a career-best 85 pitches across 6.0 innings in a win over Bellarmine, Saturday.

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