Thursday, May 7
Peoria, Ill.
10 a.m.
UT Martin
vs
SIUE
Skyhawks Open OVC Championship Play as No. 2 Seed Thursday
5/6/2026 1:52:00 PM | Softball
PEORIA, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team opens play in the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Championship at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois, at 10 a.m. Thursday. The Skyhawks will open their quest for their third OVC tournament title and first since 2012 against the No. 3 seed SIUE.
The entire tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+ with play-by-play from Max Thoma.
About The Skyhawks
The Skyhawks ended the 2026 regular season with a 33-19 record overall, 20-6 record in conference play and finished second in the league standings for the first time since 2017. UT Martin won seven of nine series on the season, sweeping four of them, including wins over both of Thursday's possible opponents and tying a rain-shortened series with the No. 1 seed Eastern Illinois.
Following the conclusion of the season, six Skyhawks were honored by the OVC with postseason accolades, the most by a UT Martin team since 2021. Pitcher Natale Kreuziger and outfielder Carly Ward were named to the All-OVC first team, pitcher Payton Harris and catcher Avary Makarewicz were named to the second team and outfielder Karena Recrosio and pitcher Sami Scholtz were named to the OVC All-Newcomer team.
Multiple Skyhawks ended the season among the OVC's best in various individual statistical categories. Natalie Kreuziger currently sports the league's third-lowest ERA at 2.63, to go along with an 8-4 record, three saves, 70 strikeouts, and an opponent's batting average of .246. Offensively, Carly Ward leads four Skyhawks batting over .300 with the league's second-best batting average at .403. In the power categories, Makarewicz leads the OVC in home runs and RBIs at 11 and 47, respectively, and has the second-highest slugging percentage in the league at .646, to go along with a .333 batting average. On the base paths, Kennedy Brown leads the OVC in stolen bases with 23, while Karena Recrosio is third with 18.
As a team, the Skyhawks are currently batting .290 and have the best ERA in the league at 3.56. They are currently 24th in the nation in total stolen bases (94) and 30th in stolen bases per game (1.81), both of which also lead the OVC. Additionally, UT Martin ranks 16th in Division I with 16 triples and 33rd nationally with 0.31 triples per game. The Skyhawk pitching staff is currently second in the nation in hit batters, striking just eight opponents so far this season, and 20th in shutouts with 10.
About The Cougars
SIUE is currently 13-18 on the year and 6-3 in OVC play, despite having lost each of its last five games. The Cougars dropped a midweek contest on the road at Missouri Wednesday and were swept by league-leaders Eastern Illinois last weekend.
As a team, SIUE hits .234 on the season, while opponents hit .306 against them. Ashley Duran leads the way for the Cougars offensively with an average of .339 and a team-high 13 walks, while Kaylin Fahy has a team-high 15 RBIs and an average of .253.
In the circle, the Cougars have a team ERA of 4.51, average 3.89 strikeouts per seven innings and have a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.88. Mia Volpert has served as the ace for SIUE this season and is 5-7 on the year with a 4.05 ERA, 24 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .313. Meanwhile, Avery Arwood is 2-3 with an ERA of 3.71, a team-high 41 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .261.
About The Cougars
SIUE finished OVC play at 18-9 and is currently 28-27 on the year after defeating the No. 6 seed Southern Indiana, 9-1 in six innings, in the second round of the OVC tournament Wednesday.
As a team, SIUE hits .260 on the season, while opponents hit .297 against them. Reagan Duncan leads the way for the Cougars offensively with an average of .333 and team-highs 45 runs, 33 walks and 12 doubles. Ashley Duran is batting .305 on the year with team-bests of 29 RBIs and four home runs.
In the circle, the Cougars have a team ERA of 4.08, average 3.80 strikeouts per seven innings and have a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.67. The OVC Pitcher of the Year Avery Arwood led SIUE in the circle on the season with a 13-6 record, a 3.13 ERA, five total shutouts, 5.08 strikeouts per seven innings, and an opponent's batting average of .257. Mia Volpert follows Arwood with a 3.78 ERA and is 7-9 on the season.
About The Tournament
The Skyhawks are making their 26th OVC championship appearance and have qualified for the event in each of head coach Chelsea Farmer's three seasons. UT Martin is 36-45 all-time in the tournament and has won the event twice, in 2009 and 2012.
The Skyhawks have been the No. 2 seed in the tournament on two previous occasions in 2004 and 2017. In 2004, the Skyhawks went 3-2 and lost by one run in the championship game to Eastern Kentucky and in 2017, they also went 3-2 and finished third.
UT Martin is 25-28 all-time against SIUE, winning two out of three games against the Cougars at Bettye Giles Field earlier this season. In the OVC tournament, the Skyhawks have faced off against SIUE nine times, with the Cougars winning five of those games.
The entire tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+ with play-by-play from Max Thoma.
About The Skyhawks
The Skyhawks ended the 2026 regular season with a 33-19 record overall, 20-6 record in conference play and finished second in the league standings for the first time since 2017. UT Martin won seven of nine series on the season, sweeping four of them, including wins over both of Thursday's possible opponents and tying a rain-shortened series with the No. 1 seed Eastern Illinois.
Following the conclusion of the season, six Skyhawks were honored by the OVC with postseason accolades, the most by a UT Martin team since 2021. Pitcher Natale Kreuziger and outfielder Carly Ward were named to the All-OVC first team, pitcher Payton Harris and catcher Avary Makarewicz were named to the second team and outfielder Karena Recrosio and pitcher Sami Scholtz were named to the OVC All-Newcomer team.
Multiple Skyhawks ended the season among the OVC's best in various individual statistical categories. Natalie Kreuziger currently sports the league's third-lowest ERA at 2.63, to go along with an 8-4 record, three saves, 70 strikeouts, and an opponent's batting average of .246. Offensively, Carly Ward leads four Skyhawks batting over .300 with the league's second-best batting average at .403. In the power categories, Makarewicz leads the OVC in home runs and RBIs at 11 and 47, respectively, and has the second-highest slugging percentage in the league at .646, to go along with a .333 batting average. On the base paths, Kennedy Brown leads the OVC in stolen bases with 23, while Karena Recrosio is third with 18.
As a team, the Skyhawks are currently batting .290 and have the best ERA in the league at 3.56. They are currently 24th in the nation in total stolen bases (94) and 30th in stolen bases per game (1.81), both of which also lead the OVC. Additionally, UT Martin ranks 16th in Division I with 16 triples and 33rd nationally with 0.31 triples per game. The Skyhawk pitching staff is currently second in the nation in hit batters, striking just eight opponents so far this season, and 20th in shutouts with 10.
About The Cougars
SIUE is currently 13-18 on the year and 6-3 in OVC play, despite having lost each of its last five games. The Cougars dropped a midweek contest on the road at Missouri Wednesday and were swept by league-leaders Eastern Illinois last weekend.
As a team, SIUE hits .234 on the season, while opponents hit .306 against them. Ashley Duran leads the way for the Cougars offensively with an average of .339 and a team-high 13 walks, while Kaylin Fahy has a team-high 15 RBIs and an average of .253.
In the circle, the Cougars have a team ERA of 4.51, average 3.89 strikeouts per seven innings and have a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.88. Mia Volpert has served as the ace for SIUE this season and is 5-7 on the year with a 4.05 ERA, 24 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .313. Meanwhile, Avery Arwood is 2-3 with an ERA of 3.71, a team-high 41 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .261.
About The Cougars
SIUE finished OVC play at 18-9 and is currently 28-27 on the year after defeating the No. 6 seed Southern Indiana, 9-1 in six innings, in the second round of the OVC tournament Wednesday.
As a team, SIUE hits .260 on the season, while opponents hit .297 against them. Reagan Duncan leads the way for the Cougars offensively with an average of .333 and team-highs 45 runs, 33 walks and 12 doubles. Ashley Duran is batting .305 on the year with team-bests of 29 RBIs and four home runs.
In the circle, the Cougars have a team ERA of 4.08, average 3.80 strikeouts per seven innings and have a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.67. The OVC Pitcher of the Year Avery Arwood led SIUE in the circle on the season with a 13-6 record, a 3.13 ERA, five total shutouts, 5.08 strikeouts per seven innings, and an opponent's batting average of .257. Mia Volpert follows Arwood with a 3.78 ERA and is 7-9 on the season.
About The Tournament
The Skyhawks are making their 26th OVC championship appearance and have qualified for the event in each of head coach Chelsea Farmer's three seasons. UT Martin is 36-45 all-time in the tournament and has won the event twice, in 2009 and 2012.
The Skyhawks have been the No. 2 seed in the tournament on two previous occasions in 2004 and 2017. In 2004, the Skyhawks went 3-2 and lost by one run in the championship game to Eastern Kentucky and in 2017, they also went 3-2 and finished third.
UT Martin is 25-28 all-time against SIUE, winning two out of three games against the Cougars at Bettye Giles Field earlier this season. In the OVC tournament, the Skyhawks have faced off against SIUE nine times, with the Cougars winning five of those games.
Players Mentioned
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