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Setting the Scene
- After starting the season with six road or neutral contests, the SWOSU Softball team gets to play on their home field Tuesday against Central Oklahoma
- The Bulldogs have battled a difficult early-season schedule, which has them entering Tuesday's game with a record of 0-6
- Central Oklahoma with a record of 8-4 after splitting a doubleheader against Oklahoma Christian on Saturday in Edmond
 
The Opponent
(RV) Central Oklahoma (8-4)
- The Bronchos are receiving votes in the most recent edition of the NFCA Top 25 poll and they are 3-0 against GAC teams this season with victories over Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southern Nazarene and East Central
- UCO is hitting .346 as a team with their duo of Carrie Abrams (.450) and Morgan Heard (.421) both hitting well above the .400 mark early in the season
- The pitching staff for the Bronchos has a combined 2.91 earned run average and they've limited their opponents to a .242 batting average
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kim Maher (18-39, 2nd season)
- Enters year two of her time at the helm of SWOSU Softball looking to continue the rebuilding process of the program
- Named the fourth head coach in SWOSU Softball history on June 2, 2016, bringing with her a wealth of experience from the collegiate, professional and international levels of softball
- Spent eight seasons as the head coach at Purdue University, leading the Boilermakers to 240 victories and two NCAA Tournament appearances from 2006-13
- Previously coached at California-Berkeley as an assistant coach from 2000-05 following a playing career with USA Softball and the Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL)
 
Central Oklahoma: Cody White (178-72, 5th season)
- Has guided UCO to four consecutive 40-win seasons and four straight national tournament appearances
- Was named the MIAA Coach of the Year in 2017 after leading the Bronchos to the conference's regular season and tournament titles
- Started at UCO as an assistant in 2012 and was an assistant when the Bronchos won the program's first national championship in 2013
 
SWOSU Notes
- Sidney Kirk has recorded a hit in each of the last four games, including three doubles and one home run, and she is hitting .455 for the year
- In limited action, Kinsey Skroh has five hits in six at-bats for a team-leading .833 batting average with one run batted in
- As a team, the Bulldogs are hitting .291with seven players hitting .300 or better on the year
- The struggles for SWOSU have come in the pitching circle, where the team has an ERA of 11.20 with opponents hitting .434 for the year
- Hannah Morris and Samantha Householder are the lone position players to appear in and start each game this season
- Morris is tied for the team lead with five hits while Householder has hit one of the Bulldogs two home runs
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU opens Great American Conference play this weekend in Searcy, Ark., with a four-game set against defending GAC Champion Harding