THE AGENDA
The OUAZ softball team will play three doubleheaders in three days this week. The schedule begins on Thursday with a home series against Roosevelt at 10 a.m. The Spirit then play a Golden State Athletic Conference series at San Diego Christian on Friday at noon. The week concludes at Saint Katherine on Saturday at 11 a.m.
 
Thursday's doubleheader will be played at Willow Canyon High School. The softball field is located behind the tennis courts on the south side of the school. Admission is free and fans are encouraged to park in the lot near the tennis courts.
 
Live video will be available for the games on Thursday and Friday on the NAIA Network and the OUAZ Game Central portal. The NAIA Network is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices by searching NAIA. Live stats will also be available during the first four games of the week. No live coverage is available for the games against Saint Katherine. Links for all the live coverage is available on OUAZ LIVE at OUAZSpirit.com/live.
 
ABOUT THE SPIRIT
OUAZ will bring a 3-15 overall record into the week as they look to snap a five-game losing streak. They are 0-7 on GSAC game and currently sit in seventh-place. The Spirit are 3-9 at home this season and 0-3 in road games.
 
The Spirit are batting .280 on the year while posting a .718 OPS with 21 doubles, one triple, and three home runs. They are averaging 4.11 runs per game while drawing 53 walks and striking out 51 times.
 
In the circle, the OUAZ staff has a 6.32 earned run average (ERA) in 114.0 innings pitched. The opposition is batting .368 with 55 extra base hits, including 13 home runs. They have thrown four complete games and posted 74 strikeouts and 57 walks.
 
Defensively, the Spirit have committed 40 errors while posting a .924 field percentage. They have turned one double play and caught 15 would-be base stealers.
 
AT THE PLATE
Emily Stebbins leads the Spirit with her .353 batting average and .960 OPS. She is tied for the team lead with 18 hits while adding six double and one home run. Stebbins has driven in 10 runs and scored three times.
 
Miranda Davis also had 18 hits in the season, and she is batting .340. She is tied for the team lead with five multi-hit games and Davis starts the week on a four-game hitting streak. She has scored a team-high 13 runs and she ranks third in the GSAC with 16 stolen bases.
 
Sydney Saxton Siaki is also batting .340 with 17 hits. She has five multi-hit games with a pair of doubles and eight RBI. Saxton went 9 for 18 during the six games last week, including three games where she tallied two hits.
 
Heliana Bueno brings a .311 batting average and 14 hits into the week's play. She is on a four-game hitting streak and is coming off a 7 for 16 week that included three hits and a school record four RBI against Carroll.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
Sabrina Jimenez holds a team-best 5.10 ERA as play begins this week. She is 0-6 in 10 appearances and five starts. Jimenez has tallied 20 strikeouts and opponents have a .340 batting average.
 
Bailey Coronado leads the Spirit with 13 appearances (five starts) and she has a 5.48 ERA in 38.1 innings. She has an 0-5 record and one complete game. Coronado leads the team with 33 strikeouts and she averages 6.03 strikeouts per seven innings.
 
Alexandra McCutcheon leads the team with eight starts and two wins. In 31.1 innings, she has a 9.16 ERA with 20 strikeouts and a .414 opponent batting average.
 
Serenida Marquez has a 1-0 record and 4.85 ERA in seven appearances.
 
SERIES NOTES
OUAZ and Roosevelt split a doubleheader last season in Surprise. The Spirit won the first game 7-5 before falling in the second 4-0.
 
San Diego Christian took two of the three meetings between the team last season. OUAZ's win came in the second game of a doubleheader at San Diego Christian.
 
The Spirit have dropped three of their four games played against Saint Katherine all-time. The team split a doubleheader in Surprise earlier this season.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Next week, OUAZ will welcome Saint Katherine back to Surprise for a doubleheader in March 21 at 6 p.m. They will then head across town to face Arizona Christian in GSAC play on March 23 at noon.