CLINTON, S.C. – The first of three Big South Conference weekend series to emanate from Clinton, this Saturday and Sunday's league opener involving the Presbyterian College softball team and the Longwood Lancers represents the ninth straight season of competition between the two since becoming regular opponents in 2013. Tomorrow's doubleheader is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start in PC's return home after two weeks away, prepping for the finale on Sunday to occur at noon.

A 27-game layout of nonconference meetings has given the Blue Hose an overall record of 19-8 going into what figures to be an intriguing set of bouts versus a Longwood adversary that sported a win percentage of nearly 78% in league play a year ago (21-6). Presbyterian slugged their way through an East Carolina tournament last weekend, ultimately going 2-2 with 34 combined runs against three separate schools.

Head coach David Williams and co. have enjoyed a prosperous array of victories when competing on their own turf, claiming a W in 14 out of 17 Clinton appearances including each of their first 11 (a mark that stood one away from equaling the 2007 roster's school record for lengthiest home winning streak). Prior to a five-game road sequence from the 15^th-19^th, the Blue Hose grasped three wins in a row over Furman and Queens by six scores put together.
 
GAMEDAY INFO – SATURDAY, MARCH 25
Presbyterian (19-8) vs. Longwood (11-10) – (4:00 & 6:00 p.m.)
Game 1 Live Video – ESPN+
Game 1 Live Stats – Stat Broadcast
Game 2 Live Video – ESPN+
Game 2 Live Stats – Stat Broadcast
 
GAMEDAY INFO – SUNDAY, MARCH 26
Presbyterian (19-8) vs. Longwood (11-10) – (12:00 p.m.)
Game 3 Live Video – ESPN+
Game 3 Live Stats – Stat Broadcast
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- Responsible for PC's exit in the 2022 Big South Tournament's semifinal round, although with two wins less than the Blue Hose's program-record 36 when all was said and done, Longwood was eventually taken down by Campbell in the league title bout by an 8-4 clip, two of the three members that shared last year's regular season crown along with USC Upstate.

- Under the direction of head coach Dr. Megan Brown, the Lancers have sizably stepped up their game in terms of their schedule's strength, facing off with five nationally-ranked opponents hailing from the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, and ACC. Longwood was last seen at a neutral site event in Lexington, Kentucky, dropping a 2-1 nail-biter to Michigan in a bout decided in the 4^th inning before bouncing back to defeat DePaul the next day in a 6-4 result thanks to a walk-off two-run homer.

- The Lancers rank near the middle of the road in the conference in terms of total batting average (2.53, fifth), however sophomore infielder Jaden Pone places second individually in the same category by hitting .420 in 69 trips to the plate, accumulating 29 hits, 36 total bases, and an 18-for-21 stolen-base ratio. She was named the league's Player of the Week on February 20.

- Unequivocally the biggest win in program history was granted to Longwood in game no. three on the season, victorious in Tallahassee against then-#4 Florida State by a 5-4 difference, still standing as FSU's only home loss on the entire calendar in 21 such contests.
 
LAST TIME OUT
- Through the aforementioned Jolly Roger Invite held at ECU, Presbyterian demolished the Cleveland State Vikings by an added margin of 24-8 including an 11-run mercy rule in the first meeting, transitioning to very competitive setbacks against Ohio State and the hosting Pirates elsewhere in the tourney.

- Closing out the weekend with what seemed like a forgone conclusion on Sunday, facing a six-score deficit approaching the final frame in Greenville, the Blue Hose erupted for five hits in the 7^th that put them a single score away from tying things up, reaching the rally partly off the big-time plays of sophomore Morgan Hess who went yard in consecutive innings. In the end, ECU escaped with a 9-8 win in the teams' first-ever encounter, doing so despite an 11-7 disadvantage in the hits department.

- Hess comes into the '23 conference curtain-jerker as the Big South's season-leader in total home runs (10), ranking second in slugging percentage (.753) and in total RBI (24). Coach Williams' squad ranks third in the league with 32 doubles, while still holding down the second-place spot in combined ERA (2.04) even with a handful of more high-scoring affairs than what PC has been used to last weekend.

- Inside the nation's top 50 in overall win-loss percentage (.704), the Blue Hose will take their first steps toward league action hoping to outdo a school-record 19 conference wins in 2022, good enough to land fourth place in a division full of talented rosters near the top of the standings. PC was chosen to finish second in the Big South by its coaches in the preseason poll, followed closely by the Lancers in fourth.

- Senior shortstop Layna Johnson goes into the weekend trio with arguably the best weekly performance of her collegiate career, landing 10 hits in 15 at-bats (.667 BA) beside four doubles in four straight games, a solo homer in the game's first play against Cleveland State round two, and a whopping seven runs secured herself. Johnson achieved four runs in the aforementioned W over CSU, matching a career-best that was coincidentally recorded against Longwood in a 6-0 Game 2 victory 12 months ago.