Golden Eagles Host UTEP for Conference USA Series

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss softball team returns to Hattiesburg for a Conference USA series against the UTEP Miners. The Golden Eagles, following a series victory last weekend, look to build momentum and climb the C-USA standings as the postseason approaches.

The Golden Eagles last took the field last weekend on the road against the Charlotte 49ers. Southern Miss (23-16, 3-9 C-USA) secured its first Conference USA series win since 2019, finishing the weekend 2-1 against Charlotte with a pair of 5-4 victories.

Prior to Southern Miss' series against Charlotte, the Black & Gold defeated Mississippi State for the first time since 2011 and knocked off the Bulldogs in Hattiesburg for the first time since 2004. The Golden Eagles hold two victories over SEC opponents this season, with the first coming against Florida on March 2.

Southern Miss looks to ride a wave of momentum from its series win last weekend into a crucial trio of contests against UTEP. The Golden Eagles will look to secure its first series sweep since April 6-7, 2019 against UTSA.

Head coach Brian Levin will clinch the 400th win of his career with a single victory against UTEP this weekend. Levin, who had stints at Missouri-St. Louis and Belmont, holds a career record of 399-208 as an NCAA head coach. He would become the fifth active Conference USA coach to reach the 400 wins milestone.

UTEP is led into this weekend's series by third-year head coach T.J. Hubbard with a 12-23 record and 2-10 mark in C-USA play. The Miners' two C-USA victories came against UTSA at home and LA Tech, both at home. UTEP is led offensively by Lexi Morales, who leads her squad in batting average, home runs, hits and runs scored.

Southern Miss is set to take on the Miners in Hattiesburg for the first time since 2018. The Golden Eagles hold a 26-19-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 12-3-1 mark at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. Last season, UTEP and Southern Miss split a four-game series in El Paso, Texas.

The Golden Eagles take on UTEP on Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m., followed by two 1 p.m. matchups on Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16. All three contests will be streamed live on CUSA.tv and broadcast live on 92.7 FM WFOR.

Follow the Southern Miss softball team on social media, @SouthernMissSB on Twitter, @southernmisssb on Instagram and at facebook.com/SouthernMissSB.

Inside the Matchups | Headlines
Scouting UTEP
-UTEP enters this weekend's series with a record of 12-23, including a Conference USA mark of 2-10.
-Both of the Miners' Conference USA wins came at home in El Paso, Texas against LA Tech and UTSA.
-The Miners are led by third-year head coach T.J. Hubbard, who has led UTEP to a record of 28-66 in his tenure in El Paso.
-UTEP is in action for the first time since April 3, as contests against New Mexico State were canceled on April 5 and April 12.
-The Miners have won just two of their last 10 contests, including nonconference losses to Tarleton State and Murray State.
-Lexi Morales leads her squad in hits, batting average, runs scored and home runs this season.
-UTEP's roster is comprised of six upperclassmen and 16 underclassmen, as the Miners field a young team in 2022.

Southern Miss-UTEP Series
-Southern Miss has faced off with UTEP 46 times in a series that dates back to 2006. The Golden Eagles hold a 26-19-1 advantage over the Miners.
-Charlotte has been successful against the Golden Eagles in recent matchups, as the 49ers have won four of the last five meetings.
-The Black & Gold hold an advantage of 12-3-1 against UTEP at the Southern Miss Softball Complex and will host the Miners for the first time since 2018.
-Last season, the Golden Eagles and Miners split a four-game series, 2-2 in El Paso, Texas.
Southern Miss, 26 | UTEP, 19 | Ties, 1
Home: 12-3-1
Away: 13-16
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: 8-5 UTEP (4/3/21)

Last Time Out (at Charlotte)
-The Golden Eagles last took the field in Charlotte, N.C. against the 49ers for a Conference USA series.
-Southern Miss picked up a pair of 5-4 victories against Charlotte in the three-game series. The Golden Eagles' lone loss came on Saturday by a score of 9-1.
-The Golden Eagles picked up their first C-USA series victory since 2019.
-Morgan Leinstock recorded two wins over the weekend and now holds a record of 15-6.

D Brown Makes History
-Graduate student Destini Brown broke Chrystal Brown's long-standing stolen bases record on Friday, Feb. 11 in Southern Miss' season-opener against North Alabama.
-The McComb, Miss. native racked up three steals in the first five games of the Black & Gold's season and now sits at 107 career bases stolen over her sparkling tenure.
-Last season, Brown led Conference USA in stolen bases with 35 and finished the 2021 season ranked No. 9 in the nation in the statistic.
-The 2021 C-USA First Team selection will look to extend her record throughout the 2022 season.
-Brown became the first Golden Eagle in program history to eclipse the 100 steals milestone on March 11 against North Texas.

Down Goes No. 4 Florida
-The Golden Eagles shocked the college softball world on March 2, as Southern Miss defeated the previously-undefeated Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla.
-Southern Miss toughed out a 5-4 victory on the road, picking up its first win against a ranked foe since 2018 and its first top-five win since the 2000 Women's College World Series.
-Home runs from Jana Lee and Maria Smith propelled Southern Miss to one of the biggest victories in program history. Morgan Leinstock led the way in the circle, holding Florida's potent offense to four runs in a stunning upset.
-Southern Miss became the first unranked program to take down a top-five opponent this season.

Leinstock brings the Heat
-Junior pitcher Morgan Leinstock has been relied on for big performances in 2022.
-The Scottsdale, Ariz. 13 strikeouts against Alcorn State on Feb. 25, the most in a single game in her collegiate career.
-She finished the week of Feb. 20 with three wins, with a shutout along with an ERA of 0.67 and just two earned runs in 27 innings pitched.
-Leinstock has had one of the busiest schedules in college softball, as she has pitched 157.2 innings thus far this season.
-She recorded her first win over a ranked opponent on Wednesday, March 2 against No. 4 Florida.

Golden Eagles Host UTEP for Conference USA Series

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Players Mentioned

Destini Brown

Jana Lee

Morgan Leinstock

Maria Smith