The Series: Towson Tigers (20-17, 9-6 CAA) vs. North Carolina A&T Aggies (12-26, 5-7 CAA)
Where: Tiger Softball Stadium – Towson, Md.
When: Saturday-Sunday, April 15-16 – Double header on Saturday at noon, single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
Broadcast: Live stream on FloSoftball on Sunday only, Live stats at TowsonTigers.com

TOWSON, Md. – Towson softball will return to the friendly confines of Tiger Softball Stadium for a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series against North Carolina A&T this weekend. The Tigers are riding a three-game win streak after a convincing 15-7 win at UMBC on Wednesday night to improve to 20-17, 9-6 CAA.

The Tigers used a big seven run third inning to pull away from the Retrievers that saw 12 batters come to the plate to take an 8-1 lead. UMBC would cut into the deficit, but a big three-run home run from freshman Cara Bohner helped keep UMBC at bay in the win. The win also gave Towson their first 20-win season since 2019.  

Towson and North Carolina A&T have met just four times prior to weekend set with the Tigers leading the series 3-1. The two have not met since the 2018 season were Towson swept the series. This will be the first time the two will meet as CAA foes and the first-time meeting in Towson.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES:
North Carolina A&T comes into the weekend at 12-26, 5-7 CAA after splitting a midweek series with future CAA opponent Campbell. The Aggies dropped game one 5-1 before bouncing back for a 2-1 win in game two. The Aggies are 6-6 at home compared to 4-10 on the road this season. Jai Deese leads the team at the plate batting .343 with a team-high 35 hits, five home runs and 19 RBIs. Alyxx Estrada leads the team on the bases with 16 stolen bases. In the circle Megan Ellis leads the staff with a 3.72 ERA while Joey Barkhimer has struck out a team-best 37 batters.

PETERS AMONG THE BEST:
Madyson Peters is having a breakout season for the Tigers in 2023. The junior from Arizona is currently tied for first in the nation in doubles with 16. Peters is also second nationally in double per game at 0.43 with the leader at 0.52.

Peters has been named CAA Player of the Week twice during the 2023 season.

TIGERS HONORED:
Three different Tigers have earned CAA weekly awards so far in the 2023 season. Maddie Gardner was named pitcher of the week back on February 21 while Addie Ferguson was named rookie of the week the following week. Most recently, Madyson Peters was named player of the week on March 20 after leading Towson to their first CAA series sweep since 2019. Peters earned her second player of the week award on April 3 after leading the Tigers to another series sweep of Drexel.

NEWCOMERS:
Towson will have 10 newcomers suit up in the Black and Gold for the 2023 season. Eight of the ten newcomers are freshman who will be making their collegiate debuts, joining a pair of DI transfers in Erin Brown (Thousand Oak, Calif./La Reina/St. John's) and Maddie Gardner (Sun Prairie, Wisc./Sun Prairie/South Florida).

Brown comes to Towson from St. John's University where she made 46 appearances in the circle with 25 starts throwing 173.2 innings. She amassed an 11-20 record with nine complete games, three shutouts and two saves. Her best season came during the Covid shortened 2020 campaign, going 5-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 61.2 innings.

Gardner made six appearances in two seasons for USF in the circle. She sported a 1-0 record in five appearances in 2021, picking up a victory against Florida Atlantic in 2.0 innings of relief.

Alyssa Myint, Nadia Martyniuk, Cheyenne Beayon, Isabella Canesi, Cara Bohner, Addie Ferguson, Kellie Zoerb and Grace Franczyk will also suit up for the Tigers in 2023.

NEW LOOK PITCHING STAFF:
Towson returns just two pitchers who saw action in the 2022 season in Paige Kostick and Sydni Byers. Kostick saw action in seven games with four starts, tossing 28.1 innings with 11 strikeouts. Byers appeared in five games out of the bullpen. Also returning for the Tigers will be Morgan Wagner who missed the 2022 season due to an injury.

Three newcomers will join the pitching staff in freshman Cheyenne Beayon and transfers Erin Brown and Maddie Gardner. Beayon comes to Towson from Mount De Sales with Brown and Gardner transferring from St. John's University and University of South Florida. Brown made 46 career appearances for the Red Storm with nine complete games. Gardner made six appearances in her two seasons with the Bulls.

OFFENSIVE DEPTH:
The Tigers return four of their top five hitters from 2022, including offensive leader Briana Ramirez. Ramirez led Towson with a .379 batting average and a .434 slugging percentage a year ago.
Ramirez finished second in the CAA in batting and will enter 2023 as the top returning hitter from a year ago while also finishing third in hits with 55 in 2022.

Mackenzie Lake, Sydni Byers, and Madyson Peters also return to help a Towson offense that hit .252 from the plate in 2022. Lake finished the year with a .303 batting average, leading the team with seven doubles and five home runs. Byers hit .256 tying Lake with seven doubles and team-best 25 RBIs. Peters went .245 from the dish with 27 hits and six doubles.

NEXT GAME:
Towson will head back on the road for four straight starting with a midweek matchup at Georgetown on Wednesday, April 19. First pitch with the Hoyas is set for 7 p.m.