BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Longwood University softball team travels to Big South Conference opponent Campbell University for a three-game weekend series on May 4-5 to wrap up its 2013 regular season schedule. The teams will square off in a doubleheader on Saturday, May 4 beginning at 4 p.m. with the first game of the twin bill being broadcast live on ESPN3. The squads will then play their regular-season finale on Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m.

Looking at Longwood
Longwood currently owns a 34-16 overall record, including a 14-7 mark in Big South Conference games. Last week, the squad went 1-2 in a three-game conference series at home against Presbyterian College. The Lancers dropped back-to-back decisions in a doubleheader on April 26, 6-2 and 4-2, before picking up a 4-2 victory the following day on Senior Day. Sophomore Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii leads the Lancers with a .436 batting average. Senior Brooke Short/Hurt is second on the team with a .429 average, while sophomore Megan Baltzell/Stafford, who paces the team with 24 home runs, has a team-high 65 RBI along with a .417 batting average. Freshman Emily Murphy/Virginia Beach follows Baltzell with 59 RBI. Nishitomi leads the team with 23 multiple-hit games, while Short and Baltzell are tied with 19 apiece. Short leads the squad in the circle with an 18-7 record.

Scouting Campbell
The Fighting Camels are currently 36-17 overall and 17-4 in Big South games. The squad has won 10 of its last 11 games, including a 9-4 victory in its most recent outing at Hampton on April 25. Campbell is led by Ericka Nesbitt with a .428 batting average and 62 hits. Raven Lee paces the team with 61 RBI and 16 home runs. Courtney Klingler, a .327 hitter, has added 42 RBI and 11 home runs. Courtney Roberts has a 17-6 record in the circle for CU with a 3.11 ERA and a team-best 128 strikeouts.

Series History
The all-time series between Longwood and Campbell is currently tied 5-5. The squads last met on May 9, 2011 when the Lancers swept a doubleheader on the road, earning a 5-4 victory in nine innings before taking a 4-1 decision in 11 innings.

Creating a Legacy
In its first year as part of the Big South Conference, the 2013 Longwood softball team is re-writing many of the school's season records. This year's team has already set new program bests for runs batted in (323), home runs (64), doubles (79) and runs scored (358). In addition, Megan Baltzell now holds the all-time record for RBI in a season with 65 and for home runs in a season with 24. Kori Nishitomi has program highs of 67 runs scored, 75 hits and a 24-game hit streak. In the season walks category, Emily Murphy, Short and Baltzell have slid into the top three spots with 34, 30 and 27, respectively.

Best in the Nation
Megan Baltzell currently leads the nation in home runs. She is the top Division I player among 150 ranked with 24 homers this season, through April 28. In addition, Kori Nishitomi is second in the nation with 1.34 runs scored per game, while Baltzell is ranked third overall in the same category (1.30). Baltzell sits third with a 1.007 slugging percentage and fifth with 1.3 RBI per game. The Lancers are currently ranked fifth in the nation in scoring (7.16). The squad is also ranked in the top 20 in slugging percentage (10th, .541), doubles (14th, 1.58), home runs (16th, 1.28) and batting average (18th, .322).

Making a Name
Longwood is quickly making a name for itself as a Big South Conference power in its first season with the league. The Lancers currently lead the Big South with a .322 team batting average, 437 hits, 79 doubles, 13 triples, 64 home runs and 177 walks. Longwood also leads the league in slugging percentage (.541), on base percentage (.406), runs batted in (323) and runs scored (358). Nishitomi leads the conference in batting average and runs, while Short is first with a .527 on base percentage. Baltzell is first in the conference in home runs and slugging percentage.