INDIANAPOLIS – After four weekends playing in the southern half of the country, the IUPUI softball team opens up its home schedule this weekend when it kicks off Summit League play against Western Illinois with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 10, with Game 1 scheduled to begin at Noon.

The final game of the three-game set will also begin at Noon on Sunday, March 11.

Saturday's game against the Leathernecks begins a seven-day, eight-game homestand that features the three games this weekend against WIU, a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 14, against Morehead State and another three-game conference series March 16-17 against North Dakota State.

"We are very happy to be returning home and playing in front of our fans," said head coach Maggie Calcaterra. "The last four weeks have been exhausting, but we have learned a lot about our team and where our focus needs to be."

The Jaguars enter the first weekend of conference action with a 5-10 overall mark following a 1-3 showing last weekend at the Woo Pig Classic hosted by the University of Arkansas.

Nikki Thomas continued her stellar sophomore campaign on the mound leading the Jags to a 2-0 victory in the tournament finale against Drake in which she posted a complete-game shutout, her second in as many weekends.

In nine appearances this season, including seven starts, Thomas owns a 1.18 ERA in 47.1 innings of work and has struck out 43 batters.

Offensively, Kelsey Rupert holds onto the team's top batting average hitting .412 in nine games, while Leah Prewitt and Eryn Dillon are tied for the team lead with 12 hits apiece.

Freshman Jenny Royse comes into her first weekend of Summit League action as the squad's leading run-producer knocking in 10 runs, while also pacing the team with two home runs.

The Leathernecks come into the weekend with a 5-12 overall record, which includes a 0-4 record in true road games.

WIU is hitting .237, but they are led offensively by Sammy Marshall's .355 average and she wreaks havoc on the bases successfully stealing 21 bases in 21 attempts. Marshall also leads the team with 14 runs scored and all 22 of her hits have gone for singles.

In the circle, Kelsey Michelini owns four of the team's five wins and boasts the staff's top ERA at 3.06.

"When you look at our stats and Western's stats, we look very comparable," Calcaterra said. "I believe that we should have some very close and competitive games this weekend. The outcomes will probably be dependent on who makes the key play or gets the key hit."