ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson University Softball team will begin South Atlantic Conference play Saturday when it faces off with SAC foe Coker on the road at the Saleeby-Stokes Softball Field. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for noon.

The Trojans have finished second in regular season play the past two years, reaching the SAC tournament finals each of those seasons. The Black and Gold claimed the championship in 2014, but fell to the No. 3 seeded Catawba a year ago.

The Trojans
The Trojans last outing was Monday against non-conference rival Erskine College with the Black and Gold taking game one, but falling to the Flying Fleet in the nightcap.

Leading the Trojans at the plate, sophomore Cailah Niles hold a .421 average going 32-for-76 while knocking in a team and SAC conference high 31 runs. Senior Molly Child posts a .366 batting average while recording two doubles, two triples and two home runs on the year. Leadoff batter Carli Hurtado is batting .357 drawing 12 walks while posting a .449 on base percentage. The sophomore short stop has also stolen 10 bases out of 11 attempts. Freshman Kasey Grant has been steadily moving up in batting percentage points and now holds a .293 average. Grant belted her first career home run on Sunday against Johnson C. Smith.

Trojan pitcher Randee Bettis went 2-1 on the week improving her overall record to 4-1. Junior Lauren Rudesheim earned her first save of the year in game one against rival Erskine. Rudesheim also recorded a loss and a win during the week making her overall record stand at 10-3. Junior Augie Pena (6-2) holds a 0.86 ERA, recording 79 strikeouts in 56 and two thirds inning pitched.

The Cobras
Coker is currently (9-14-1, 0-0 SAC) heading into Saturday's conference opener. The Cobras are currently on a three game losing streak after splitting with Limestone and dropping two at Augusta.

Leading the Cobras at the plate, Riley Morris posts a .368 batting average while hitting four doubles and two home runs on the year. Teammate Tayler Barcomb is batting .351 with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs while plating 17 runners. As a team, Coker has hit 36 doubles and nine home runs so far this season.

The pitching trio for the Cobras have a combined 3.12 ERA holding its opponents to a .273 batting average. Taylor Forehand is 2-6 on the year with 30 strikeouts with Cobra teammate Augusta Jackson posting a 3-1 overall record. Tabitha Allen has started 12 games and holds a 4-7 overall record in 68 and one third innings pitched.

The Series vs. Coker
The Trojans and Cobras have met 39 times on the diamond, with all but two of the meetings occurring as South Atlantic Conference rivals. Coker holds a decisive 24-15 advantage in the overall series, but Anderson has won six straight and 11 of the last 13 matchups, including sweeps of the 2012, 2014 and 2015 regular-season doubleheaders. As SAC rivals, the Trojans are 4-0 versus the Cobras, with the 2013 regular-season twin bill getting washed out.

Anderson and Coker met four times as non-conference opponents in 2011 and 2012, with AU taking three-of-four decisions. The Conference Carolinas' rivalry (1998-2010) saw the Cobras claim the first 13 meetings between the two schools and hold a 23-8 edge over the 13-year span.