Game Preview: The No. 1 University of North Georgia softball team returns to the field after over a week off to battle Young Harris and Lee this week. Both doubleheaders are on the road.

Rankings: UNG is ranked No. 1 in the latest NFCA top 25 poll, announced Wednesday. Other teams from the southeast region that are ranked are No. 9 Carson-Newman and No. 23 Lincoln Memorial.

Nighthawks on the Web: Links to both doubleheaders can be found above or on the UNG Softball schedule page. Fans can also follow the action through Twitter by following the softball team (@UNGSoftball).
 
Last Week: The Nighthawks went 4-0 last week, besting UNC Pembroke and Francis Marion in league play. The Nighthawks outscored the Braves and Patriots, 32-6, on the week.

PBC Team Stats: Kylee Smith (0.35) and Laken Chambers (0.65) are first and second in the PBC in ERA while Smith leads the league in wins with 15. The junior is first in the league in strikeouts with 154. As a team, the Nighthawks have the lowest ERA at 1.00 and have given up the fewest hits and runs in the league. The Nighthawks find themselves in the middle of the league in most of the offensive statistical categories.

Scouting the Opponents: Young Harris is 17-11 on the year and 3-1 in Peach Belt Conference play. Most recently, the Mountain Lions fell in both games of a doubleheader against No. 10 Alabama-Huntsville at home. North Georgia is 16-2 against the Mountain Lions all time, going 3-1 against YHC last season. Young Harris has taken two of the six meetings on the other side of Blood Mountain. Lee is 13-18 this season, having split with Young Harris back on March 13. The Flames went 3-2 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, beating then-No. 8 West Chester along the way. UNG is 16-6 against Lee in the all-time series, winning five of the last six. Last year, the Nighthawks bested the Flames in two games. North Georgia is 6-2 in Cleveland all-time.