JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State softball team will wrap up what has already been an historic 2016 regular season by chasing a little more history this weekend.
The Gamecocks (34-14, 23-0 Ohio Valley Conference) have already wrapped up the 206 OVC Regular Season Title, but they have a chance to post the best conference season in OVC history when Belmont visits for a three-game series at University Field.
JSU has already gotten off to the best start in league history and aims to become the first OVC team to go unbeaten in OVC play since Tennessee Tech went 17-0 in 1994. The Gamecocks have won their last 27 regular season conference games, the longest streak in league history and the longest active streak of league games in the nation.
They'll go for history beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, when they play a doubleheader against the Bruins (19-32, 11-13 OVC), who are fighting for their OVC Tournament lives. They currently hold the seventh spot in the standings but lead Morehead State and Murray State by less than a game with three games to play. Morehead and Murray play the bottom two teams in the standings this weekend with the top eight advancing to next week's OVC Tournament at Oxford's Choccolocco Park.
Milestones aside, this weekend will be a special one for two members of the Gamecock roster who will play their final home games at University Field. Sunday's single game, also at 1 p.m., will be Senior Day for pitcher
Casey Akenberger and outfielder
Ella Denes, who are winding down their four-year careers at JSU.
A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, Akenberger has become a vital part of the JSU pitching staff as her career has evolved. In 2016, she is 7-2 with a 2.98 earned run average, all career bests in her JSU career. She was the glue that held the Gamecocks together in the circle during non-conference play, when injuries and tough opposition took its toll on JSU. She tossed a five-hit shutout of Liberty in February and was named the OVC's Pitcher of the Week the following Monday.
Denes, a native of Pisgah, Ala., has become one of the top hitters in the OVC over her career and currently leads the league in batting average (.398), hits (64), slugging percentage (.665) and doubles (17). The leadoff hitter for the Gamecocks, Denes is tied for the league lead in plate appearances and is second in the league in RBI (38) and runs scored (39). In the field, she has been perfect in 43 chances in right field, where she has started every game for JSU in 2016. In league play, Denes is batting .425 with nine doubles, five homers and 21 RBI.
Akenberger and Denes will be honored on Sunday in a pregame ceremony that will begin at 12:50 p.m. Admission is free for JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under for all games this weekend.
