FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern softball team (20-15, 5-4 SSC) is set for its first home series since March 3 this weekend, when it hosts No. 6 Barry (25-5, 8-1 SSC) Friday and Saturday for a three-game Sunshine State Conference tilt. The series opener will take place Friday, March 23, 2012 at 7 p.m. with “Strikeout Cancer” festivities taking place prior to and throughout the game. Saturday’s doubleheader will begin at 5 p.m. at the AD Griffin Sports Complex.
 
The NFCA is once again encouraging colleges, universities and high schools to participate in its “Strikeout Cancer” program by promoting fundraising and awareness at a home game annually. The Sharks will be participating in this year’s efforts Thursday with free t-shirt give-a-ways, raffles and an awareness ceremony for those fans in attendance who have been affected by the disease. Thursday, NSU held a pep rally for the softball team in the Don Taft University Center to encourage fans to attend the game, promote awareness for cancer research and help jumpstart the fundraising efforts.
 
NSU will look to build on its current three-game winning streak it is on after sweeping Eckerd on the road last weekend. The Sharks’ pitching staff only allowed one run the entire series, garnering shutouts in the first two games by scores of 4-0 and 16-0. Sara DeMuth (Sr., Plant City, Fla.), current SSC Pitcher of the Week, was credited with both shutouts, while also throwing a no-hitter Friday night. Her eight shutouts this season is tied for the most in the nation.
 
DeMuth, second in the nation with 194 strikeouts, sits 24 away from breaking the Sharks’ single season mark of 217 set by Lexi Sarradet in 2009. DeMuth’s 14 wins this season is seventh-best in the history of the NSU softball program.
 
The Sharks also cranked three homeruns in St. Petersburg, Fla. DeMuth knocked a pair, a grand slam and a three-run shot, in the fifth inning of the Sharks 16-0 trouncing of the Tritons. Laura Saladrigas (Jr., Hollywood, Fla.) hit her conference-best eighth homer of the 2012 campaign.
 
Lorena Spaulding (Fr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Katie Kelton (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) can also call themselves the best in the SSC in specific categories. Spaulding, in her first year of collegiate competition, is tied for the conference lead with 40 hits. Kelton, completing her final season of competition, is alone at the top of the runs scored list with 29 this season.
 
Barry enters this weekend’s series having moved up two spots in the national poll to a tie for sixth place with Cal State Chico. The Buccaneers are winners in nine of its last 10 games, including a series sweep of Florida Southern last weekend.
 
The Bucs have used staunch pitching to power themselves to a top-10 ranking. As a team, Barry ranks 13th in the nation with a 1.51 ERA.  Brianna Smith leads the Bucs with 13 wins this season and a 1.37 ERA. Paula Mackin has a team-best 1.18 ERA, to go with a 3-0 record in five appearances.
 
Amber Durkin and Natalia Ojeda lead the Bucs in batting average at .389 and .384, respectively. Sarah Broesecker is tied for a conference-high 12 doubles this season, while teammate Alyssa Goldsmith is one back with 11 this season.

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