FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

SOMERS, Wis. (Apr. 5, 2013)-- After 23 games on the road to begin the season, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside softball team prepares for its home opener this weekend at the Case Softball Complex.

The Rangers face Great Lakes Valley Conference rival Bellarmine University (18-16, 10-7 GLVC) in a doubleheader on Saturday before returning to the diamond on Sunday for a doubleheader against GLVC newcomer McKendree University (6-17, 4-11 GLVC). Action gets underway at 12 p.m. both days. (Live Stats)

UW-Parkside's 23-game road odyssey spanned six different states and two time zones. The Rangers (6-17, 3-8 GLVC) played games in Alabama and the temperature controlled confines of the RCTC Dome in Minnesota, to the frozen fields of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. UWP compiled a 6-17 record during the road swing, including a 3-8 record in true away games and a 3-9 mark in neutral site contests.

The Rangers are led offensively by Kirsten Luevano who is hitting .302 on the year with five RBIs. Katie Neubauer is hitting .292 with a team-best 16 RBIs while Alexis Simone leads the squad with nine extra base hits.

In the circle, Neubauer sports a team-best 2.60 earned run average, tossing three complete games and recording one save on the season in 32 1/3 innings pitched. Kelynn Sporer owns a 3.18 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings of action. Kristin Kleinmeyer is the workhorse, logging a team-high 56 2/3 innings in the circle while racking up a team-leading 28 strikeouts.