JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 16, 2008) - The ETSU softball team gears up for a critical conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon when they host the Campbell Lady Camels at Metro-Kiwanis Park. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.

ETSU - who split with Stetson Tuesday afternoon - can clinch a spot in next month's Atlantic Sun Tournament with a sweep over Campbell. The Lady Bucs stand 23-27, 7-9 in conference play and currently hold the tournament's No. 4 seed. ETSU leads Campbell by one game, Jacksonville by three and Gardner-Webb by four with six league games remaining. The top six teams play in the conference tournament in DeLand, Fla. from May 8-10.

As a team, ETSU has won seven of its last nine, and have been led by sophomore right-hander Marissa Hardy (Rocklin, Calif.) in the circle and Katy Jett (Talbott, Tenn.), Kate Powell (Johnson City), Jessie Hackworth (Clinton, Tenn.) and Vicki McCoy (Ringgold, Ga.) at the plate. Hardy has won her last six starts and holds a 0.85 ERA (5 ER/41.0 IP) with 50 strikeouts in those outings. Nineteen of those 50 punch outs came yesterday versus Stetson as she fanned 14 in game one and five more Hatters in the nightcap. Jett is batting .419 (13-31) with two doubles, a home run and eight RBIs, while Powell is hitting .360 (9-25) with six runs scored over the last nine games. McCoy has raised her average 21 points over the run as she has seven hits in her last 20 at-bats, and Hackworth is hitting .353 (6-17) with a double, triple, three RBIs and three runs scored in her last nine contests.

Campbell enters play with a record of 32-18, 6-8 and brings a four-game winning streak into Johnson City. The Lady Camels are hitting .303 as a team and have five players over the .300 plateau; including freshman Katie Hinton who ranks fifth in the conference with her .386 average. Senior third baseman/outfielder Courtney Quinn already set Campbell's single-season record with her 16 homers and is batting .353 with 15 doubles and 35 RBIs. As a team, the Lady Camels rank second in batting average, doubles (84), home runs (50) and RBIs (265).

Last season, the Lady Bucs swept Campbell behind Briana Knight's (Brier, Wash.) and (Katy) Jett's outstanding efforts. Jett went 5-for-8 (.625) with three doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored and Knight hit .571 (4-for-7) with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored.

For more information on Lady Buccaneer, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.