WKU softball (16-21) will take on Samford (26-17) this weekend in a doubleheader for some non-Conference USA play at home.

The two games against Samford will add to the Lady Toppers’ nonconference week after their match against the University of Kentucky on Wednesday.

WKU’s game against UK was also played at home in preparation for this weekend. The matchup was not final as of press time.

Prior to the game against the Wildcats, WKU Head Coach Amy Tudor spoke of how the game would be beneficial for her team.

“Kentucky is a top team in the nation, and we’ll get to see some great pitching, some great hitting, so they’ll help us hopefully down the road in the conference,” Tudor said.

On Monday, UK Athletics posted a press release regarding pitcher Kelsey Nunley; the UK senior was named SEC Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row.

WKU’s junior pitcher Kathryn Downing recently displayed her pitching talent in a two C-USA matches against Charlotte on Saturday and Sunday when she threw two two-hitter games. The Bowling Green native currently has a 2.99 overall ERA on the season.

Southern Conference member Samford is entering Saturday’s matchups from another doubleheader against Austin Peay and a weekend series against Western Carolina.

The series was split between Samford and Western Carolina before the Bulldogs returned on Sunday to take the victory.

Samford’s outcome differs from WKU’s last three-series game against Charlotte. WKU dropped the series when it lost both games on Saturday but still rallied on Sunday for the final win, a 4-0 sweep.

Samford will travel to Bowling Green for the doubleheader on April 23. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., and the second will follow shortly after at 3 p.m. at the WKU Softball Complex.

“They’re a good team,” Tudor said. “It’ll be a good nonconference game, and we’re looking forward to hosting it.”

The Lady Toppers will have to game plan for Bulldog senior outfielder Megan Dowdy, who is currently fielding an impressive .396 batting average at the plate this season.

However, Dowdy might not be the most dangerous offense threat from Samford. Freshman catcher Hannah Trombley leads the team in home runs with 10 and in RBIs with 33 on the season.

These players are just two talented hitters for the Bulldogs; Samford currently owns a very impressive .318 batting average as a team on the year.

This will be an important doubleheader for Downing as she will need to put together two strong performances on the mound against this impressive lineup for the Lady Toppers to have a chance to earn two much-needed victories.