The WKU softball team is heading to Mobile, Ala., this weekend for a series with some top Sun Belt Conference competition in No. 25 South Alabama.

The series will kick off with a doubleheader on Friday scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The final game is scheduled for Saturday at noon.

The Lady Toppers have already faced four nationally-ranked opponents this year, three of them being nonconference opponents.

Coach Tyra Perry said the challenging games the Lady Toppers play should benefit them later in the season.

“We play difficult nonconference games so that we can handle the pressures of a conference game, especially against a good opponent like South Alabama,” Perry said.

WKU (17-10, 6-2) is just 2-7 in games against ranked opponents, but the two victories came against then-ranked Sun Belt foe Louisiana-Lafayette. Those victories went on to knock ULL out of the top 25.

The Lady Toppers look to knock another Sun Belt team out of the top 25 this weekend and regain the top spot in the conference standings.

Senior pitcher Mallorie Sulaski said the Lady Toppers could make it happen by focusing on the task at hand.

“We just need to stick to our plan and not take it too seriously or too lightly,” Sulaski said. “Just go out and play our game. They’re definitely beatable. If we stick to the game plan, we won’t have a problem.”

Although WKU is 11-3 at home this season, the Lady Toppers are 2-6 on the road.

Junior infielder Amanda Thomas said coming out with authority is key to winning in a hostile environment.

“I think we just need to fight as hard as we can,” Thomas said. “Because we’re going in to this series knowing it’s going to be a tough one and a challenge for us, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.”

WKU has won six of its last eight games and leads the Sun Belt in triples with a total of 12. Perry said the Lady Toppers have to focus on what has gotten them to this point in order to win games.

“We just need to play our game and not try to do anything special,” Perry said. “If we go out there and do the things that we’ve done that have gotten us this far then we will achieve our goals.”