BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The LIU Brooklyn softball team (23-14, 5-1 NEC) is ready for a double dose of Northeast Conference doubleheaders this weekend at LIU Field. First up on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. NYC rival Wagner comes to Brooklyn for Senior Day, as three seniors are honored. Then on Monday, the Blackbirds will host Central Connecticut State at 3:30 p.m., in a double-dip originally scheduled for Friday, but pushed back due to the impending weather.

BLACKBIRD BITS

• The Blackbirds lost only their second game in the last ten, falling to Stony Brook, 4-1 in a non-conference midweek matchup.
• Sophomore centerfielder Ryleigh Bermea was named Player of the Week by the Northeast Conference on Tuesday, it was the team's first top player award this season.
• Bermea went 3-for-6 at the plate against Mount last weekend, with a triple, a home run and seven runs batted in over the two games to earn the Lynn DeVivo Bao Player of the Game on Alumni Day.
• Sophomore infielders Alina Castillo and Kiana Cisneros are tied for the team lead in batting at .314, with the top two batters in the lineup, freshman Camryn Lyman (.312) and Patricia Griffin (.306) close behind.
• For Senior Day, Head Coach Roy Kortmann's three four-year 'Birds will be honored, infielder Evie Claussell, outfielder Amanda Domingo and first baseman Schae Dickson, who is having her best season, leading the team in runs scored (25) and runs batted in (21).
• The Blackbirds lead the Northeast Conference in fielding percentage this year at .973, which is also 21th overall in the NCAA.
• LIU is 5-0 at home to start the year, with non-conference wins over Columbia, Hofstra and St. John's and two league wins over Mount.

WAGNER OUTLOOK  | LIVE STATS | NEC FRONT ROW
The Seahawks (12-23, 2-6 NEC) are coming off the bi-yearly road trip to Western Pennsylvania which was highlighted by an 11-1 victory over Robert Morris to go 1-3. WC junior Kaila Smith hit two home runs on the weekend and now has six on the season, while senior Karen Prihoda leads the team in batting average at .357. Freshmen Eve Harvey (5) and Kayla Hooks (4) have combined for nine of Wagner's 12 wins in the pitching circle this season this year.

CCSU OUTLOOK  | LIVE STATS | NEC FRONT ROW
Blue Devils' (15-18, 2-6 NEC) freshman Alexa Milius worked her way into the starting lineup and now leads the team in batting at .359. Her classmate Rian Eigenmann leads the team with 22 runs scored to go with a .333 batting average. Sophomore Sydney Bolan leads CCSU with 36 runs batted it, while hitting .327 to help lead the offense. On the mound, Sophomore Ashley Antonazzo (6 wins) and freshman Carley Stoker (7 wins) have split time, with 20 appearances each.

SERIES' HISTORY
WAGNER: The Blackbirds carry a 71-19 all-time advantage over their neighbors to the west. Last season the schools split a pair of 7-6 games, as the teams finished up a doubleheader in May that was started in March. Current senior Evie Claussell scored the winning run in the eighth inning in LIU's game one win.

CCSU: LIU holds a 39-13 program record over Central Connecticut. Last season, the Blue Devils swept the regular season doubleheader (9-0, 14-5) up in New Britain. But the in the NEC Championship Tournament, the Blackbirds topped CCSU, 7-4, on a Schae Dickson three run bomb, to turn the 4-3 deficit into a win, allowing LIU to advance to the championship round.

UP NEXT
The Blackbirds will head across the Hudson River for a midweek matchup at Saint Peter's on Thursday, April 25 at 4:00 p.m., as siblings Emily Collins (LIU) and Schieler Collins (SPU) will face off for the first time in their collegiate careers.