BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb will begin their Big South schedule on Wednesday afternoon as they welcome Mercer to Spangler Stadium. First draw for the game is slated for 3:00 p.m.

Gardner-Webb is coming off a two-game road trip to Ohio where they collected their first win of the year at Akron on March 12 and a narrow loss to Youngstown State two days later on March 14. The team was led offensively by Jada Preston as she tripled her season scoring after the pair of games as she now has 21 points of the year to lead the team. She tallied seven-point performances in each contest as she dished seven assists against the Zips and had four goals and three assist against the Penguins. She has dished 14 assists on the year and averages 2.00 per game witht the latter ranking Top-30 in the NCAA and 2nd in the league.

The Runnin' Bulldogs have five other players in double figures for scoring so far this year. Brittany Sherrod (16), Bria Foley (15), Alera Cornett (14), Emma Duchscherer (10) and Aimie Perino (10). Rylee Gonzalez and Lauren Connor have each contributed on that end of the field as they have netted eight and seven points in 2023. 

Sherrod has emerged as the team leader for draws as she ranks 3rd in the league with 3.62 per game. She has recorded 29 so far this season with Foley adding 17 and Duchscherer having 13. 

Danielle Burke has been main player in cage for the 'Dogs as well this year as she has started in seven games and played in all eight. Burke has played 374 minutes and had collected 67 saves this year, the second most in the conference. She has been in double figures for saves for the past four games, making a season-high 12 in her last outing.

Also on the defensive end, Grace Briggs and Heather Lobas have led defense that ranks Top-25 in the NCAA in caused turnovers per game with 9.6. Briggs is having a career year as she has set a new season high for GBs (26) and is one away from a new high in CTs (19) as well. She has had four games so far where she has collected at least three in each category. She has scooped at least 3 GBs in seven of the contests this year and forced a turnover in six of them.

Lobas has continued to be one of the most dominant defenders in the Big South this year as she has caused 12 turnovers and recorded 15 groundballs through the first eight games this year. She started the year by forcing at least one turnover in each of the first seven games of the season.and opened the year by recording a season-high six against Cincinnati.

Mackenzie Gallery has also been one of the solid performers on the defensive end for the team as she has played and started in five games this year. She scored a goal in the season opener and has 8 GBs and 5 CTs in 2023. Against Akron, she recorded season-highs in GBs and CTs as she had three of each. 

GWU is coming off its best back-to-back offensive performances of the year as they recorded 18 goals in their previous two games. In their game at Akron, they finished with 30 points, their highest total since February 2020.

Wednesday's game will be broadcasted live on ESPN+ with Mark Binetti on the call.