ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies prepare to open their conference schedule with a road showdown at Northern Kentucky this weekend.

Oakland heads on the road for the series, looking to bolster its record away from Rochester. The Golden Grizzlies have won four games in a row, most recently sweeping a doubleheader against Cleary on Mar. 13. Kayla Turmell smacked two home runs in the series, bringing her team-high total to four on the season, along with a team-best 19 RBI.

Oakland's bats have been on fire this season, as the team is hitting .304 and has scored six or more runs in each of its last three games. With the third-best batting average in the conference, the Golden Grizzlies are playing some of their best softball of the season.

Horizon League play begins this weekend as Oakland takes on the Norse in Highland Heights in a three-game series.

Oakland holds an 18-14 all-time record against NKU, but is looking to snap a four game head-to-head skid. The Golden Grizzlies have fared well on the road against the Norse, winning five of the last six matchups in Highland Heights.

Northern Kentucky enters the weekend just under .500 with an 11-12 record. The Norse have lost four straight, most recently dropping three consecutive games to Northern Iowa. During that stretch, NKU has been outscored 58-9.

Ranked fourth in the Horizon League in both batting average (.286) and ERA (5.83), Northern Kentucky has been the definition of middle of the pack among conference teams. Meanwhile, the Golden Grizzlies rank third in batting average and first in ERA.

Individually, Oakland has five players ranked in the top 15 in batting average, along with two pitchers in the top five in ERA, creating a dangerous and balanced attack.

The conference-opening series spans two days, beginning with a 4 p.m. first pitch on Friday, Mar. 20, followed by a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 21.