• This will be the Jennies first ever trip to St. Cloud, Minn. and the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
• UCM has started their season 2-2 for the second straight season. A year ago, the Jennies rattled off wins in three of their next four games after their 2-2 start.
• The weekend classic will feature teams from the Northern Sun and MIAA. In addition to the Jennies, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Missouri Western and Nebraska-Kearney will venture to Minnesota.
• This is the fourth year of the Kelly Laas Memorial Invitational which began in 2012. The invite will also carry a Coaches vs. Cancer theme in honor of former St. Cloud student-athlete, Kelly Laas.
• The Jennies were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA Preseason Poll
• UCM went back to the MIAA Championships in 2014 after missing out in 2013. The Jennies went 27-23 in 2014 with a 14-12 MIAA record. They went 0-2 in the postseason with losses to Emporia State and Fort Hays State.
Last Time Out The Jennies began their season at the UAM Eight-State Classic Feb. 13-14. UCM went 2-2 in four games with wins over Illinois-Springfield and William Jewell.
The Jennies fell behind early in their season opener against Henderson State. UCM gave up three first inning runs on a pair of home runs from Sarah Gipson and Ashlyn White. The Jens got two back in the bottom half of the inning though, as
Lauren Mabe plated a pair of runs with a single.
The game remained 3-2 until the fifth inning when the Reddies scored four unearned runs on a grand slam from Morgan South, giving them a 7-2 lead.
Lindsey Dawson doubled home
Madison Hood in the bottom of the fifth to end the
scoring.
Katie Shockley went the distance for the Jens, giving up seven runs, two earned on five hits with five strikeouts. Seven different Jennies sprayed the seven team hits, with Dawson's double the only one going for extra bases.
The Jennies and the Rangers remained scoreless until the fourth inning of game two when Mabe got the Jennies on board with the team's first home run of 2015, a solo shot to center. In the fifth, Mabe picked up her second RBI of the game, and fourth of the day, driving home
Jakki Prater with a double to left to put the Jens up 2-0.
Northwestern Oklahoma answered with a run in the bottom half of the fifth on a Sandoval single to cut the lead in half.
The Jennies again made it a two-run game in the seventh as Prater's ground-out to short scored
Ali Jo Rogers.
UCM got the first two outs in the seventh, but it was the third that proved elusive. The Rangers scored a pair of runs to tie the game at three apiece on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman, sending the game into extra innings.
The Jennies broke the 3-all tie in the top half of the ninth inning as Rogers laced a one-out single and stole second before Prater drove her in with a single down the right field line, giving UCM the 4-3 lead.
The Rangers quickly tied the game at four on a base hit by Miller and had runners on the corners with nobody out. The Jennies recorded two-outs, including Dawson cutting off Anderson at the plate trying to score on a grounder to second, keeping the game tied at two. But McGraw hit a double to center field to give the Rangers the game, 5-4.
Prater threw 7.2 innings in the circle giving up three runs, one earned, eight hits and stirking out six. She also picked up three hits in five at bats at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring another.
Rogers and Mabe each contributed a pair of hits and Rogers scored two of the Jennies' four runs.
On day two, the Jennies swept their two games Saturday over Illinois Springfield and
William Jewell, evening their record to 2-2.
Against Illinois Springfield, Shockley picked up her first win of the season. She struck out a career-high 12 batters in the 6-3 win. Prater picked up three hits and Rogers and Mabe collected a pair each.
The Jennies needed extra innings for the second straight day, but earned a 4-3 win over
William Jewell in eight innings. Prater collected her first win of 2015 and struck out ten Cardinals.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the seventh inning,
Carlie Rose doubled to even up the game 3-3 and
Allie Dishinger hit the game-winning home run in the eighth. Both Rose and Dishinger picked up a pair of hits in the win.
Quick HitsAnderson vs. the Northern Sun• Jennies coach
Susan Anderson is 21-10 all-time against the Northern Sun in a UCM Uniform and 11-5 against this weekend's five opponents.
Jennies at a Neutral Site• UCM is 35-37 in neutral site games the last five years, including this season's 2-2 start. A year ago, the Jens were 7-8 in games played on a neutral field.
Runners in Scoring Position• The Jennies struggled last weekend with runners scoring position, batting .216 (11-for-51) in such situations.
• The Jens also did a good job against opponents in such situations, buckling down and limiting opponents to a .265 batting average (9-for-34) with RISP.
• UCM did do a good job getting runners home from third with less than two outs. The Jennies converted on four of 10 of those situations.
Hit Parade• UCM outhit their opponents 37-28 in their four games in Bentonville, Ark. The 9.25 hits per game is right on pace with their 2014 average of 9.06 hits per game.
• The Jens have been successful leading off innings. Of their 30 innings at the plate, UCM has reached base in 14 of those plate appearances for a .467 on base percentage.
Fanning the Opposition• Both seniors
Jakki Prater and
Katie Shockley are averaging more than a strikeout per inning. Shockley's collected 17 strikeouts in 15 innings while Prater has 16 in 15.2 innings.
• Shockley set a new career-high in strikeouts in the win Saturday over Illinois-Springfield. She struck out 12 Prairie Stars in seven innings, earning her first win of the season.
Two is Better than One• Of the Jennies 37 hits, 13 have come of the two-base variety. The Jennies have out-doubled their opponents 13-4
• The leaders of the double-barrage are sophomore
Lauren Mabe and junior
Ali Jo Rogers. They both share the team lead with three. Six other Jennies clubbed a double during the opening weekend, giving them eight in four games.
• Though the Jennies have a 15-9 lead over opponents in extra-base hits, UCM has been out homered 5-2 in four games. In 2014, the Jennies hit 16 more home runs than the competition (51-to-35). Mabe and freshman
Allie Dishinger were the two Jennies to put one over the fence last weekend.
Success Against Lefties• Both Prater and Shockley have had early success against left-handed batters to start the season. Lefties are hitting a combied .148 (4-for-27) against the Jens two starters. Last year, lefty batters hit .312 against UCM.
Free Softball• The Jennies have already played a pair of extra inning games in 2015, winning one and losing one. UCM only played in one extra inning game in 2014 and three in 2013. The Jens are 11-4 in extra inning games the last five years and were a perfect 5-0 in 2012.
Minnesota State-Mankato:SERIES HISTORY: The Jennies and Mavericks have met 14 times previously, with their last meeting coming in 2008. All 14 meetings have taken place on a neutral field. The Jennies have gotten the better of the Mavericks to the tune of a 9-5 record. UCM head coach
Susan Anderson is 1-1 all-time against Minnesota-State with a 4-1 in 2008 and a 4-1 loss in 2007.
SCOUTING REPORT: Like the Jennies, the Mavs season began at the UCM Eight State Classic. The Mavericks dropped all four games, two of them to MIAA opponents. Coley Ries has started three of the four games in 2015 and has allowed 17 earned runs in 13.2 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts. The Mavericks enter the Dome Tournament batting .204 as a team with 12 runs scored in four games. Ashley Thell is their leading hitting with a .417 batting average, five hits including one home run and four RBI.
St. Cloud State:
SERIES HISTORY: The Huskies and Jennies last meeting came in coach
Susan Anderson's first season at the helm, 2007. The Jennies took a 3-2 win and hold a 4-3 edge in the series.
SCOUTING REPORT: St. Cloud went 2-3 last weekend at the Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. There, the Huskies picked up wins over Black Hills State (S.D.) and Western New Mexico. St. Cloud features pitcher Megan Hedstrom who has started her season with a pair of wins in two starts. She sports a 2.10 ERA having allowed three earned runs in 10 innings pitched giving up nine hits and striking out five. At the plate the Huskies provide power having hit four home runs in five games. Alyssa Coletto leads the team with two and is tied for the team lead with five RBI.
Concordia St. Paul:
SERIES HISTORY: The Golden Bears and Jennies met a season ago with the Jennies walking out 6-2 winners. CSP scored two in the top of the first inning but the Jennies scored the next six including a five-run fifth to give
Jakki Prater the win. The Jennies hold a 5-1 all-time series record and are 3-0 under Coach Anderson.
SCOUTING REPORT: The Golden Bears season will get underway at the St. Cloud Dome Tournament. A year ago they finished 20-34 and went 2-2 in the Northern Sun Conference Tournament. Both of CSP's starters from a year ago return. Stephanie Kappes led the staff with 11 wins and a 4.33 ERA. She threw 223.1 innings and struck out 159 batters. Teona Zepeda also returns to the Golden Bears' lineup. She hit .339 with a .421 on base in 2014. She was third on the team with 58 hits and second with 24 stolen bases in 25 attempts.
No. 23 Augustana (S.D.):
SERIES HISTORY: The Jennies and Vikings rivalry dates back to 1980. The Vikings hold a 10-5 advantage over the Jens including a 5-4 win in 2014 and wins in the last two meetings. UCM coach
Susan Anderson is 1-3 all-time against the Vikings.
SCOUTING REPORT: No. 23 Augustana went 3-2 in their season opening tournament, the Desert Stinger in Las Vegas, Nev. Pitcher Jenelle Trautmann is 2-0 with a 3.67 ERA in 21 innins pitched. Pitching staff mate Karlee Koopman also has a win in the circle pitching a complete game allowing three earned runs in seven innings. At the dish, Trautmann also sports a .571 batting average with eight hits in 14 at bats. She's slugged three home runs and has picked up 13 RBI. She was named the Northern Sun Preseason Player of the Year and to the 2014 NFCA All-America Second Team.
Wayne State:
SERIES HISTORY: UCM holds a 6-4 lead in the all-time series. A year ago, the Wildcats rallied for an 11-10 win in a wild game that saw 21 runs and 31 hits combined. That was coach
Susan Anderson's first loss too Wayne State after opening her UCM career with a perfect 3-0 mark.
SCOUTING REPORT: The Jennies get the honor of being Wayne State's first opponent for 2015. The Wildcats return a pair of 15+ game winners in seniors Kelcie Bormann and Sara Schefffert. Scefferent led the 'cats with 18 wins while Bormann was 17-4 with a 2.00 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 135 innings. Bormann also slugged five home runs and drove in 31 with a .364 batting average, second-best on the team. Senior Kaiti Williams was the Wildcats' leading hitter in 2014 with a .440 average, 10 home runs and 45 RBI.
