WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 9, 2017) - Central Missouri Jennies Softball is back in action this week at the NFCA Lead Off Classic. The Jens will be in Clearwater, Fla. for five games in three days, Friday-Sunday.
When: Friday-Sunday, Feb. 10-12
Where: Clearwater, Fla. - Eddie C. Moore Complex
Opponents: Eckerd - Friday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m.
No. 17 Saint Leo - Friday, Feb. 10, 4 p.m.
Florida Tech - Saturday, Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m.
Rollins - Saturday, Feb. 11, 4:30 p.m.
Georgia College - Sunday, Feb. 12, 8 a.m.
How to Watch: Live stats will be available for select games. Please continue to check www.UCMathletics.com for more information.
Leading Off
• Central Missouri went 3-3 at the Southeastern Oklahoma State Regional Invitational to start the 2017 season.
• At 3-3, the Jennies are currently fourth in the MIAA standings. They are one of 10 MIAA teams that started their season last weekend
• Runs were at at premium in the Jennies first six games of the season. UCM pitched to a 1.83 team ERA while their opponents combined for a 2.80 ERA.
• With the Jennies facing No. 17 Saint Leo, it will be the second week in a row UCM is facing a ranked opponent. The Jennies lost 2-1 last week to No. 11 Arkansas Tech.
• Central Missouri was picked to finish fifth in the 2017 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Jennies tallied 105 points in the poll.
• 2017 will mark the 46th season of Jennies softball. It will also be the 11th season under the direction of Head Coach
Susan Anderson.
Quick Hits
Anderson vs. the Sunshine State Conference
• Rollins is the only Sunshine State team Coach Anderson has faced in the Jennies dugout. She went 1-1 against the Tars in 2015.
Jennies at a Neutral Site
• Central Missouri has started off the year 2-3 at neutral sites. Under Coach Anderson, UCM is 116-107 in neutral site games during her 10 years.
Hitting Century Mark
• Last season two Jennies reached the 100 hit club in Central Missouri's regular season finale.
Emily King and
Alex Leonhart both reached 100 hits against Lindenwood, becoming the 48th and 49th members.
• This year, senior
Lauren Mabe has a chance to become the fifth Jennie to ever reach 200 career hits. She has 188 though her first three seasons. She needs 12 more to reach 200 hits and 35 more hits to become the all-time hits leader in Jennies history. Mabe racked up eight hits in the Jennies first six games and now stands just four hits shy of 200 and 27 away from the all-time record.
Power District
• Central Missouri has put together a formidable offensive lineup. Current Jennies players have hit a combined 76 career home runs, led by
Lauren Mabe's 27. The Jennies all-time career home run record is 41, set be Jakki Prater. Mabe also became the ninth Jennie to reach 100 career RBI last weekend.
• Some of the Jennies power last weekend came from unexpected places. Freshmen outfield
Courtni Smith and
Lauryn Deer combined for 10 hits, three doubles, one home run, five RBI and scored seven runs.
Can't Spell Glove Without "Love"
• The Jennies finished the 2016 season with a .962 fielding percentage, one of the best in team history. The Jens fell just .004 points shy of the all-time team fielding percentage record of .966 set in 2002. Then-senior
Ali Jo Rogers became the first Jennie to ever be named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, doing so as the team's starting shortstop.
• This season, the Jennies are off to a remarkably similar start. Central Missouri has a .963 fielding percentage through six games with seven errors in 190 chances. The Jennies defense will need to be at the top of its game with a ground-ball pitching staff. Jennies pitchers struck out just 17 batters in 42 innings pitched last weekend.
Tightrope Walking
• No Jennies pitcher did a better job of pitching out of trouble last week than
Jordan Johnson. She did her best Houdini act in her 11 innings pitched. She allowed 10 walks and 18 hits, yet somehow allowed only two earned runs. She pitched her way in and out of trouble and came away with a win against Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Reached Base Streak
• The only Jennie to reach base in all six games of the Southeastern Oklahoma Regional Invitational is
Allie Dishinger. Dishinger leads the team with five walks and picked up three hits. She hit a home run and drove in three runs last weekend.
Balls in Play
• One big disparity between the Jennies offense and the opposition. Central Missouri is striking out once nearly every four at bats, while Jennies pitchers are striking out batters once every 9.6 at bats.
New Faces in the Circle
•
Jordan Johnson was the only Jennies regular pitcher to return in 2017.
Alexa Bradley got the Jennies game one start and appeared in all six games last weekend. In 25.1 inning pitched, Bradley has a 1.66 ERA having allowed six runs with eight strikeouts and seven walks.
•
Katie Giacone has pitched five innings in relief already this season, surpassing her 2.2 innings pitched from last season. Giacone allowed three earned runs and has a 4.20 ERA with six strikeouts. Her 8.4 strikeouts per seven innings leads the Jennies.
Scouting the Opposition
Eckerd Tritons
SERIES HISTORY: The only time the Jennies and Tritons have met came back in 2003. Central Missouri pulled out a 10-2 victory at the Saint Leo/Outback Steakhouse Invitational.
SCOUTING REPORT: Eckerd has started out the season 2-4. They went 1-3 at the Eckerd College Spring Invitational last weekend. They also played a midweek doubleheader against Southeastern, which they split.
Four of the Tritons six games have been decided by two runs or fewer, and in only one game have they allowed more than three runs, a 10-0 loss to Saint Leo. Nikole Van Gennep has led the Triton pitching staff. In four starts, she has a 1.81 ERA with 11 strikeouts and seven earned runs in 27 innings pitched, however she has just a 1-3 record.
Eckerd's offense is averaging only two runs per game. Their team batting average through six games is .210 with a .287 on-base percentage. Van Gennep has also been the most productive with the bat. She is hitting .429 and has six hits in 14 at bats.
Rachael Luckett has provided what little power they have. She has the Tritons long home run of the season and has driven in five of Eckerd's 12 runs. Of her team-leading seven hits, four have gone for extra bases.
Saint Leo Lions
SERIES HISTORY: The Jennies and Lions have previously met three times with UCM holding a 2-1 edge. Current Jennies coach
Susan Anderson is yet to face St. Leo, as their last meeting was more than a decade ago in 2005.
SCOUTING REPORT: Saint Leo lost in the finals of the Sunshine State conference tournament last season to Rollins and went 1-2 in the South Region Championship. They started off the 2017 season 5-1, including going 4-1 at last weekend's Eckerd Tournament
In the circle, the Lions have allowed just seven runs in six games and have thrown two shutouts. Stephanie Adkins has made two starts and is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA and team-best 12 strikeouts in 14 innings. Alison Mitts has made three appearances with a 1-1 record and 1.08 ERA. Sara Neuman is yet to allow a run in nine innings of work.
At the plate, Brittany Creamer is hitting .615 with eight hits in 13 at bats. The Lions have hit only three home runs, but have 34 RBI and 10 doubles. Ciera Schumaker and Samantha Ohmie each have a team-high six RBI. The Lions also have 16 stolen bases, and eight players have at least one swipe this season.
Florida Tech Panthers
SERIES HISTORY: This is the first ever meeting between the Jennies and the Panthers.
SCOUTING REPORT: Florida Tech went 3-2 as they hosted the Florida Tech Marriott First Pitch Classic last weekend. The Panthers dropped the first two games, but came back with three straight wins against Nova Southeastern, Palm Beach Atlantic and Angelo State.
Rachel Pence has appeared in three games for the Panthers. She has a 2-1 record and 3.33 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched.
Offensively, the Panthers are hitting just .219 as a team and have scored 23 runs in five games. Hailey Leonard has been the biggest threat in the Panther lineup. She has five hits in 12 at bats and a team-leading five RBI.
The Panthers like to run, having successfully stolen nine of 11 bases. Leonhard and Kaitlin Buchholz have five of the nine. Florida Tech takes a patient approach at the plate, having drawn 19 walks. Krista Patterson has five and has scored four runs.
Rollins Tars
SERIES HISTORY: During the 2015 season, Central Missouri went 1-1 in a doubleheader at No. 15 Rollins in their first ever meeting. The Jens won the first game, 4-2, getting three runs in the final three innings. The Tars took the second game of the doubleheader, 9-1, in six innings.
SCOUTING REPORT: At last week's Gulf Coast Invitational, Rollins lost two one-run games, 11-10 to West Florida and 1-0 to North Alabama. They also won two games, defeating Alabama-Huntsville 8-2 and Delta State 9-0.
Grace Street picked up a win and has a 1.56 ERA through two starts. She threw 7.2 innings and took a hard-luck, 1-0 loss to North Alabama. She also got the win in a complete game allowing one earned run against Alabama-Huntsville. She has nine strikeouts and nine walks in 18 innings. Sarah Piening picked up a five-inning shut out win against Delta State. She is 1-1 with a 6.46 ERA with six strikeouts.
The Tars are hitting .354 through four games as a team with a .435 on base percentage. Three starters are batting over. 500 with Sarah Harrison leading the way at .583. She's got seven hits in 12 at bats, all singles. Hali Marshall and Hailee Keisling each have six hits in 11 at bats for a .545 batting average.
Brianne Lint and Kacie Booth have two of Rollins three home runs on the season. They also lead the team with five RBI. Lint is slugging .818.
Georgia College
SERIES HISTORY: The Jennies and Bobcats have met only once previously. Central Missouri opened up the 2007 season with a 3-0 loss to Georgia State at the Alabama-Huntsville Tournament.
SCOUTING REPORT: Georgia College went 3-1 last week at their season opening Bobcat Kickoff Tourament. They swept Albany State (Ga.) and split with Queens (N.C.). A year ago, Georgia went 41-18 and advanced to the Southeast Regional, before falling in the championship game 2-0 to North Georgia.
In the circle, Faith Flanders picked up two wins for the Bobcats. She threw a complete game, allowing two unearned runs in an 8-2 win against Albany State. In two starts this season, Flanders has eight strikeouts and has given up just one earned run in 12 innings.
The Bobcats are hittign .286 as a team and averaging nearly seven runs per game through four contests. Shortstop Baylee Hall has scored six runs and reached base in all four games. Flanders has also helped out with the bat picking up at least one hit in all four games and is 6-13 to start the year.
