WARRENSBURG, Mo. (March 21, 2017) - Central Missouri went 4-2 last weekend and look to bring their momentum into conference play. The Jens have six games (three doubleheaders) scheduled for the week as the MIAA season heats up.

When: Wednesday, March 22, 2 p.m.

Where: Joplin, Mo. - Lea Kungle Field

Opponent: Missouri Southern - 12-19, 1-3 MIAA

How to Watch
Live stats are available and can be found at UCMathletics.com

Leading Off
• Central Missouri returns to conference play this week with three doubleheaders, starting Wednesday against Missouri Southern.
• The Jens opened up MIAA play two weeks ago at home against Southwest Baptist. Both games were five inning, 8-0 finals with SBU taking game 1 & the Jens game 2. They return home to face Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney this weekend.
• Central Missouri went 4-2 at last weekend's Missouri Western "Hy-Vee" Regional Crossover. The Jens won their first three games of the weekend and their last. They won four games in a row for the first time this season after their third win in St. Joe. 
• 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 Lions
• Under Coach Susan Anderson, the Jennies have gone 17-6 against Missouri Southern. Anderson has never been swept by a Missouri Southern team as coach of UCM. 

Jennies on the Road
• This will be just the second doubleheader for UCM on the road and third overall. Central Missouri is 1-2 thus far on the road, having been swept by Truman State in early March.

Milestones
• Senior Lauren Mabe became just the fifth Jennie to ever reach 200 earlier this season. She laced an RBI double in her first at bat against Illinois-Springfield for her 200th. Mabe is now chasing both Beth Savage and Jakki Prater who hold the UCM record with 222 hits, needing just 13 hits to tie, 14 to break the record.  
• That's not all Mabe is chasing. She is also in reach of the all-time runs record (31) and doubles (13). She is climbing up the all-time RBI list and is currently tied for fourth. She also needs just four more walks to break her own coach's record. Coach Anderson's 64 walks have been a team record since 1997. 
• Mabe isn't the only Jennie moving up the record books. This past weekend, Makayla Schoonover moved into fourth-place all-time in stolen bases with 55. She is 13-13 this season, third in the MIAA and most without being caught. Schoonover doesn't get caught too often. She is 55-58 in her career. That 94.8% would set a record for stolen base percentage with at least 30 attempts. 

Heating Up 
• In their last seven games, during which UCM is 5-2, the Jennies offense has started to come to life. The Jens are batting .306 during that stretch, averaging almost five runs per game. In four of those seven games, UCM has at least 10 hits. Three Jennies are hitting better than .400, Makayla Schoonover (.474), Lauryn Deer (.440) and Allie Dishinger (.412). 
• It hasn't just been the offense though that's been hot. The Jennies staff has a 1.05 ERA in their last seven games as well. Alexa Bradley is 2-1 with a 0.80 ERA and Katie Giacone has allowed just two earned runs in 15.2 innings. Jordan Johnson returned to face Minnesota-Duluth, earning a win throwing 4.2 innings allowing two earned runs on three hits.

Top of the Order, to ya
• Part of the reason for the Jennies offensive success of late has been the production they've gotten from the top of the lineup. Deer and Schoonover have been batting 1-2 during this seven game stretch and setting the table. Deer has 11 hits in 25 at bats with five runs. She has four multi-hit games in her last seven. Schoonover is 9 for her last 19 with four walks and four runs. She's also stolen eight bases. Deer has spent 13 games in the leadoff spot this season and UCM is 8-5. 

Three-Run Rule
• Three seems to be the magic number for the Jens so far this season. When Central Missouri reaches three runs in a game, they are 8-3. However they have scored two runs or fewer in 16 of their 27 games and are 3-13 in those contests. 

Nailbiters
• Of the Jennies 27 games this season, 15 have been decided by two runs or fewer. Central Missouri is 7-8 in such games. Four of the Jens six games last weekend were decided by two or fewer runs and the Jens went 2-2. 

Worm-Killers
• What has made Alexa Bradley so effective in her freshman season has been the ability to get ground ball outs. Of Bradley's 231 outs recorded, 141, 62.3% have come via the ground ball. On the flip side, of the 14 MIAA pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched, Bradley is third from the bottom in strikeouts with 31. 

In the MIAA
• Jennies pitching is fifth in the MIAA this season with a 2.83 ERA. The Jennies are the only team in the MIAA to have three pitchers with at least 30 innings pitched in the top-15 in ERA. Alexa Bradley is 11th at 2.54. Jordan Johnson is 13th with a 3.06 ERA and Katie Giacone is one spot behind in 14th after lowering her ERA to 3.12. Bradley is also the MIAA leader in saves with four. She needs one more to match the Jennies all-time single season record.
• She hasn't been known as a strikeout pitcher, but Katie Giacone has caught 18 batters looking this season which is fifth in the MIAA. She has also held opponents to just a .225 batting average, which ranks sixth in the conference.  

Scouting the Opposition
Missouri Southern
SERIES HISTORY:  The Jennies and Lions have a long history. This doubleheader will mark the 96th and 97th all-time meetings between the two. The Jennies hold a 56-39 advantage over the Lions, including having won four in a row. In Joplin though, the Jennies are just 15-20.
SCOUTING REPORT: Like the Jennies, the Lions were also at the MWSU Hy-Vee Classic this past weekend. They went 3-3 against the same six opponents as the Jennies. Missouri Southern has already played four MIAA contests. They wree swept in their conference opener against Emporia State, before splitting with Washburn, getting the win in game one in 11 innings. 
• Missouri Southern's offense is led by Abi Corbett who's .443 batting average is third in the MIAA. She's getting on base at a .467 clip and has 27 runs scored and 16 stolen bases, both second in the conference. The Lions have six starters batting .300 or better and have a team batting average of .319, second in the MIAA. Erika Lutgen supplies the power with four home runs and 23 RBI, both team-bests. The Lions have an MIAA-best 279 hits as a team, and six with more than 30 this season. 
• Pitching has been a struggle for the Lions. They have a team ERA of 6.49. Taurean Guzman is their wins and innings leader with a 4-8 record in 85.1 innings with 48 strikeouts. Mikaela Cox has a 5.57 ERA and 3-3 record in 64.2 innings.