WARRENSBURG, Mo. (March 29, 2017) - Central Missouri is set to embark on a 10-game (five doubleheader) road trip starting this weekend. The Jens will take on a pair of in-state rivals as the MIAA season rolls on.
Opponents: Missouri Western (25-7, 5-1 MIAA)
Northwest Missouri (16-10, 5-1 MIAA)
When: Friday, March 31, 4 p.m. at Missouri Western
Saturday, April 1, 12 p.m. at Northwest Missouri
Where: St. Joseph, Mo. - Griffon Softball Field
Maryville, Mo. - Bearcat Field
How to Watch
Live stats are available and can be found at ucmathletics.com. There will also be an audio broadcast produced by Missouri Western of the Jennies double against the Griffons.
Leading Off
• Central Missouri went 6-0 last week in MIAA games and at 7-1 sit atop the league standings entering the weekend.
• This weekend begins a stretch of five straight doubleheaders on the road for UCM. Their next home game will be April 14 against Washburn.
• Following the season-long 10 game road trip, the Jens will turn around and play 10 straight at home to close out the regular season.
• Central Missouri has won seven straight games for the first time since the 2015 season. UCM is 11-2 in their last 13 games.
• 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 Griffons and Bearcats
• Two of Coach Anderson's biggest rivals are the Griffons and the Bearcats. Anderson is 15-14 against the Griffons in the Jennies dugout and 18-9 against her former club the Bearcats. Anderson coached the Bearcats from 2003-2006 compiling a 124-96 record.
Jennies on the Road
• Central Missouri is 3-2 on the road thus far in 2017, though they have won three straight, including sweeping Missouri Southern last week.
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 hit. Mabe is now chasing both Beth Savage and Jakki Prater who hold the UCM record with 222 hits, needing just six hits to tie, seven to break the record.
• That's not all Mabe is chasing. She is also in reach of the all-time runs record (27 away) and doubles (10). She is climbing up the all-time RBI list and is currently fourth, seven away from third. 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.
Makayla Schoonover has moved into fourth-place all-time in stolen bases with 60. She is 18-18 this season, leading the MIAA and has most without being caught. Schoonover doesn't get caught too often. She is 60-63 in her career. That 95.2% would set a Jennies record for stolen base percentage with at least 30 attempts.
Who's Hot?
• Just about everyone. In their last 13 games, the Jens are batting .315 with six starters hitting .300 or better.
Makayla Schoonover has been scorching hot with a .531 batting average and 13 stolen bases. She has 17 hits in her last 32 at bats.
• It has been a full team-effort driving in runs. Ten Jennies have picked up RBI and seven have at least five.
Aubrey Daniel has been getting a lot of time at the DP position and in the outfield. She's got nine hits in her last 22 at bats with six RBI and six runs scored.
Lauryn Deer has solidified the leadoff spot and has 17 hits and 10 runs scored with seven steals over the 13-game stretch.
• Jens pitchers have been just as sharp, with a 1.60 team ERA and .211 opponents batting average.
Katie Giacone is 4-1 with a 1.25 earned run average with 26 strikeouts, two shutouts and three saves. In 44 innings,
Alexa Bradley is 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA. She has started to increase her strikeout total and has 27 compared to just eight walks in 13 games.
Get a Whiff of This
• In the Jennies first 21 games they went 7-14 and were striking out an average of 5.86 times per game. In the last 12 games though, UCM has slashed that number by more than 50%, striking out just 2.50 times per game. Those numbers have also been inversed on the pitching side as well. The Jennies were striking out just 2.95 batters per game in their first 21 games. Over the last 12, Jennies pitching has bumped that number up to 4.58 strikeouts per game.
Late Game Success
• Central Missouri had been getting off to hot starts, scoring most of their runs early in games. Lately though, the Jennies have been winning games late. Last Wednesday in Joplin, UCM got down in both games against the Lions. They scored 11 runs in the sixth and seventh innings, coming-from-behind to win both games. In game two against Nebraska-Kearney, Central Missouri trailed 2-1 before scoring four runs in the fifth and sixth in the seventh to come-from-behind against the Lopers. Central Missouri has now scored 23 runs in the sixth inning this season, their most in any inning.
Saving Grace
• Central Missouri has done a good job of late mixing and matching their pitchers in game, to keep opposing hitters off-balance. That is most evidenced in the number of saves the Jennies pitching staff has been racking up. UCM already has seven saves on the season to lead the MIAA. The UCM record for most saves in a season is eight, done in 2007.
Alexa Bradley has picked up four saves while
Katie Giacone has three. The individual record for saves in a season is five, done four times. This is the first time in Jennies history two pitchers have earned three or more saves in the same season.
In the MIAA
• Three Jennies are in the top-20 in the MIAA in earned run average. They are the only team in the MIAA with three pitchers in the top-20 with at least 40 innings pitched.
Alexa Bradley ranks ninth with a 2.68 ERA,
Katie Giacone is 12th with a 2.82 ERA and
Jordan Johnson is 16th at 3.28.
Timely Hits
• Central Missouri has been getting it done in clutch situations of late. During their seven-game winning streak, the Jennies are batting .338 with runners in scoring position and .295 with runners on base. The Jens have also been doing a good job of keeping innings alive, hitting .297 with two outs.
Lauren Mabe and
Aubrey Daniel each have three two-out RBIs.
Makayla Schoonover is 5-for-7 with runners in scoring position during the stretch.
Scouting the Opposition
Missouri Western Griffons
SERIES HISTORY: The Jennies and Griffons reignite one of the longest rivalries in the MIAA. They have met every year since 1989. The Jens hold a 56-30 all time advantage. Last year MWSU swept the Jens in Warrensburg to snap a five-game losing streak.
SCOUTING REPORT: Missouri Western is receiving votes in the latest NFCA Poll. They would be ranked No. 27 if the poll were extended. Like the Jennies the Griffons also have just one conference loss. They are 6-2 this season in St. Joe.
The Griffons are one of the top scoring teams in the MIAA. Their potent offense has scored 195 runs in 32 games and is batting .319 as a team. Eight different Griffons have hit a home run and their 30 is third-most in the league. Sydney Washington leads the team with seven homers and 31 RBI. Shelbie Atwell is batting .437 with a .483 on-base percentage. She has slugged four homers and driven in 26. Her 45 hits are tied for second in the MIAA. MWSU plays some tight defense as well. Their .970 fielding percentage is second in the MIAA.
On the rubber, MWSU has relied on the arms of Barbara Billingsley and Kenzie Hilzer. They have started all 32 games, 16 each for the Griffons. Billingsley sports a 14-4 record with a 2.79 ERA with a team-leading 62 strikeouts. Hilzer is 11-3 with a 3.82 ERA. She has struck out 34 in 95 innings. MWSU has had problems with walks, issuing 103 in 210 innings with just 96 strikeouts.
Northwest Missouri Bearcats
SERIES HISTORY: The Jennies have matched up with the Bearcats more than any other team in their history. Northwest holds a tight 60-57 all-time advantage, but the Jennies have won 11 of the last 13 meetings, including a sweep last year in Warrensburg.
SCOUTING REPORT: Like Missouri Western, the Bearcats enter the weekend with a 5-1 MIAA record. They have been hot of late, winning five of their last six. They haven't played much at home yet, just 2-0 in Maryville.
The Bearcars have been winning with pitching. Taylor Blackford is 7-2 on the season with a 2.68 ERA and Holly Posegate has been just as solid putting up a 7-4 record with a 2.71 ERA. NWMSU doesn't strike out a lot of batters, just 72 on the season, but their 56 walks given up are the second fewest in the league.
At the plate, Northwest has seven starters batting .300 or better. Kaitlyn Weis leads the team hitting .394. The Bearcats .322 team batting average is second in the MIAA. Northwest is more of a power team than station-to-station. The Bearcats have slugged 21 home runs and 47 doubles. Of their 247 hits, 76 have been for extra bases, more than 30%. Weis also leads the team in the power department. She has eight home runs and 29 RBI, both team-bests. NWMSU doesn't do much running on the bases with only 18 stolen bases, 10 from Torri Blythe.
