WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 14, 2020) - Central Missouri Softball opens their 2020 season this weekend competing in the Arkansas-Monticello Classic. Originally scheduled to begin Friday, Feb. 14, the two-day classic will now begin Saturday, Feb. 15, due to winter weather conditions.
Opponents:
Arkansas-Monticello Blossoms (1-4, 0-0 GAC)
Quincy Hawks (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Southwest Baptist Bearcats (0-5, 0-0 GLVC)
Henderson State Reddies (3-5, 0-0 GAC)
When:
vs. Arkansas-Monticello - Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m.
vs. Quincy - Saturday, Feb. 15 at 12 p.m.
vs. Southwest Baptist - Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m.
vs. Henderson State - Sunday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m.
Where:
Alvy Early Softball Field - Bentonville, Ark.
Leading Off:
• Central Missouri finished the 2019 regular season with a 34-21 record and 17-9 mark in league competition, earning the No. 4 seed in the 2019 MIAA Tournament.
• The Jennies 34 wins were the most since 2015 and ties for the 10th most wins in school history UCM has reached the 30-win win total.
• Jennies Softball opens their 2020 season this weekend competing in the Arkansas-Monticello Classic in Bentonville, Ark.
• Originally scheduled from Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15, the two-day classic will now be played Saturday and Sunday. There was no time change to game the original games times.
• Central Missouri was picked to finish third in the 2020 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Jennies tallied 136 points in the poll.
• 2020 marks the 49th season of Jennies softball. It will also be the 14th season under the direction of Head Coach
Susan Anderson.
Scouting the Competition:
Arkansas-Monticello (1-4, 0-0 GAC)
• The Blossoms enter their season opener after being picked sixth in the Great American Conference's Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Arkansas-Monticello returns their 2019 top hitter Sierra Gasca. Gasca lead the Blossoms offense with a .328 (43-131) batting average and also finished with the team-high of 18 stollen bases.
• In the circle, UAM returns Hayley McGhee. McGhee recorded the Blossoms team-high of 116 strikeouts in 2019 while posting an ERA of 2.94.
• The Jennies lead the all-time series against the Blossoms 5-0.
Quincy (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
• The Hawks on 25 games in the 2019 season with was the most since 2012.
• Quincy was selected to finished 12th in the 2020 GLVC Preseason Poll.
• Quincy returns senior outfielder Megan Sharpshair, who started in 47 games last season and tallied 31 hits, 26 RBIs and 5 home runs.
• On the mound, the Hawks bring back junior Mac Kenzie Collier who led the pitching staff with a 2.84 ERA and eight complete games last season.
• Central Missouri leads the all-time series against Quincy 7-6.
Southwest Baptist (0-5, 0-0 GLVC)
• After an 8-47 (4-22 MIAA) finish last season, the Bearcats have been working hard to turn things around. SBU has made the transition from the MIAA to the GLVC, upping the conference numbers from 14 teams to 16 teams.
• Returning for the Bearcats on the mound will be seniors Maddie Massanelli, and Alexis Dock. Last season, Massanelli pitched 146.2 innings, striking out 91 in the process. Alexis Dock threw 38.0 innings last season, striking out 21 with an ERA of 4.97.
• SBU also returns their offensive leader Megan Schellert. Schellert led the team with a .292 average, starting all 55 games. She picked up 49 hits with 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 11 RBI.
• The Jennies lead the all-time series against Southwest Baptist 84-22.
Henderson State (3-5, 0-0 GAC)
• After finishing 25-31 overall and 19-25 in the GAC last season, Henderson State was picked seventh in the 2020 GAC Preseason Poll.
• The Reddies lost their start pitcher, Michelle Sorensen, who became the GAC's all-time leader in wins (75), strikeouts (762), appearances (162), starts (118) and innings pitched (842.2) last season.
• Junior outfielder Kailey Reese currently leads Henderson with a .409 batting average in her 22 at bats so far this season.
• Henderson State leads the all-time series against the Jennies 8-5.
Milestones:
•
Alexa Bradley ranks fifth in career appearances on the mound with 98 and seventh in career innings pitched with 409.
•
Lauryn Deer is 26 hits away from reaching 200 in her career. Deer also ranks sixth in career stolen bases with 64.
2019 MIAA Leaders:
•
Lauryn Deer lead the MIAA with 198 at bats and finished fourth in the with 73 hits. She also ranked fourth in the league with 27 stolen bases.
•
Jessica Sader ranked seventh in the MIAA with 44 RBIs and ninth with 67 hits last season.
•
Gentry Wishard finished the season with the fifth-lowest ERA in the league at 2.69. Wishard also ranked eighth with an opponent batting average of .260.
Newbies:
• #7 -
Abbey Fischer is an infielder/outfielder from Shawnee Heights High School in Topeka, Kan. Fischer was a three-time Kansas State Champions (2017, 2018 and 2019), as well as a 2016 Kansas State Volleyball Champion.
• #10 -
Bailey Fowler is a junior transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma State. At NEO, Fowler posted a .413 batting average on 156 at bats. She finished her sophomore season with 48 hits, 12 of which were doubles, and drove in 42 runs.
• #18 - Joining her high school teammate Fischer,
Paige Petefish is a pitcher from Shawnee Heights High School. Asside from being a three-time state champion, Petefish also threw seven no-no's and three perfect games in her high school career.
• #20 -
Sydney Wellshear is a catcher/infielder, also from Shawnee Heights High School. Along with being a three-time state champion in softball, Wellshear also placed in the top-25 at the Kansas State Golf Tournament her junior and senior year.
• #23 -
Peyton Corrigan is a freshman outfielder from Holden, Mo. Corrigan's 61 singles and 68 hits her senior high school season ranked third in Missouri school history of all classes.
• #24 -
Carson Staponski is a utility player from Lee's Summit West HS. Staponski was a two-time conference champion and earned all-conference and all-district honors in three consecutive seasons.
