WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 25, 2021) - After almost an entire year-long break from competition, Central Missouri Softball finally returns to action with six upcoming contests at the 2021 Washburn Invitational. 

Opponents:
Missouri-St. Louis Tritons (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Wayne State Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles (2-6, 0-0 NSIC)
Truman State Bulldogs (2-4, 0-0 GLVC)
Mary Marauders (0-4, 0-0 NSIC)
Sioux Falls Cougars (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)

When:
vs. Missouri-St. Louis - Friday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.
vs. Wayne State - Friday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m.
vs. Minnesota Crookston - Saturday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m.
vs. Truman State - Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m.
vs. Mary - Sunday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m.
vs. Sioux Falls - Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m.

Where:
Friday - Hummer Sports Park - Topeka, Kan. 
Saturday vs. Minnesota Crookston - Hummer Sports Park - Topeka, Kan. 
Saturday vs. Truman State - Gahnstrom Field - Topeka, Kan. 
Sunday - Hummer Sports Park - Topeka, Kan. 

Leading Off:
• Central Missouri was able to squeeze 17 games in before the NCAA's cancelation of the remaining spring sport season in March 2020. The Jennies went 11-6 overall and 3-1 in MIAA competition. 
• The Jennies were selected fourth in the 2021 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll with 138 total points. 
• A total of 15 Jennies return from last year's squad which includes eight position starters. Central Missouri graduated four seniors last spring, including center fielder Lauryn Deer who led the Jennies with 24 runs scored and 12 stolen bases last season. 
• Central Missouri welcomed six newcomers to the 2021 Jennies softball team. 

Central Missouri Quick Hits: 
• Last season, the Jennies posted a team batting average of .331 with 160 total hits (41 extra-base hits), 96 runs scored, and 82 RBI. The UCM pitching staff had a team ERA of 3.08 and the defense posted a team fielding percentage of .955. 
• Returning in right field for the Jennies is sophomore Ashlyn Cook. Cook led the UCM offense last season with a .450 batting average. She also held the team-high 27 hits, 22 RBI, and eight doubles while scoring the second-most runs with 14.
• Sydney Wellshear was also a big contributor or the Jennies offense with a 2020 batting average of .436. The returning freshmen led UCM with a .618 slugging percentage and six walks to post the team-high on base percentage of .492. Wellshear collected 27 hits, 12 RBI, 10 runs, seven doubles and one home run on the young season. 
• Paige Petefish led the Jennies in the circle last season. The right-handed freshmen posted the team-best ERA of 2.19 and led the staff in every category. In 60 inning pitched, Petefish allowed 59 hits, 25 runs, and nine walks while striking out 45. She enters the 2021 season with a record of 6-2. 

Scouting the Competition: 
MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS TRITONS (0-0, 0-0 GLVC):
• UMSL owned a 12-12 record last spring before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tritons first game of the 2021 season will be against Sioux Falls  in Topeka. 
• The Tritons were selected third in the GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll with the league-high five first-place votes to finish with 162 points. 
• UMSL posted a 2020 team batting average of .263, a team ERA of 3.09, and a team fielding percentage of .957.
• The Tritons returned four of their top-five offensive leaders from the 2020 season. UMSL graduated Andee Tiffee who led the Tritons pitching staff with a 2.45 ERA and also shared the team-high 22 hits with 32 RBI and 12 runs scored.
• In the 2019 season, UMSL posted a record of 35-19 and won their fifth GLVC Tournament championship. 
• Central Missouri owns the record in the all-time series against UMSL 31-25. UMSL and UCM met once last season in the Washburn Invitational. The Tritons defeated the Jennies 5-4. 

WAYNE STATE WILDCATS (0-0, 0-0 NSIC): 
• After finishing 10-13 spring 2020 record, the Wildcats were selected to finish 15th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
• Wayne State returns seven position starters including its 2020 offensive leader Ashley Hernandez and pitching leader Maddie Moser. Both veterans on the squad.
• Hernandez led the Wildcats with a .418 batting average last spring with seven home runs and 22 RBI in 23 games. 
• Moser is a four-year starter in the circle for the Wildcats. Last spring she made 12 appearances with a ERA of 4.67 and a record of 4.2. 
• Wayne State will take on Emporia State at the invitational for its first game of the season. 
• The Jennies lead the all-time series against Wayne State 9-6. The Wildcats and the Jennies haven't met since the 2018 season. 

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON GOLDEN EAGLES (2-6, 0-0 NSIC): 
• The Golden Eagles are off to a 2-6 start to the season.
• Minnesota Crookston travels to the Washburn Invitational after picking up its second win over the season with a 3-2 victory over Bemidji State last Saturday, Feb. 20th. 
• Last spring, Minnesota Crookston recorded its best start in school history with a record of 6-10. The eagles recorded 116 total hits, 75 runs, 70 RBI, and posted a team batting average of .264. They have been picked 14th in the NSIC Preseason Poll. 
• With eight games under their belts, sophomore Dana Zarn leads the offense with 8 hits, 4, runs, 3 RBI and a .348 batting average. 
• Transfer Katie Humehj leads the Minnesota Crookston pitching staff with an ERA of 2.71. Humehj has allowed 14 hits, 9 runs, 6 walks and has struck out 24 in just 20 innings. 
• Central Missouri and Minnesota Crookston have never competed before. The Jennies will be the 2-6 Golden Eagles first game at the invitational. 

TRUMAN STATE BULLDOGS (2-4, 0-0 GLVC):
• The Bulldogs are off to a 2-4 start to the 2021 season with two wins over Minnesota Crookston and two losses each to St. Cloud State and Southwest Minnesota State. 
• Truman State was selected ninth in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 2020 record of 5-7.
• Freshman McKenzie West and sophomore Maria McConegle current lead the UCM offense which posts a team batting average of .283. West leads the Bulldogs with 5 runs, 5 RBI and 12 total bases while McConegle posts the team-high 6 hits and a .316 batting average. 
• The Bulldogs pitching staff posts a team ERA of 6.74. Breianna Klein has throw the team-high 13 innings. She has allowed 17 hits, 13 runs and 9 walks. 
• Central Missouri leads Truman State in the all-time series 60-47. The two teams last faced off in a double header in the 2019 season with UCM earning the sweep 9-1 and 3-2 (10 innings). 

MARY MARAUDERS (0-4, 0-0 NSIC):
• Mary was selected to finish 11th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a record of 12-9 last spring. 
• Mary returned both its hitting and pitching leaders. Senior catcher Madelynn Trout led the Marauders last season with a .380 batting average and a .446 on-base percentage. Senior pitcher Kaitlyn Alvarado posted an ERA of 3.00 with a WHIP of 0.99 in 30.1 innings last season.
• Mariah Sanchez leads Mary's offense through its first four contests. The junior outfielder is hitting .538 with seven hits and is 1-1 in stolen bases. 
• The all-time series between Mary and UCM is tied 1-1. The Jennies won the last meeting against teh Marauders with a 7-1 victory in 2016. 

SIOUX FALLS COUGARS (0-0, 0-0 NSIC):
• Sioux Falls was selected ninth in the NSIC Preseason Poll after posting a 2020 record of 11-8. A total of 12 Cougars return from last year's squad while seven newcomers join the 2021 season. 
• Returning freshman Shayla Running led the USF offense last season. In 58 at bats, Running led the Cougars with 25 hits, 9 RBI, 8 runs, and posted a .431 batting average. 
•  Freshmen pitcher Hanna Cress was named USF's pitcher to watch. Last spring, Cress led USF with 47 strikeouts and posted a record of 5-3 and an ERA of 3.87. Senior pitcher Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag led the pitching staff last year with a 4-2 record and a 3.78 ERA. 
• The Jennies post a flawless 5-0 record against Sioux Falls. The teams last met at the Washburn Invitation last spring where the Jennies defeated the Cougars 6-5. 

Met the New Jens:
• #3 Abby Allnutt is a freshmen outfielder from Warrensburg, Mo. During her senior season, Allnutt hit .629 with a .841 on base percentage and had six home runs. She helped Warrensburg to a pair of conference championships and earned All-State recognition in 2019.
• #4 Aubrie McRoberts is a freshmen position player from Warsaw, Mo. As a left-handed slapper, McRoverts was both the Warsaw Offensive and Defensive Team MVP after setting the school record for the most doubles and runs scored. She was is a two-time All-State selection, as well as making the All-District team four times, All-Conference three times and All-Region three times.
• #11 Bailee Bryant is a redshirt-freshman transfer from North Caolina State. An infielder from Holden, Mo. Bryant signed with North Carolina State out of high school after earning All-District and All-Conference honors all four years at Holden. During her senior season, Bryant set the Holden school record for single-season home runs and finished second in Missouri State softball in single-season RBI. 
• #14 Kyleigh Lay is a redshirt-sophomore transfer from Johnson County Community College. Before the season was canceled in 2020, Lay made two starts in the circle pitching 10.2 innings , upping her strikeouts to 10.5 per seven innings and sported a 2.62 ERA. Lay was a four-year letter winning and two-year starter at Olathe East High School. 
• #19 Aubrey Brown freshmen utility player from Ryamore, Mo. She is an accomplished hitter who set the Raymore-Peculiar career home run record with 22. She drove in 103 runs in four seasons while hitting 35 doubles and was the team's Offensive MVP three straight years. Brown was a first-team All-American selection and a three-time All-Region honoree. She also led Raymore to back-to-back state tournaments, finishing second in 2019 and third in 2018.
• #26 Sadie Parks is a freshmen right-handed pitcher for Knob Noster, Mo. During her senior season at Knob Noster, Parks set the record for single season wins and strikeouts as well as career strikeouts. She was a First Team All-Region selection in 2017 and 2019, a three-time All-District and All-Conference member, and helped Knob Noster to a district championship in 2017 and a conference championship in 2019.

Last Time Out: 
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Mar. 10, 2020) - Central Missouri Softball hosted their first games of the season on Jennies Friday Tuesday afternoon. The Jennies won the first meeting against Drury 4-1 before losing to the Panthers 7-5 in game two. 

Game 1 - Central Missouri 4, Drury 1 
• Central Missouri was the first to score in the opening at bats. Lauryn Deer walked to open the bottom of the first, then found herself on third after a stolen base and a passed ball.
• Abbey Fischer sent a fly ball to deep center field, allowed Deer to score after the out.
• Both the Jennies and Panthers recorded one hit and each left one runner on base in the second inning.
• Drury tied the game in top of the third as a single down the right field line scored a Panther baserunner from second.
• The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth. It was Deer again who kick started the UCM offense with a double to center.
• With no outs and Deer on second, Fischer pushed one over the left field fence to give UCM a 3-1 lead.
• Ashlyn Cook scored the final run of the Jennies three-run inning. After reaching on by a Panther throwing error, Cook was hit home on a double to left center by Sydney Wellshear.
• Paige Petefish and the Jennies defense allowed one hit in Drury's final four at bats.
• Central Missouri out hit the Panthers 6-4. Four of the Jennies six hits were extra-base hits.
• Wellshear was the only Jen to record two hits in game one against the panthers. She also accounted for one of UCM's four RBI.
• Deer finished 1-2 with a walk and scored the team-high of two runs.
• Fischer also went 1-2 and drove in the game-high three runs.
• Petefish allowed only four hits, one walk and one run scored while striking out four Panthers.

Game 2 - Central Missouri 5, Drury 7
• Drury was the first to score in game two.
• The Panthers took a 1-0 lead after the designated player Megan Holmes crushed Alexa Bradley's pitch over right center in the top of the second.
• Drury increased their 1-0 advantage to a 6-0 lead after the top of the fourth.
• With two outs and bases loaded, a double to left field scored two Panther base runners. Gentry Wishard came into the circle to replace Bradley.
• The Panthers scored two more off a triple down the left field line to take a 6-0 lead over the Jennies.
• A solo bomb by UCM's designated player Lexi Parks in the bottom of the fifth put the Jennies on the board.
• Drury's Abbey McAteer answered Parks' solo shot with one of her own in the first at bat in the top of the sixth. Panthers led 7-1.
• Bailey Fowler hit home Cook in the bottom of the sixth with a double to right center for the Jens second run.
• Central Missouri added two more runs in their final attempt at the plate. With two outs, a double to right center by Cook scored Fischer and Taylor Nickel for the Jennies final runs of the game.
• Both the Jennies and the Panthers finished with nine hits and also left five runners on base.
• Four of the Jennies five hits were for extra-bases.
• Cook led the UCM offense in game two finishing with two doubles and a single in four at bats.
• Cook also drove in the team-high of two runs.
• Fowler went 2-3 with an RBI.
• In 3.1 innings, Wishard allowed five hits, two runs and two walks while striking out two batters of the 16 she faced.