SMSU SOFTBALL: Mustangs prepare to add mileage for six game road stretch
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MARSHALL -- The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (15-20 overall, 7-5 NSIC) hits the road for a trio of doubleheaders, beginning with a matchup today with Wayne State (6-27, 3-9) before traveling Northwest for meetings with the University of Mary (5-27, 3-9) and Minot State (26-10, 7-5) in the Minot State dome.
•Today's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., while Friday against UMary is slated to start at 4 p.m., and first pitch against Minot State on Saturday is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Game coverage
•Live stats and video for all games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
Chasing history
•After six hits last week, Bailey Johnson moved her career hit total to 210.
•The fifth person in program history to reach the 200 hit plateau on Mar. 28 against Sioux Falls, Johnson is 13 hits away from tying the program record, held by Erin Dickhausen.
•Johnson is extremely familiar with the career record books, where she is first in doubles, second in batting average, runs scored, and on base percentage, third in slugging percentage and hits, fourth in total bases, times hit by pitch, walks and sacrifice flies, and fifth in RBI's.
SMSU season numbers
•Through 35 games, SMSU is averaging 4.3 runs per game, batting .299 with 49 doubles and 10 home runs.
•The Mustangs' pitching staff has a 5.16 ERA in 218 1/3 innings with 152 strikeouts.
•SMSU has been stellar since the start of conference play, hitting .307, good for fifth in the conference, and hold a 3.38 ERA, good for sixth.
•Senior Bailey Johnson powers the offense, batting .396 with 11 doubles, two home runs, 20 runs scored, 21 RBIs, and a 1.020 OPS.
•Sophomore Jillian Noel is batting .377 with a 1.030 OPS, four doubles, 19 runs scored, and a team-high six home runs and 24 RBIs.
•Freshman Abby Russell is hitting .328 with a pair of home runs, 20 runs scored, 22 RBIs and a team-high 11 doubles and seven stolen bases.
•Junior Lileya Kebos has been a problem for opposing pitchers since the start of conference play, hitting .385 (10 for 26) with an OPS of .967, scoring four runs and driving in nine.
•Sophomore Molly Bull has also found her swing in conference action, batting .310 (9 for 29) with seven runs scored and five RBIs.
•Johnson leads the team with 14 multi-hit games, while Noel has recorded a 10-game hit streak this season.
•Russell has reached safely in eight straight games and holds a three-game hit streak.
•Junior Shelby Bloemendaal has gone 8-6 in the circle with a 4.45 ERA, going 83 1/3 innings with 48 strikeouts and a pair of shutouts.
•Freshman Karlie Miller has appeared in 15 games and has thrown 82 1/3 innings with a team-high 54 strikeouts.
•Each pitcher has been solid in conference action, with Miller holding a 2.60 ERA and Bloemendaal maintaining a 3.38 ERA, while Allison Christians has dealt out of the bullpen to the tune of a 3.75 ERA and a pair of saves in 9 1/3 innings.
About Wayne State
•Wayne State has opened the season 6-27 and 3-9 in conference action after being swept by Minot State and splitting with UMary last weekend
•The Wildcats were picked to finish 15th in the NSIC.
•WSC is led by Kortney Buresh, whose .367 average, 20 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, and .405 on base percentage leads the team
•Samantha Felt has appeared in 22 games in the circle for the Wildcats, throwing 66 1/3 innings with a 4.75 ERA and 21 strikeouts.
About Mary
•UMary has opened the season 5-27 and is 3-9 in conference play after going 1-3 against Augustana and Wayne State on Saturday and Sunday.
•The Marauders were picked to finish 13th in the NSIC.
•Haley Berube has been the leader of the UMary offense, racking up a .436 average and 1.259 OPS in 25 games with nine doubles, four triples, four home runs, and 22 RBIs, all good enough to lead the team.
•Nicole Eckhardt is 3-10 with a 5.13 ERA in 105 1/3 innings pitched, appearing in 26 games and striking out 59 batters.
About Minot State
•MISU has opened the season 26-10 and 7-5 in NSIC action after sweeping Wayne State before being swept by Augustana.
•The Beavers were picked to finish seventh in the NSIC.
•Jamie Odlum has been one of the top hitters in the nation this season, ranking third in the country in batting average (.504), sixth in on base percentage (.557), 12th in triples (5), 38th in total bases (89), 40th in slugging percentage (.774), 49th in stolen bases (20), and 57th in doubles (12).
•Trinity Valentine has been the leader for the Beaver pitching staff, going 11-5 with a 2.16 ERA in 90 2/3 innings with 87 strikeouts, holding opposing batters to a .211 batting average.
Series history
•SMSU is 34-27 all-time against Wayne State in a series that started in 1986.
•The Mustangs are 10-12 all-time in Wayne but have won their last four road games.
•SMSU has won the last nine meetings, including a pair of shutout victories last season
•SMSU is 20-14 all-time against UMary in a series that dates back to 1990.
•The Mustangs are 5-2 at a neutral site in the series, winning a pair of shutouts last season in Aberdeen, S.D.
•SMSU has the last five meetings, including four wins last season, with the last Marauder win at a neutral site coming in 2004 in Pittsburg, Kan.
•SMSU is 9-8 all-time against Minot State in a series that dates to 2013.
•The Mustangs are 3-3 on the road in the series, including splitting the last doubleheader in Minot in 2019.
•SMSU has won three of the last four meetings with the Beavers.
-- Content courtesy
of SMSU Athletic
Communications