PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University softball team will wrap up a two-week, eight-game road swing with a pair of MIAA match-ups against Northwest Missouri Friday (Apr. 19) and Missouri Western Saturday (Apr. 20).
 
The Gorillas and Bearcats will open a doubleheader with a 4 p.m. (CDT) start at Bearcat Softball Field at Maryville, Mo., Friday. The next day Pitt State will battle the Griffons beginning at Noon at the Griffon Softball Field at St. Joseph, Mo.
 
The Gorillas enter the weekend action with a 42-4 overall record, a 16-2 mark in MIAA play and ranked No. 9 in the most recent NFCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. Pitt State already has equaled the program's third-highest single season win total. The 1994 squad won a school record 48 games, while the 2004 Gorillas posted 44 wins.
 
Pitt State currently sits in second place in the MIAA standings, a game behind No. 6 Central Oklahoma (37-7, 17-1 MIAA) and a game ahead of No. 8 Rogers State (36-8, 19-3 MIAA).
 
Offensively, Pitt State is hitting .367 as a team and scoring 7.1 runs a game. In the circle, the Gorillas sport a 2.14 ERA as a staff while holding opponents to a .251 batting average and striking out 7.37 batters per 7 innings. Pitt State ranks fifth in batting average, 14^th in strikeouts (per 7 innings) and 20^th in scoring.
 
Individually, sophomore utility player Heather Arnett leads the team with a .476 average, 61 runs scored, 81 hits, seven triples and 45 stolen bases. She leads Division II in hits and stolen bases, ranks second for runs scored, third in triples and 18^th in batting average.
 
Graduate infielder Hannah Burnett is hitting .448 with 56 runs scored, 64 hits, five triples, five home runs, 39 RBI and 27 stolen bases. Among Division II ranks, Burnett is sixth in runs scored, 20^th in hits, 26^th in stolen bases and 39^th in batting average.
 
Senior infielder Maddie Fernandez (.381) and senior utility player Paxtyn Hayes (.359) are perched atop the team's RBI and home run leaderboards as Hayes leads both categories with 11 home runs and 56 RBI, Fernandez so far has belted nine home runs and collected 42 RBI. Hayes ranks 13^th in Division II for RBI this season.
 
Sophomore outfielder Alleyna Rushing is hitting .400 with 18 runs scored this season. Junior outfielder Courtney Storey (.362), redshirt junior infielder Kadyn Trochim (.333) and senior infielder Gabby Schultz (.312) round out qualified hitters batting better than .300.
 
In the circle, freshmen Ava Laurent (15-1, 1.86 ERA) is 17^th in Division II ranks with 164 strikeouts. Laurent has limited opposing batters to a .196 average in 128.0 innings of work and owns a 1.05 WHIP.
 
Redshirt senior Kiana Pogroszewski (14-1, 2.62 ERA) has struck out 75 batters in 107.0 innings of work, issuing out only 16 walks for a 1.37 WHIP. Junior Chelsea Beville (6-1, 1.69 ERA) has struck out 38 batters in 29.0 innings with opponents batting .238 against her. Senior Hannah Martin (6-0, 2.13 ERA) has struck out 30 batters in 26.1 innings of work with opponents hitting .295 against her.
 
Northwest Missouri enters the weekend with a 20-22 overall record and a 9-9 MIAA mark. The Bearcats are tied for fifth in MIAA standings. NWMSU is 8-6 at home this season, including a 3-1 mark in their last four games at Bearcat Softball Field.
 
Offensively, NWMSU is hitting .297 and scoring 4.3 runs a game. In the circle, the Bearcats carry a 3.94 ERA as a staff with 4.6 strikeouts a game and opponents hitting .262.
 
Lillie Filger leads the team with a .452 average, 66 hits, 34 runs scored and seven stolen bases. Alexis Brown is hitting .389 with 42 hits and 21 runs scored so far. Skylar Pieper is hitting .317 with 40 hits, 24 runs scored, seven double, four home runs and 22 RBI. Lauren Gray (.296) and Abby Nolte (.281) are tied for the team lead in home runs and RBI with seven long balls and 27 RBI this season.
 
In the circle, Jadyn Streigle (8-8, 2.48 ERA), Hayden Simmons (5-2, 2.93 ERA), Olivia Mayer (3-4, 4.84 ERA) and Breck Dickey (4-5, 5.14 ERA) are options to start or come in relief for the Bearcats. Streigle leads the team with 93.0 innings of work while Dickey limits opposing batters to a .226 average and Simmons leads the team with 53 strikeouts on the season.
 
Missouri Western enters the weekend with a 25-15 overall record (9-9 MIAA). The Griffons are tied for fifth place in the MIAA standings (with NWMSU). MWSU is 12-4 at home this season at Griffon Softball Field. the Griffons are 12-4, going 2-2 in their last four games at the Griffon Softball Field.
 
Offensively, the Griffs are hitting .267 and scoring 4.9 runs a game. In the circle, MWSU carries a 3.02 ERA as a staff with 5.0 strikeouts a game and opponents hitting .251.
 
Myah Dwyer leads the team with a .346 average having 45 hits, 28 RBI and nine stolen bases. Kalee Higdon is hitting .340 with a team-high 26 runs scored from 33 hits for 15 RBI. Ashlyn Finarty is hitting .308 with four home runs for 19 RBI.
 
In the circle, Sydney Rader (12-6, 2.04 ERA), Natalie Kissinger (3-4, 3.75 ERA) and Harley Pruetting (3-5, 4.83 ERA) can start of come in relief for the Griffons. Rader leads the team with 127.2 innings of work, 111 strikeouts and limits opponents to a .231 average while owning a 1.14 WHIP.
 
Following the weekend action, Pitt State will return home to close out its regular season schedule with home twinbills against Newman on Apr. 26 and No. 6 UCO on Apr. 27.