PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University softball team will play hosts to the University of Nebraska – Kearney and Fort Hays State University this weekend in the final home stand of the regular season.
Game time against the Lopers is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) on Thursday (Apr. 17) and against the Tigers on Friday (Apr. 18) at Noon from the Pittsburg State Softball Field.
Pittsburg State enters the weekend with a 33-11 overall record, 14-4 in the MIAA and are ranked No. 24 in the latest NFCA Top-25 Poll. The Gorillas are 16-0 at home this season, joining Concordia – St. Paul, Southern New Hampshire, Lewis and Pace as the only undefeated Division II teams this season at home.
Leading the charge on offense is
Heather Arnett with a .503 average, 79 hits, 56 runs scored, 35 stolen bases, 25 RBI and 10 doubles.
Alleyna Rushing is hitting .430 with 43 hits, 33 runs scored, 17 runs driven in and 16 stolen bases.
Courtney Storey leads the team with 48 RBI on the season and is hitting .394 with 52 hits, 10 doubles and nine stolen bases.
Amaya Snyder (.341),
Emily Ades (.324),
Ava Sarwinski (.320) and
Kadyn Trochim (.313) round out the qualified hitters batting above .300. Trochim, this season leads the team with 12 home runs and is second among team ranks for runs driven in at 39.
In the circle,
Ava Laurent (14-4, 2.62 ERA) and
Aydenne Brown (14-5, 2.91 ERA) frontline the pitching staff. Laurent in 117.2 innings has 129 strikeouts with opponents hitting .203 against her. Brown in 93.2 innings is limiting opponents to a .198 average and has struck out 111 hitters.
Chelsea Beville (2-2, 2 SV, 2.33 ERA),
Jadyn Standeford (2-0, 1.75 ERA),
Lexi Franklin (1-0, 1.50 ERA) and
Shelby Underwood (0-0, 0.00 ERA) round out the staff.
Nebraska – Kearney enters the weekend with a 22-21 overall record and is 8-10 in the MIAA. On the road this season the Lopers are 5-5, beating Newman in a doubleheader (Apr. 12) last time out. Mary Chvatal leads the team with a .387 average, 48 hits, 39 runs scored, 35 walks drawn, 14 stolen bases and 12 doubles. Gianna Gali (.328) and Alydda Fortik (.323) are the other qualified hitters for UNK to bat above .300 this season. Rylyn Nelson (.217) leads the team with five home runs and is second on the team to Fortik (40) with 31 runs driven in.
For the Lopers, Jerzie Schindler (6-7, 4.41 ERA), Kalli Ulven (5-8, 5.58 ERA), Madeline Janssen (4-2, 5 SV, 5.61 ERA) and Daniella Morillas (7-4, 2 SV, 5.52 ERA) comprise of the pitching staff this season. Schindler leads the team with 81.2 innings of work, Ulven has a team-high 45 strikeouts in 80.2 innings and Morillas in 58.2 innings holds opponents to a .271 average.
Fort Hays State will begin the weekend with a 23-15 overall record, 8-10 in the MIAA. On the road this season the Tigers are 3-8 with wins over the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs (Mar. 11), Emporia State (Mar. 29) and Newman (Apr. 11). Madison Pierce leads the team with a .378 average, 42 hits, 26 runs scored and 20 RBI to go with six doubles and four home runs. Lilly Mohr is hitting .321 with a team-high six home runs to go with 15 runs driven in. Paige Thexton (.311), Lexi Mohr (.309), Jules Bosco (.306) and Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson (.305) round out the qualified hitters batting above .300 this season.
Savanah Egger (10-9, 3.37 ERA) and Morgan Schmidt (11-6, 3.48 ERA) lead the pitching staff for the Tigers. Egger in 116.1 innings has struck out 101 batters and limits opponents to a .253 average. Schmidt in 98.2 innings has struck out 103 hitters while limiting opponents to a .244 average. Korryn Johnson (2-0, 5.88 ERA), Kylie Caspersen (0-0, 7.74 ERA), Myah Wolfe (0-0, 15.75 ERA) and Erika Flynn (0-0, 21.00 ERA) round out the pitching staff.
