PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University softball team will travel to Colorado for a three-day five-game tournament this weekend.
 
To begin the tournament, the Gorillas will play at Colorado – Colorado Springs on Friday (Feb. 6) at 2:00 p.m. (CST) at the Mountain Lion Field before traveling to the Rawlings Softball Complex in Pueblo to play Adams State at 6:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 7) Pittsburg State will begin the day against Adams State at 11:00 a.m., and end the day against Colorado State – Pueblo at 2:00 p.m. To end the weekend, the Gorillas will face off against the ThunderWolves one more time on Sunday (Feb. 8) at 11:00 a.m.
 
Pitt State began the season with a 4-0 showing at the Embry-Riddle Invitational in Dayton Beach, Fla. (Jan. 30 – Feb. 1), and was picked to claim the MIAA regular season crown. As a team, the Gorillas are hitting .344 with 9.0 runs and 10.5 hits per game, in the circle five hurlers have combined to account for a 1.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, .192 opponent batting average and recorded two shutouts.
 
Leading the team with a .611 average is Heather Arnett after collecting 11 hits, eight runs scored, two triples and five RBI. Alleyna Rushing is off to a .467 start with seven hits and seven runs. Taylor Lundien (.400), Kadyn Trochim (.385) and Rachael Schlotter (.300) are the other qualified hitters batting at or above .300 following the opening weekend of play. Trochim leads the team with nine RBI with at least two runs driven in every contest so far.
 
In the circle, Ava Laurent (1-0, 0-70 ERA) leads the team with 10.0 innings with six strikeouts and opponents hitting .194. Emma Crabb (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Sailor Hall (1-0, 1.40 ERA) and Lexi Franklin (1-0, 4.42 ERA) have appeared in at least two games and pitched in 5.0 or more innings.
 
The trio of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams, The University of Colorado – Colorado Springs was tabbed fourth in the RMAC Preseason Poll. Colorado State University – Pubelo was pegged fifth and Adams State University rounded out the poll at 12^th.
 
This season, UCCS is off to a 4-1 start after completing the South Central Regional Crossover in Los Lunas, N.M. (Jan. 30 – Feb. 1). The Mountain Lions were led by Jennavieve Goldsworth with 13 hits, eight runs scored and six stolen bases. Goldsworth for her efforts to begin the season was named the RMAC Player of the Week (Feb. 3). Laynee Case came away with a pair of home runs and drove in eight runs last weekend while hitting .368. In the circle, Autumn Kunze (2-0, 0.55 ERA) pitched a team-high 12.2 innings and struck out 10 batters while holding opponents to a .178 average.
 
Adams State went 0-5 to begin the season down in Los Lunas, N.M., with a trio of run rule losses. Isabel Rodrigues leads the team with a .444 average and is one of three Grizzlies to collect four hits. As a team, ASU is hitting .240 with six extra base hits (five doubles) while striking out 46 times. In the circle, Aubree Davis (0-0, 0.84 ERA) is the only member of the pitching staff to have an ERA under 8.00. Davis in 8.1 innings of relief has struck out seven and limited opponents to a .200 average.
 
CSUP began the season at the CUI Kickoff Classic in Irvine, Calif. (Jan. 30 – Feb. 1), going 2-3 against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opposition. Caitlyn Cole is the only qualified hitter to average above .300 after the first weekend of action, at .389 with seven hits, five runs scored and a pair of doubles. Jaylah Rivera (1-0, 0.00 ERA) and McKenna James (1-2, 2.14 ERA) are the only ThunderWolves to have an ERA under 6.00. James in three relief appearances has pitched a team-high 16.1 innings with seven strikeouts while opponents are hitting .258. Rivera in two appearances, one start she has pitched 6.2 innings with a .130 opponent batting average while walking five batters.