Weekend In Review:
With three doubleheaders played and a pair of games postponed due to rain, the Truman women's softball squad head into the home opener after finishing this week with a 4-2 record. The Bulldogs split against Cameron (Okla.) University and East Central (Okla.) University. Once up in Wichita, Kan., the 'Dogs snagged two against Newman (Kan.) University. The games against Rockhurst were postponed due to rainy conditions.
Week At A Glance:
The Bulldogs are set to host the home opener this weekend, having back-to-back doubleheaders against conference rival Lincoln (Mo.) University and incoming conference foe Lindenwood (Mo.) University on Saturday and Sunday. On Tuesday, the 'Dogs will take a short road trip down to St. Louis for a pair against Maryville (Mo.) University. Both doubleheaders at home are scheduled for a 1:00 pm first-pitch and while in St. Louis the 'Dogs will start at 2:00 pm.
Scouting the Competition:
Truman has seen all three upcoming opponents at some point in the programs history, with winning records against two of them. Lincoln and Truman have tallied up 43 contests thus far with the 'Dogs holding a 39-4 record. Lindenwood holds a 3-1 record against Truman and Maryville's only victory in three games against Truman came earlier this season.
As of Thursday, the Lincoln University Tigers have compiled a 4-10 record, with two players hitting over .300 with double-digits hits. Lauren McMinn and Megan Braun are the primary offensive threats, averaging .324 and .311, respectively. McMinn and Braun have knocked in 10 total RBI's, almost a third of the team's total RBI count. Lincoln has turned four double-plays and has left 80 runners on base.
A future member of the MIAA, the Lindenwood Lions through the first 16 games are 4-12 overall. The Lions have two primary starters with averages over .300 and three primary starters with at least 10 hits. In four total games, Danelle Emerick leads the squad with two home runs and a 1.111 slugging percentage. The Bulldogs fell to Lindenwood earlier this season, 1-2.
As a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the Maryville University Saints have a 1-9 overall record, with their one victory coming against the Bulldogs earlier this season. Truman outhit the Saints 12-10 and left eight runners on base. Sarah Graham will be a main threat against the Bulldogs as she carries a .400 average in nine games and 30 at-bats. She owns the teams' only homerun and has racked up 17 total bases.
Current Weather Forecast:
The National Weather Service has forecasted a high of 61 on Saturday with mostly sunny skies and a 10% chance of precipitation. On Sunday, it is forecasted to be 54 degrees with a 70% chance of rain. When Truman travels to St. Louis on Tuesday, the National Weather Service has forecasted a high of 76 degrees with clouds in the morning, clearing up in the afternoon. There is a 20% chance of rain on Tuesday.
MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll:
The Truman Softball squad was selected seventh in the MIAA Coaches poll released early February. The 'Dogs tallied up 39 points to come in six points ahead of Pittsburg (Kan.) State and Washburn (Kan.).
Crushing Stats At The Plate…:
At this point in the season, the Truman women's softball squad is having a phenomenal year at the plate. The Bulldogs are on pace for:
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305 runs
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483 hits
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90 doubles
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53 homeruns
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240 RBI's
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738 total bases
All but one of these statistics is on track to set team season records. The only exception is the RBI category, and it falls only nine shy of the season record.
On top of all those stats, Truman is leading the MIAA in batting average, runs scored, slugging percentage, on base percentage, homeruns, total bases and on top of all of that…they're second in doubles.
Top Ten Lists:
Three members of the Bulldog squad have crept up onto three of Truman's all-time top ten lists.
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Mary Manley started the 2012 campaign tied for eighth all-time for career doubles with 27. This season thus far, she has added four to her total, bringing her up to 31 doubles. She has passed Bulldog Kristen Roberts and has moved to 6th all-time. She sits one behind LeAnn Paul and Loni Wedemier and four behind Jen Wright, who is fourth on the list. Kristi Bredbenner is on top the list with 55.
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Laura Miller started this season at ninth on the all-time stolen bases list with 34. This season, she has tacked on three more. This puts her three back of 2011 graduate Alex Weber and six behind Jessie Shelman. Christen Belcher is the record holder by a landslide, stealing 153 bases while at Truman.
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Starting the season with 78 appearances and adding eight since, Ashley Rotkvich has moved up to third on the all-time appearances in Truman history. She surpassed Breanna Wonderly and Britni Buford for third on the list this past week. Jen Hulsopple is on top of the list with 132 appearances.
Up Next:
Next week, Truman is scheduled to play a pair of conference doubleheaders on the road, starting off on Friday against Emporia (Kan.) State. Then, on Saturday, the 'Dogs will head north to take-on Missouri Western State University in a conference doubleheader. Both sets of games are scheduled to start at 1:00 pm.
