Softball 4/11/2012 1:45:00 PM Tyler Madsen, Truman Athletics

Key Weekend on Tap for Softball

Senior Bridget Schade leads the MIAA in batting average and OPS, while ranking third in RBI's and fourth in home runs in 2012.

TRUMAN vs. Fort Hays (Kan.) State – Friday (12:00/2:00); Kirksville
TRUMAN vs. Washburn (Kan.) – Saturday (12:00/2:00); Kirksville

Live Stats | Season Statistics | Season Schedule | MIAA Standings

Week At-A-Glance:
A second straight critical weekend is in store for the Truman softball team, as the Bulldogs welcome a pair of Kansas conference rivals to Kirksville for back-to-back doubleheaders. Truman hosts Fort Hays State on Friday before battling Washburn on Saturday in a pair of noon starts.

With just eight games (six MIAA) remaining on the 2012 docket, the Bulldogs (19-24, 3-11 MIAA) need wins if they plan to punch their ticket to the conference tournament April 26-28 in Overland Park, Kan. A tightly-bunched lower half of the MIAA standings has the Bulldogs currently sitting in last, but a pair of sweeps this weekend could propel the purple and white all the way to fifth based on other results.

Truman will be tasked with the league's fourth and fifth ranked squads, as FHSU (23-15, 7-5 MIAA) and WU (14-18, 5-7 MIAA) will be trying to book spots in the league's eight-team tournament with road trip wins. Current weather forecasts are calling for potential challenges in squeezing the games in, as rain is expected to move into the area on Thursday night and continue throughout the weekend.

Recapping Last Week's Action:
The Bulldogs played host to three doubleheaders last week, picking up splits against MIAA-foes Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist on Friday and Saturday before closing with a final split against future MIAA-rival Lindenwood on Tuesday.

Bridget Schade (Herculaneum, Mo., Herculaneum) and Liz Leath (St. Charles, Mo., Francis Howell Central) both went 9-for-18 during the six games, combining for all five of Truman's home runs. Laura Miller (Columbia, Mo., Hickman) added nine hits in 19 at-bats, while Katie Pitts (Jefferson City, Mo., Helias) and Corey Niblett (Troy, Mo., Troy Buchanan) also hit better than .400. The Bulldog bats came to life, pounding out 14 extra-base hits and a .357 average overall, while Bulldog pitching posted a 2.90 ERA in 41 innings of work. Kelsea Dorsey (Clarksville, Mo., Clopton) earned a pair of victories and threw a no-hitter against LWU, while Ashley Rotkvich (Crestwood, Ill., Shepard) picked up a win as well.

Senior Day Saturday:
Prior to Saturday's doubleheader against Washburn, the Bulldog softball team will recognize its four seniors – all of whom have played significant roles throughout their careers at Truman. Mary Manley (Des Peres, Mo., Kirkwood), Katie Pitts, Ashley Rotkvich and Bridget Schade will each be honored before the first pitch.

Pitts, Manley and Rotkvich have all surpassed the 100 games played mark in a Truman uniform throughout their four-year careers, while Schade will eclipse the 90 games mark since transferring prior to her junior season. The quartet has been responsible for a .283 batting average in nearly 1,300 total at-bats, 89 extra-base hits including 27 home runs, 180 RBI's and 44 stolen bases. Rotkvich, meanwhile, has started 59 games while appearing in an even 100 entering the weekend, striking out 154 batters and throwing 15 complete games with two shutouts.

Dorsey Tosses No-No Against Lindenwood:
For the first time in nearly two seasons and for just the seventh time since 1999, a Truman pitcher dealt a no-hitter as freshman Kelsea Dorsey shut down the Lindenwood offense in a 14-0 Truman win on April 10. Dorsey needed just 73 pitches in a run-shortened outing, striking out seven to pick up her 12^th win of the season. She allowed just two baserunners – both via hit-by-pitch – but never let either reach second base in the dominant outing. She leads the Bulldogs in wins, ERA and appearances, while striking out 98 total hitters in 123 innings of work.

Scouting the Competition:
Fort Hays State “Tigers” (23-15, 7-5 MIAA, 8-6 in true road games)
FHSU visits Kirksville having completed a midweek sweep of future MIAA-foe Nebraska-Kearney, winning 6-2 and 7-4 to kick off a three-game road trip. The Tigers travel to Truman on Friday before facing Northwest Missouri in Maryville on Saturday.

The Tigers have been relatively consistent throughout the season, with only 10 players seeing any type of regular action in the lineup. Spearheading both the batting and pitching statistics is Maddie Holub, a .347 hitter with five home runs and 22 RBI's and a 13-8 pitcher with a 1.94 ERA. Holub is one of the league's hardest throwers, striking out 222 batters in 144 innings of work, but control has been an issue with 26 HBP's and 51 walks.

As a team, FHSU is hitting .271 with a team slugging percentage of .378. The Tigers have swiped 29 bases in 35 chances for first-year head coach Erin Kinberger.

Washburn “Lady Blues” (14-18, 5-7 MIAA, 5-9 in true road games)
WU visits Kirksville on Saturday having most recently split with a third future MIAA-foe – Northeastern (Okla.) State – on Friday, April 6. The Lady Blues make a stop in Maryville to face Northwest Missouri on Friday before visiting Kirksville on Saturday.

The Lady Blues have lost five of six following a stretch of 10 wins in 13 games in late March. Lindsey Moore (10 doubles, seven home runs) and Alex Zordel (five home runs) provide the offensive power for WU, though Kacy Covert – with just two extra-base hits overall – leads the team with a .402 average. Kayla Oldham (7-9, 3.36 ERA) and Lindsey Moore (5-7, 4.26 ERA) are the likely starting pitchers for a WU staff that has struck out just 83 batters in 217 innings of work.

As a team, WU is hitting .282 with a team slugging percentage of .400. The Lady Blues are 10-for-10 stealing bases for head coach Vanessa Becerra, who is in her first year in Topeka following a four-year stint at Metro (Colo.) State.

Conference Stats:
The Bulldog offense has been the strength of the team this season, as evidenced by a variety of team and individual top spots amongst the MIAA's elite. As a team, Truman's .315 team batting average ranks second in the league, while Bridget Schade leads the league in batting average (.437) and OPS (1.294). In addition, Schade is the league leader in walks (22), ranks third in both total bases (92) and RBI's (39), and is just two back of the MIAA lead in home runs with 11.

The duo of Kelsey Bollman and Liz Leath has made its imprint atop the MIAA doubles category, as Bollman (16) and Leath (14) lead all players in the league.

Kelsea Dorsey leads the league in appearances (30) in the circle, guiding the Bulldog pitching staff to a sixth-place ranking in the league (3.96 ERA). Dorsey is in a four-way tie for second in wins with 12, is tied for the league-high in saves (3) and is fourth in strikeouts (98).

Top Ten Lists:
Five members of the Bulldog squad have crept up onto a handful of Truman's all-time top ten lists.
·       Kelsey Bollman sits at eighth all-time on the doubles list with 30 in her career. She sits two back of LeAnn Paul (2001-04) and Loni Wedemeier (2003-06) for sixth.
·       Bollman also sits in a tie for 10^th on the home run all-time charts with 10. She is one homerun shy of Stephanie Schlegel (1997-2000) who is ninth on the list.
·       Bridget Schade sits third on the all-time career batting average list with a .381 average. Also, with her 11 home runs this season to raise her career total to 17, she has jumped to fourth all-time at Truman. Kristi Bredbenner (1998-2001) and Loni Wedemeier (2003-06) are tied for second with 33 each.
·       Laura Miller has moved up to eighth on the all-time stolen bases chart with 42 in her career. She is just one back of Jessie Shelman (2006-07) for seventh.
·       Ashley Rotkvich registered her 100^th career appearance on Tuesday, becoming just the third Truman pitcher to hit the milestone. She needs just four more outings to tie Loni Wedemeier (2003-06) for second.
·       Rotkvich also has jumped to tenth in total strikeouts with 152, needing 18 to catch Shannon Johnson (1994-97) for ninth all time.
·       Mary Manley is fifth all-time in doubles with 33, landing two behind Jen Wright (1997-2000) for fourth. Kristi Bredbenner is on top of the list with 55.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs have just one weekend of regular season play to go following Saturday's action, as the purple and white close out MIAA play by heading to Northwest Missouri on Friday (April 20) before hosting Sioux Falls (S.D.) in nonconference action on Sunday (April 22) at 1:00 pm.

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