Games 20-21: Truman (16-3, 8-0 GLVC) at Maryville (6-8, 2-0 GLVC)
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2014 (2:00 & 4:00 pm)
Location: St. Louis, Mo. || Maryville Softball Complex
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Series Record: Truman leads, 5-2.
Last Meeting: Truman won, 13-5, on Feb. 16, 2013, in Decatur, Ala.
Series Streak: Truman, W-4
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Games 22-23: Truman (16-3, 8-0 GLVC) at #13 Missouri-St. Louis (10-2, 0-0 GLVC)
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2014 (12:00 & 2:00 pm)
Location: St. Louis, Mo. || UMSL Softball Field
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Series Record: Truman leads, 32-18.
Last Meeting: Split doubleheader – Truman won, 5-0; UMSL won, 8-4 on March 19, 2013, in St. Louis.
Series Streak: UMSL, W-1
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Weekend Weather Forecast: Saturday (Mid-50s, Sunny); Sunday (Low-40s, Sunny)
Live Stats: Saturday || No Live Stats Available Sunday
Social Media: @TrumanAthletics || @TrumanSoftball || 2014 Record Book/Media Guide
Projected Batting Order
|
No. |
Pos. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
Extra |
|
#4 |
CF |
Danielle Lewellen |
5'7" |
SR |
.373 AVG; .429 OBP; 17 SBs |
|
#3 |
2B |
Andrea Klipsch |
5'6" |
JR |
.431 AVG, 3 2B, 2 HR, GLVC POW (3/18/14) |
|
#12 |
RF |
Kelsey Bollman |
5'8" |
SR |
.460 AVG, 1.191 OPS, 16 runs, 16 RBI |
|
#15 |
3B |
Cate Simon |
5'9" |
JR |
.444 AVG, 1.422 OPS, 5 2B, 6 HR, 18 RBI |
|
#6 |
SS |
Jessica VanNostrand |
5'6" |
SR |
.313 AVG, 5 2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI |
|
#8 |
1B |
Liz Leath |
5'8" |
JR |
.349 AVG, 6 2B, 12 runs, 10 RBI |
|
#21 |
DP |
Whitney Richardson |
5'6" |
SO |
.236 AVG, 5 2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI |
|
#5 |
C |
Alexis VanNostrand |
5'6" |
FR |
.311 AVG, 2 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB |
|
#13 |
LF |
Ally McReynolds |
5'9" |
JR |
.268 AVG, 11 runs, 15 BB/HBP, 5 SB |
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Starting Pitching
|
No. |
Pos. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
Extra |
|
#19 |
RHP |
Kindra Henze |
6'1" |
SO |
11 APP/10 GS, 9-1 record, 0.45 ERA, 67 SO |
|
#11 |
RHP |
Kelsea Dorsey |
5'4" |
r-SO |
10 APP/9 GS, 7-2 record, 1.62 ERA, 51 SO |
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Off the Bench
|
No. |
Pos. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
Extra |
|
#1 |
OF |
Nikki Moss |
5'1" |
SO |
8 GP, 4 runs, 1 SB |
|
#2 |
SS |
Corey Niblett |
5'1" |
SR |
8 GP/5 GS, .267 AVG, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 1 SB |
|
#7 |
OF |
Hannah Wehar |
5'3" |
JR |
10 GP, 4 runs, 1 RBI, 1 SB |
|
#10 |
UT |
Haley Wells |
5'5" |
FR |
2 GP, 2 runs |
|
#17 |
OF |
Kelsey Jacques |
5'4" |
SO |
8 GP, 5 runs, 1 2B |
|
#20 |
C/1B |
Caroline Gatti |
5'10" |
r-FR |
5 GP/4 GS, .250 AVG, 1 2B |
Head Coach: Erin Brown
Division II Career Record: 160-194 || .452 || 8th season (all at Truman)
GLVC Record: 8-0 || 1.000 || 1st season
Assistant Coach: Cathy Monroe (8th season)
Athletic Trainer: Cassie DeBlauw (6th season)
The First Pitch:
A key weekend of divisional play is on tap for the Truman softball team, as the Bulldogs carry a 14-game winning streak to St. Louis for back-to-back doubleheaders at Maryville and 13th-ranked Missouri-St. Louis this Saturday and Sunday.
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The Bulldogs (16-3, 8-0 GLVC) will be playing for the first time in seven days after a grueling stretch lined the team up for 10 games in seven days from March 9-15. During that time, Truman not only went a perfect 10-0 (8-0 GLVC), but the 'Dogs out-scored their opponents 86-8 and won five games by run-rule.
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Truman will have its hands full with two strong West Division foes this weekend, however, as the Maryville Saints sit three games back in the standings with just two league games under their belts. Meanwhile, UMSL will be on the final games of an eight-games-in-five-days stretch by Sunday, with no GLVC games completed entering Thursday. The Tritons will face McKendree and Quincy to get four GLVC contests in before Sunday's showdown.
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Erin Brown is in her eighth season at the helm of the Bulldog program, having compiled a 160-194 record at her alma mater. The club's current 14-game win streak is the longest under her tenure.
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Honors, Honors, and More Honors:
The current run by both the Bulldog offense and pitching has presented Truman three awards this week, as junior second baseman Andrea Klipsch was named the GLVC's Player of the Week, while sophomore right-hander Kindra Henze earned the league's Pitcher of the Week award for the third time this year.
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In addition, Henze was also named the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association's National Pitcher of the Week, earning that honor for the first time in her career.
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To read more, visit the following links: GLVC || NFCA
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Bulldogs Edging Close to Top-25:
In this week's NFCA top-25 coaches' poll, the Bulldogs sat just two spots outside the final spot, having garnered 26 votes. Truman was 12 points back of Dixie (Colo.) State's 38, which was good for 25th in this week's listing.
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Only one GLVC school is currently in the top-25, with UMSL slipping two spots this week to No. 13. Indianapolis earned one vote.
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Wayne (Mich.) State headlined the Midwest region at No. 8, with only WSU and UMSL representing the Midwest in the top-25. Truman sat one spot ahead of Grand Valley (Mich.) State, with only the Bulldogs, GVSU Lakers, and UIndy Greyhounds receiving votes from the Midwest.
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Spring Break "14":
While many students loaded up cars, trains, and planes last week during the University's Spring Break, the Bulldog softball team did plenty traveling of its own around the diamond, as Truman ran its winning streak to 14 games.
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This is currently the second-longest winning streak in program history, trailing only an 18-game win streak from Feb. 25 – March 23, 2004 for the program's top mark. The 14 straight is just the third-longest unbeaten streak, however, as the 2001 squad started its season 20-0-1 (21 games) with two 10-game win streaks sandwiching a 6-6 tie against Drake (Iowa). That was the second game of a doubleheader that was called due to darkness.
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These Bats are on Fire:
After tying the school record in runs and setting new standards in home runs, batting average, and slugging percentage in 2013, the 2014 squad is on pace to smash long-standing offensive and defensive single-season records once again.
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This year's team is on pace to score 335 runs (current high: 272), log 466 hits (CH: 463), tally 294 RBI (CH: 249), and record 714 total bases (CH: 680). In addition, the club is hitting .347 as a team so far (CH: .317), while the pitching staff is on pace for 309 strikeouts, which would rank No. 2 all-time in a single-season (CH: 326).
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Bollman Making Marks in Senior Season:
Outfielder Kelsey Bollman has pieced together one of the strongest careers in program history, evidenced by her name inked on multiple program career charts with still 30 games to go in the 2014 regular season.
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The Maquoketa, Iowa-native currently sits 3rd in doubles (50), 4th in home runs (19), 5th in both batting average (.369) and runs scored (119), 7th in triples (8), 8th in both hits (193) and RBI (103), and 11th in stolen bases (35).
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Bulldogs Picked Third in GLVC West Preseason Poll:
The Bulldogs will kick off its inaugural season as a GLVC member having been picked third in the West division in the league's preseason poll. Selected by all 16 conference coaches, the preseason poll landed Truman (89 points) just three points behind second-place William Jewell (Mo.) in the West division, with both squads trailing preseason favorite Missouri-St. Louis.
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UMSL, who claimed its first-ever GLVC Championship last season en route to a spot in the NCAA Midwest Regional, received 120 points and was the league's unanimous selection to win the West. Drury (Mo.), Quincy (Ill.), Missouri S&T, Rockhurst (Mo.), and Maryville (Mo.) round out the eight-team West division.
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Up Next:
The Bulldogs will have three GLVC doubleheaders on the docket next week, visiting long-time rival Quincy on Wed., March 26 at 2 p.m., before hosting both Missouri S&T (Saturday, March 29) and Drury (Sunday, March 30) during the weekend at the Truman Softball Park.
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