Northern Illinois Doubleheader
When: March 22
Tuesday, March 22: 3 p.m (DH)
Location: DeKalb, Ill.
Field: Mary M. Bell Field

Coverage
Radio • WIUS (88.3 FM, Macomb) Flagship station
Julio Rausseo, play by play
Gary Davis, color analyst
Live WIUS radio broadcast (Free)
In-Game Updates via Twitter • @WIUSoftball
Live Stats • Game 1, Game 2

Leatherneck Notes
Ferguson named Summit League Pitcher of the Week
Senior pitcher Kamren Ferguson was named The Summit League's Pitcher of the Week for her performances in the Fighting Leathernecks five contests from March 15-21.

Ferguson went 3-0 from the circle, posting a 0.25 ERA while striking out 23 batters and only allowing one run in 28 innings of work. The senior threw two shutouts against IUPUI to help the Leathernecks sweep the Jaguars to open conference play. She followed her performance against IUPUI the following day on March 16 by picking up the win over Miami University, 5-1, in a 14 inning performance.

The Clinton, Ill., native leads the Western pitching staff with a 1.24 ERA and a 7-3 overall record. Ferguson has 59 strikeouts on the year and has held her opposing batters to a .197 batting average.

The senior pitcher earns the award for the eighth time in her career and second time this season.

Pankratz named Western Illinois Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Senior softball player Lori Pankratz was named the Western Illinois Scholar-Athlete of the Week for her performances on the field and in the classroom.

Last week, the pitcher went 2-0 with 0.00 ERA while striking out nine batters and only allowing two runs. She got the win from the circle in the 8-2 win over IUPUI and pitched the final four innings in the 5-3 win over Miami University in relief of Kelsey Michelini, only surrendering one hit to the RedHawks.

In addition to helping the Fighting Leathernecks (14-5, 3-0 Summit League) from the circle, Pankratz collected five hits, drove in the second-most RBI on the team during the five-game stretch with six and hit her first homerun of the year. This season Pankratz has posted a 5-2 record with a 1.43 ERA as well as registering 13 hits and 10 RBI.

The Bettendorf, Iowa, native currently boasts a 3.96 cumulative grade point average as a pre-physical therapy major. She will attend the University of Iowa and pursue a master's degree physical therapy in July after accepting early admittance into the program last fall.  The senior was also recently recognized as the Western Illinois Department of Biological Sciences Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student.

Spring break in review
The Leathernecks played a total of five games in two days, including three of those games against IUPUI on Monday, March 15. Western swept IUPUI to start conference play 3-0 by outscoring the Jaguars 20-2.

The Leathernecks then played in one of the longest games in school history against 2009 NCAA tournament participate, Miami University. Western spoiled the RedHawks home opener by taking game one, 5-1, in 14 innings before winning game two 5-3. The Leathernecks' spring break was cut short due to poor field conditions in Valparaiso, canceling the team's doubleheader with the Crusaders on Wed., March 17.

Through the spring break's five games, Western outscored their opponents (30-6) and collected 34 more hits (60-26). Western provided a lethal attack from the plate as 11 different players scored a run and 10 players recorded a hit. Nine players recorded an RBI as well.

Nikki Marinec led the team at the plate, batting .471 with eight hits and two runs. Beth Golitko drove in a team-high seven base runners while Julie DePolo and Lauren Furgala both scored six runs. Four different players also added a home run throughout the week.

Dynamic duo
Western's No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers of Kamren Ferguson and Lori Pankratz continue to disrupt opposing battings with their different pitching styles. Western's pitching staff has an ERA of 1.32 compared to their opponents 3.57 ERA. Ferguson has posted a team-best 7-3 record from the circle with 59 strikeouts and four shutouts while Pankratz has gone 5-2 with 35 strikeouts and has only allowed 35 hits in 44 innings of work.

Balanced attack from the plate
The Leatherneck batters have combined for a .314 batting average in the season, led by senior Lauren Furgala's  league-best .439 batting average. Western has four batters with 12 or more hits on the season as well as having nine players who have recorded 13 or more hits. Four different players also have 10 or more RBI on the season.

Record watch
The Leatherneck seniors in Julie DePolo, Lauren Furgala and Kamren Ferguson continue to move up in the career record books and are on pace to break some school records.

DePolo currently ranks third all-time in stolen bases (58), eighth in runs scored (100) and is tied for 10th in career home runs. The New Lenox, Ill., native is only 17 stolen bases away from setting the school record.

Furgala currently ranks seventh all-time in doubles (38), ninth in career RBI (82) and is tied for fourth in stolen bases (53).

Ferguson is currently tied for third in career wins (61), appearances (121), complete games (88) and innings pitched (723). The Clinton, Ill., native also sits in second place in career strikeouts (616). The two-time conference pitcher of the year is only 14 wins away from breaking current Western Illinois head coach Holly Van Vlymen's record for career wins.