MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois Softball team will look to upset a nationally ranked opponent when it travels to No. 8 Missouri for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. om Wednesday, April 4.
The Fighting Leathernecks (19-23) took two of three games from South Dakota State over the weekend. Wednesday's match up with Missouri is the first of two doubleheaders for Western Illinois this week. The Leathernecks will wrap up the season with a twin bill against Illinois on Saturday.
The Tigers (40-6) enter the week on a three-game winning streak after taking one game from No. 17 Oklahoma State over the weekend. Missouri has won 33-straight home games and currently sits in second place in the Big XII.
All of the action can be heard live on WIUS 88.3 FM by clicking HERE. Fans can also follow the games via live stats (HERE) or the Western Illinois Softball Twitter page (HERE). The games will also be shown on Mizzou All Access (SUBSCRIPTION).
The Matchup
Who: Western Illinois (19-23) at No. 8 Missouri (40-6)
When: Wednesday, May 4 at 3 p.m. (DH)
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Stadium: University Field
Coverage
Video • Mizzou All Access (subscription)
Live Stats • MUTigers.com (free)
Twitter • @WIUSoftball (free)
Radio • WIUS 88.3 FM (free)
Play-by-Play: Julio Rausseo
PREVIOUSLY VS. SDSU: Western Illinois took two of three games from South Dakota State over the weekend... the Leathernecks swept Friday's doubleheader by scores of 3-0 and 6-3 before dropping the finale by a score of 9-7 on Saturday... the loss, combined with a Southern Utah win over North Dakota State, knocked the Leathernecks out of a spot in The Summit League Tournament... Jamie Goss broke the Western Illinois single-season RBI record when she recorded her 46th RBI in game two of the weekend series... Colleen Biebel scored three runs over the weekend to move into second-place in program history with 121 runs scored.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS: Missouri enters the week on a three-game winning streak after defeating No. 17 Oklahoma State over the weekend... the Tigers were set to play two games against the Cowgirls but the second game of the series was postponed due to weather... Missouri currently owns a 33-game winning streak at home, the top active streak in the nation... the Tigers' last home loss came against Oklahoma State on April 3, 2010... The Tigers are led on offense by junior 1B/OF Ashley Fleming... the 2010 All-Big XII selection is batting .385 with 10 homers and 47 RBI this season... Nicole Hudson has also recorded 10 homers and driven in 36 runs this season... Rhea Taylor, a Third Team All-American and First Team All-Big XII selection a year ago is the team's leader in stolen bases (28-for-30)... Chelsea Thomas leads a pitching staff that ranks second in the nation in ERA (1.30)... she is 23-4 with a 0.72 ERA on the season... Thomas has recorded 283 strikeouts while walking just 34 batters in 174.0 innings this season.
THE SERIES: Western Illinois is 5-25 all-time against Missouri... the Tigers have won each of the past five meetings including a doubleheader in Macomb last season... the Leathernecks have faced Missouri six times when the Tigers were nationally ranked... Western defeated the then No. 17 Tigers by a 2-0 score on March 13, 1993... Western Illinois' last victory in the series came on March 17, 2007 in Columbia.
RECORD WATCH: Western Illinois has had tremendous success at the plate this season and has several players positioned to etch their names in the Leatherneck record books... Colleen Biebel currently ranks 2nd in program history in career-runs (121), 7th in career-steals (45) and career-hits (188)... Ashley Campbell is tied for seventh with 15 career-homers... Beth Golitko sits two doubles away from the career top-10 list with 33 and is two away from entering the single-season top-10 with 14 doubles... Jamie Goss is the new single-season record holder with 47 RBI and ranks third with 112 career-RBI, she is also tied for 10th with 14 career-homers... Megan Kelly has 34 RBI this season, two shy of pulling into a tie for 10th in a single season while Erin Schlotfeldt has 35, just one short of the single-season top-10... Schlotfeldt also ranks sixth in career-homers (16) and needs just one more RBI to enter the career top-10... her .419 batting average this season is the 3rd best in program history while her .752 slugging percentage would be tied for fourth if the season ended today... Nikki Marinec is now tied for eighth in single-season runs (38) and ranks 6th in career-walks (63)... Michelle Prieto ranks 9th in program history with 35 career-stolen bases.
UP NEXT: Western Illinois will finish up the regular season with a doubleheader at in-state rival Illinois on Saturday... the twin bill is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Eichelberger Field.
