MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois softball continues its Summit League schedule and begins an 8-game road swing this weekend at Omaha. The Leathernecks and Mavericks are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday (April 1) before playing game three of the series on Sunday at 2 p.m.
LOCATION CHANGE: This weekend's games vs. Omaha have been moved to Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. due to potential weather and field conditions.Â
SERIES HISTORY: The Leathernecks trail Omaha in the all-time series 13-4... Western lost 10 of the first 11 meetings between the two teams... During the last two seasons (six games) WIU and UNO are 3-3 against one another, with WIU taking the 2015 series 2-1 and Omaha taking the 2016 series 2-1... In 2015, the last time the two teams played in Omaha, Western won the series opener 5-3, lost the second game 5-10, and then won game three 2-1... In 2016, WIU played host to Omaha... Western lost the first two games of the series 3-7 and 0-2 before winning game three, 14-8.
A LOOK AT THE MAVERICKS: Omaha is 9-20 overall on the year and 0-1 in home contests... The Mavericks' home series vs. Fort Wayne that was scheduled for last week was canceled due to weather/field conditions... Before that, UNO lost to New Mexico State at home on March 21, 14-6, and then lost to Nebraska on the road, 15-11.
Kelly Pattison leads Omaha in RBIs (20), slugging % (.511) and home runs (4), and ranks second in batting average (.341)... Lia Mancuso leads the Mavericks in batting average (.371) and owns a team-best 33 hits on the season... Abbie Clanton and Laura Roecker are the Mavericks two primary pitchers... Clanton is 4-10 on the year with a 4.67 ERA and 26 strikeouts, while Roecker is 5-9 overall with a 5.82 ERA and 35 strikeouts.Â
Omaha is coached by DJ Sanchez, who was a standout pitcher at Oklahoma from 2006-09 and left as one of the most decorated pitchers in school history. She owns the program's second-best career winning percentage (.768) after going 76-23 in four seasons with the Sooners and posting a 1.90 career ERA.
LAST TIME OUT: Western Illinois trailed by five runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before the Leathernecks rallied to score six, capped off by a walk-off single from Sydney Hollings to beat South Dakota, 9-8, Sunday (March 26) at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium... WIU won the series 2-1 as the two teams split a doubleheader the day before on March 25.
UP AHEAD: After the Leathernecks head to Nebraska to face the Omaha Mavericks this weekend, WIU journeys to Fort Wayne, Ind. for a league series against the Mastodons April 8-9... Western then is scheduled for a doubleheader at Missouri on April 11 at 4 p.m. in Columbia, Mo. before continuing league play at home versus IUPUI April 14-15.
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IN THE NCAA: Individually, Nina Maggio ranks fourth in sacrifice hits per game (0.40)... Emily Ira ranks 14th in walks allowed per seven innings (0.72), 24th in strikeouts (122) and 49th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.0)... Kelsey Marlow ranks 91st in triples per game (0.10) and 95th in sacrifice flies (2)... As a team, WIU ranks 72nd in triples per game (0.23) and 107th in home runs per game (0.95).
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IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE: As a team, WIU ranks first in stolen bases (29) and triples (6)... Second in home runs (20), walks (87), batting average against (.259)... Third in extra base hits (58), total bases (318), sacrifice hits (25), earned run average (3.70)... Individually, Emily Ira ranks second in earned run average (2.63), second in strikeouts (122), strikeouts per game (8.01), complete games (14), batting average against (.225), third in games started (16) and shutouts (1), fourth in innings pitched (106.2)... Holly Hoelting ranks second in home runs (6) and fifth in RBIs (20)... Kelsey Marlow ranks first in triples (3), second in doubles (8) and stolen bases (9), third in sacrifices flies (2), and fourth in RBIs (21)... Rachael Beatty ranks fifth in stolen bases (8).
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2016 SEASON RECAP: Western finished third overall in The Summit League regular season a year ago with a 9-8 record in conference play (16-32 overall). The Leathernecks won their final five games of the season and earned the No. 3 seed in the league championship before falling to IUPUI in the first round. As a team, the Leathernecks batted .263 with 160 runs scored off of 332 hits.
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PRESEASON POLL: Following its best finish since 2010, the Western Illinois softball team was picked to finish third overall in the 2017 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll. North Dakota State was projected as the preseason favorite with 36 points (six first-place votes), followed by Omaha with 27 (one first-place vote). The Leathernecks garnered 25 points, while South Dakota was picked to finish fourth with 23. South Dakota State (19), IUPUI (11) and Fort Wayne (5) rounded out the poll.
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NEWCOMERS: Western Illinois adds five freshmen to their 2017 roster in Meghan Henson (Munster, Ind. / Marian Catholic), Halle Hollatz (Lockpork, Ill. / Lockport), Sydney Hollings (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community West), Brittanee Knepper (Blackwell, Okla. / Blackwell) and Jasmine Lara (Bettendorf, Iowa / Pleasant Valley).
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RETURNERS: The Leathernecks return 15 players from a year ago, including two Second-Team All-Summit League selections in senior Nina Maggio and sophomore Emily Ira. The latter was also tabbed to the preseason 'Players to Watch' list after compiling 136 strikeouts during her freshman campaign. She struck out a career-high 12 batters at South Dakota and recorded Western's first no-hitter since 2010 against Canisius. Kelsey Marlow returns as Western's leader in batting average (.320) from a season ago. The junior compiled 23 RBI, 47 hits, 10 doubles and led The Summit League with four triples. Rachel Beatty led the team with a .333 batting average during league play and led the team with six home runs. |
