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WARM UPS...
#25 Griffon Softball's road swing continued over the weekend.  On Friday, the Griffs lost a tough doubleheader to #18 Fort Hays State.  The opener went 12 innings, before Hays pushed across the game winner to win 2-1.  Jackie Bishop went the entire way on the mound striking out 11 and only surrendering three hits.  Neither run given up was earned.  The team rebounded nicely in sweeping Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday by scores of 7-1 & 8-5.  Bishop got the win in game one to improve to 13-4 on the season with Kendall Sorenson, Taylor Anding and Kat Steponovich driving in two runs apiece.  In game two, the Griffs were down to their final out before Tiffany Gillaspy's double tied the game and the team went on to win 8-5 in 10 innings.  Janie Smith only gave up one earned run in going the distance.  The Griffs are 26-10 overall and 10-4 in the MIAA and return home this weekend.  The Griffons take on Truman State at 2 PM on Saturday and Lindenwood is here for a 12 PM doubleheader on Sunday.  Admission is FREE to all home games at the Spring Sports Complex. This weekend is the start of a 10 game home stand. The Griffons have won six straight home games and are 6-2 at home.

KNOW THE OPPONENTS...
Truman State Team Info
Series with TSU since 2002: MWSU leads 16-13 - Home: 9-6 - Road: 6-3 - Neutral: 1-4 - MIAA Tournament: 1-3
• The Griffons and the Bulldogs have had a lot of close battles since 2002. The Griffons hold a slim margin in the series 16-13 but have struggled on a neutral field and in the MIAA tournament against TSU. The Griffons have won 15 of the last 19 games and 12 of the last 15. They have won four straight in the series and five of the last six against TSU at home. Last season the Griffons won 8-0 and 4-0 on March 17 in St. Joseph. In 2011 the Griffons won 4-1 and 4-3 on April 17.
• As a team the Bulldogs are hitting .329 with 29 home runs and 38 doubles. The Bulldogs have six players hitting .300 or better and two over .400. Kelsey Bollman is hitting .415 with 39 hits and 23 RBI in 29 games played...Liz Leath is hitting .400 with 34 hits and four home runs....Kristin Grossman leads the way in the power department with seven doubles and seven home runs.  
• In the circle the Bulldogs have a 2.78 ERA with Hannah Washburn leading the charge with a 1.77 ERA. She is 12-4 on the season with 100 strikeouts. She has given up 78 hits and 24 earned runs in 94.2 innings of work. Kirsten Krause has a 3.09 ERA with a 3-2 record in 15 apperances.
• The Bulldogs are 4-4 in their last eight games...They swept SBU and Lincoln but fell twice to Fort Hays State and Central Missouri.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION...
Lindenwood Team Info
Series since 2002: First Meeting
• The Lions come into the weekend being one of the hottest teams in the MIAA winning six in a row and eight of their last 10. The Lions are coming off a weekend where they swept Southwest Baptist 4-0 and 11-0 and then swept Central Missouri 6-5 and 7-4.
• The Lions are currently 7-3 on the road and 5-1 on the road in MIAA play.
• On the season they are hitting .276 as a team with six players hitting over .300. Kendall Ryndak leads the charge at the plate with a .378 batting average with 34 hits and eight doubles. Alexandra Newcomb has a .364 average with 39 hits 11 doubles and one home run. The Lions have hit just five home runs on the season with Hannah Braun hitting two.
• In the circle they hold a 5.19 ERA with Morgan Colvis leading the way with a 4-4 record and a 2.68 ERA. Kendall Ryndak has a 6-7 record with a 3.62 ERA while Kristen Felker is 5-5 with a 5.75 ERA. They have 163 strikeouts as a team with Ryndak getting 68 of them.

GRIFF NOTES...
• #1 Kat Steponovich --2012 Honorable Mention all-MIAA selection...has started 22 games this season with 154 putouts and 8 assists behid the plate...has a hit in four of her last five games including her second homer of her career against Northern State...she also hit a double against #18 Fort Hays State.
• #2 Brooke Schaben -- Transferred to Missouri Western from Division I South Dakota... has played in 18 games with 7 starts...she scored 7 runs and on the mound has a 1.91 ERA in 11 innings of work...had a double to lead off the 7th against UNK which allowed the Griffons to tie the game up.
• #3 Jakie Bishop --  2012 Honors: Daktronics Softball All-America Second-Team, NFCA Second Team All-South Central Region, Daktronics NCAA Division II South Central Region Pitcher of the Year, First Team Daktronics NCAA Division II South Central Region, MIAA Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-MIAA...has pitched 127.2 innings with 145 strikeouts...has a 13-4 record with three saves...She is the all-time leader in victories at MWSU with 62 in her career which broke the mark of 60 held by Dana Wertz (2004-2007). She also broke the MWSU career strikeout record of 561. She now has 612 in her career.  
• #5 Emily Moe -- Moe has appeared in nine games this season with three starts. She has a 5.68 ERA in 12.1 innings of work.
• #7 Michelle Stevenson -- Has started all 36 games at second base...has 40 hits and 23 runs scored...has two home runs and leads the team with 4 triples on the season...is hitting .354 and has a hit in five of her last seven games. Has walked 11 times and has 72 putout and 45 assists.
• #8 Kendall Sorensen -- 2012 Honorable Mention All-MIAA...started all 36 games at right field...is hitting .293 with 29 hits, 14 runs scored and 11 RBI...has a hit in three of her last four games.
• #10 Sydney McCune -- A junior college transfer from Des Moines Area CC... Hit .450 with a .728 on-base percentage and .488 on-base percentage...had 69 RBI, 13 home runs, 14 doubles and 38 runs scored...2nd Team All-Region selection...has seven at bats this season with two hits...she hit her first homer of her career against Northern State University.
• #11 Tiffany Gillaspy -- Has stared all 36 games at first base...leads the team with a .358 average...has 43 hits, 24 runs scored and 28 RBIs...has 7 home runs and 227 putouts...has a hit in 9 of her last 10 games.
• #12 Taylor Anding -- 2012 Honorable Mention all-MIAA...Has started all 36 games with 29 hits and .274 batting average...has 15 runs scored, three doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs...has 54 putouts, 6 assists...has a hit in six of last eight games.
• #14 Breanna Fleschner -- 2012 Honorable Mention all-MIAA selection...has started 35 games at left field...is hitting .303 with 36 hits, four doubles, one triple and five home runs...went 8-for-8 against Northern State in a doubleheader...has a hit in six of her last 10 games.
• #15 Maegan Roemmich -- 2012 First Team all-MIAA selection...has stared all 36 games in centerfield...hitting .337 with 35 hits, 20 runs scored and 24 RBIs...has a home run in three of last eight games and has a has a hit in eight of her last 11 games.
• #17 Sarah Elliott -- 2012 Honorable Mention All-MIAA selection... has started all 36 games at third base...has a .336 batting average...has 37 hits and 23 runs scored...hit two home runs and has 20 RBIs. Has a hit in four of the Griffons seven games.
• #18 Janie Smith -- Freshman from Des Moines East High School...pitched in 17 games with a 13-4 record...has pitched 93.0 innings with 45 strikeouts and 38 earned runs...is hitting .233 with 7 hits, 7 runs scored, two RBI to go along with a double.
#19 Sam Elliott -- played in her first collegiate game on Friday, March 29. She has played in four games...had two stolen bases against Fort Hays State.  
• #22 Keri Lorbert -- 2012 Second Team All-MIAA...has started all 36 games at either the catcher position or designated player...is hitting .290 with 31 hits and 10 home runs...she has 21 runs scored, 64 total bases and 28 RBI....has 62 putouts.

GRIFFON HEAD COACH JEN BAGLEY...
• Missouri Western head coach Jen Bagley enters her 12th season at Western. Bagley holds a 403-251 overall record in 11 seasons and has coached 50 All-MIAA selections over the past seven seasons, including the programs first NFCA All-America selection (Amy Beverly) in 2006.
• In 2012, Bagley kept up the winning ways guiding her squad to its fifth 40 win season since 2005. Bagley also guided the Griffons to a second place finish in the MIAA regular season and tournament. The Griffons made its sixth NCAA Tournament Apperance in the past eight season. Bagley also coached the Griffons first ever MIAA Pitcher of the Year and Daktronics South Central Region Pitcher of the Year in Jackie Bishop. Bishop was also named Second Team all-America by Daktronics. Jackie Bishop and Maegan Roemmich were named First Team all-MIAA, Blair Stalder and Keri Lorbert were Second Team while Kat Steponovich, Leah Steele, Taylor Anding, Sarah Elliott, Bre Fleschner, Kendall Sorensen and Annalee Rubio were named honorable mention.
• Jen's team has averaged 33 wins a season since she took over as head coach for the Griffons. Bagley has led the Griffons to back-to-back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II national tournament. The Griffons qualified for the NCAA Central Regional Tournament in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 under Bagley, appearing for the first time in school history in 2005. The Griffons posted a 1-2 record in the national tournament during their first 3 seasons, getting the programs' third national tournament win over Winona State 7-0. In the 2009 South Central Super Regional the Griffons went 2-2 advancing all the way to the Super Regional Championship game against Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The Griffons have been to two straight South Central Regional Tournaments.
• 3-time MIAA Coach of the Year (2011, 2009, 2005)

UP NEXT...
The return to action next week with numerous home games. The Griffons will host the Lincoln Blue Tigers on Wednesday, April 17 in a double header starting at 5:00 pm. The Griffons then host the Washburn Lady Blues on Friday, April 19 in a double header at 5:00 pm and will wrap up the week hosting the Emporia State Lady Hornets at 12:00 pm from the MWSU Softball Field at the Springs Sports Complex.