WARM UPS...
Griffon Softball went 3-1 over the weekend in games played at the Spring Sports Complex. On Friday the Griffs swept a doubleheader from Washburn in run rule fashion winning by scores of 10-0 & 14-5.  The long ball was the story of the day as the Griffons hit six home runs in the doubleheader including two apiece from Maegan Roemmich and Kendall Sorensen. On Saturday the Griffs split a doubleheader with Emporia State winning game one 3-1 before falling in game two 4-0.  Jackie Bishop picked up the win in the circle improving to 18-5 on the season.  The Griffs are now 32-12 on the season and 16-6 in MIAA play and enter the final week of the regular season this week with three key league doubleheaders on the schedule.  On Wednesday, the Griffs host Lincoln in a rescheduled doubleheader at 5 PM and then this weekend head south to take on Central Oklahoma on Saturday at noon and Northeastern State on Sunday at noon.

KNOW THE OPPONENTS...
Lincoln Team Info
Series with LU since 2002: MWSU leads 9-1 - Home: 5-0 MWSU - Road: 4-0 MWSU - Neutral: 1-0 LU
• Sam Kircher (.337, 35 hits), Kristina Hein (.328, 20 hits) and Brianna Akers (.297, 27 hits) have been Lincoln's batting leaders this season while five other players are hitting .250 or better.
• Clair Lorenz, who has been LU's top pitcher with nine wins and 104 strikeouts, has hit five homeruns this season while Erin Sommerer has homered six times and has scored 13 runs.
• Shantae Duren has 13 RBI on 20 hits while Haley Bartow has stolen eight bases.
• Starr McLeod has given Lincoln a boost both in the circle (four wins, 24 strikeouts) and at the plate (nine hits, including two homeruns).
• With eight two-hit games and two three-hit contests, Sam Kircher is leading the Blue Tigers in multiple hit games. Not coincidentally, Kircher leads Lincoln with 35 hits, including six doubles and a triple.
•Shantae Duren has been one of Lincoln's best run producers, posting 13 RBI and scoring 11 runs. Duren has a team-best six multiple RBI games thanks in part to four homeruns and five doubles.
• Nicole Stacey enters her fourth season as head coach of the Blue Tigers with the goal of taking the team to its second-straight postseason. Last year, she led Lincoln to its first postseason appearance since 2008. After winning nine games in her first season, Stacey led the Blue Tigers to an eight game improvement in 2011, as Lincoln won 17 games in its first season back in the MIAA.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION...
Central Oklahoma Info
Series with UCO since 2002: 5-2 UCO - Home: 0-0 - Road: 4-2 UCO - Neutral: 1-0 UCO
• After winning 13 games in a row the Bronchos are just 2-2 in their last four games. The Bronchos split with the Lindenwood Lions and the Truman State Bulldogs last weekend on the road. Agianst Lindenwood they lost 4-3 and won 6-1 and against Truman they won 11-1 before winning 9-0. Both games against the Bulldogs were run rule games.
• The Bronchos have been extreamly tough at home this season winning 17-of-18 at home. Their lone loss on at home came on March 2 when they fell 3-2 againts Illinois-Springfield. Since them they have won 16 straight home games.
• On the season they are hitting .341 as a team with eight players hitting over .300 and one players hitting over .400. Kacie Edwards leads the charge with a .430 batting average. She has 61 hits, 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBI. Nicole Workman has a .385 average and leads the team with 49 RBI. She is second with 12 home runs. As a team they have hit 48 home runs and 47 doubles.
• In the circle they hold a 2.99 ERA with Kalynn Schrock leading the way with a 20-4 record and a 1.92 ERA. Amanda McClelland had piched in 24 games with a 9-2 record. Schrock has 193 strikeouts but has given up 120 hits and walked 43.

Northeastern State Info
Series with NSU since 2002: 8-1 MWSU - Home: 0-0 - Road: 3-1 MWSU - Neutral: 5-0 MWSU
• The RiverHawks are coming off a weekend where they went 3-1. They split with the Truman State Bulldogs and swept the Lindenwood Lions. Northeastern State is 24-20 overall and 14-8 in MIAA play.
• The RiverHawks have won three in a row and five of their last six. They are 12-4 at home this season and 7-1 at home in MIAA play. 
• On the season they are hitting .324 as a team with five players hitting over .300. Kelsi Hilderbrandt leads the charge with a .398 batting average. She has 51 hits, eight doubles, three home runs and 28 RBI. Amanda Harjo is hitting .368 with 56 hits, 33 runs scored, 11 doubles and 41 RBI...Navada Campos leads the way in the power department with 10 home runs. 
• In the circle they hold a 3.92 ERA with Kayce Wooldridge leading the charge with a 2.69 ERA and a 9-10 overall record...Shelby Enloe iw 6-1 with a 4.01 ERA while Cayce Coleman is 7-6 with a 4.24 ERA. 

GRIFF NOTES...
• #1 Kat Steponovich --2012 Honorable Mention all-MIAA selection...has started 26 games this season with 189 putouts and 10 assists behid the plate...has a hit in three of her last six 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 22 games with 11 starts...she scored 9 runs and on the mound has a 2.15 ERA in 13 innings of work...has a hit in three of her last five games.
• #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 159.1 innings with 183 strikeouts...has a 18-5 record with three saves...She is the all-time leader in victories at MWSU with 67 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 650 in her career. 
• #5 Emily Moe -- Moe has appeared in 10 games this season with three starts. She has a 5.25 ERA in 13.1 innings of work.
• #7 Michelle Stevenson -- Has started all 44 games at second base...has 49 hits and 29 runs scored...has three home runs and leads the team with four triples on the season...is hitting .366 and has a hit in four of her last six games. Has walked 16 times and has 92 putout and 53 assists.
• #8 Kendall Sorensen -- 2012 Honorable Mention All-MIAA...started all 44 games at right field...is hitting .306 with 37 hits, 18 runs scored and 17 RBI...has a hit in six of her last eight games...has four home runs with two in the doubleheader against Washburn.
• #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 44 games at first base..has .331 average...has 48 hits, 27 runs scored and 35 RBIs...has 7 home runs and 268 putouts...has a hit in 7 of her last 11 games.
• #12 Taylor Anding -- 2012 Honorable Mention all-MIAA...Has started all 44 games with 33 hits and .260 batting average...has 18 runs scored, three doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs...has 70 putouts, 74 assists...has a hit in three of last four games.
• #14 Breanna Fleschner -- 2012 Honorable Mention all-MIAA selection...has started 43 games at left field...is hitting .312 with 44 hits, eight doubles, two triples and five home runs...went 8-for-8 against Northern State in a doubleheader...has a hit in eight of last nine games.
• #15 Maegan Roemmich -- 2012 First Team all-MIAA selection...has stared all 44 games in centerfield...hitting .373 with 47 hits, 29 runs scored and 32  RBIs...has a hit in nine of last 10 games...went 7-for-7 with two home runs, 7 RBI and 5 runs scored in doubleheader agianst Washburn.
• #17 Sarah Elliott -- 2012 Honorable Mention All-MIAA selection... has started all 44 games at third base...has a .341 batting average...has 45 hits and 28 runs scored...hit three home runs and has 22 RBIs. Has a hit in five of the Griffons last six games.
• #18 Janie Smith -- Freshman from Des Moines East High School...pitched in 19 games with a 14-5 record...has pitched 110.1 innings with 54 strikeouts and 47 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 eight games...had two stolen bases against Fort Hays State and scored her first collegiate run against Truman State on Saturday, April 13
• #22 Keri Lorbert -- 2012 Second Team All-MIAA...has started all 44 games at either the catcher position or designated player...is hitting .298 with 39 hits and 11 home runs...she has 24 runs scored, 76 total bases and 35 RBI....has 80 putouts...is one home runs away from tying the MWSU career record of 37. 

GRIFFON HEAD COACH JEN BAGLEY...
• Missouri Western head coach Jen Bagley enters her 12th season at Western. Bagley holds a 409-253 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 Griffons will play in the MIAA Tournament in Overland Park, Kan. at the Blue Valley Recreation Complex starting next Thursday. The top 8 teams make the tournament with the first two round being played at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. It is a double elimination tournament.