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Tweet #gogriffsWARM UPS...
For the second consecutive weekend, Griffon Softball called Arkansas home and had an excellent 5-1 weekend in the Arkansas-Monticello Eight State Classic in Bentonville.  The Griffs opened the tournament with wins over Southwest Oklahoma State and Upper Iowa on Fridayfollowed by a Saturday split with a win over Ouachita Baptist and a loss to William Jewell before two more wins against Minnesota State and Illinois-Springfield on Sunday.

Senior pitcher Jackie Bishop was one of the headlines of the weekend as she picked up three wins including her second career no-hitter on Saturday.  For the weekend in three complete game starts, she gave up no earned runs, 8 hits, struck out 29 while walking only 4.  For her efforts, Bishop was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week.  At the plate, infielder Tiffany Gillaspy is off to a sizzling start to the season hitting .455 with 3 home runs and 6 RBI's while shortstop Taylor Anding is batting .414.

Tournament play continues this weekend in Minnesota in the St. Cloud State Dome Tournament with four games on the schedule.  Play opens on Friday against Concordia-St. Paul at 1 PM, followed by a 10 AM contest against Wayne State on Saturday with play concluding on Sunday against Augustana & St. Cloud St. at 1 & 3 PM respectively.

The team will make their home debut on Tuesday, March 11 as they host Northwest Missouri State at 2 PM.

KNOW THE OPPONENTS...
Concordia St. Paul (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Series with CSP since 2002: MWSU trails 7-8 - Home: 5-4 - Road: 1-0 - Neutral: 1-4 - NCAA Regional Tournament: 0-2
• The Griffons and the Golden Bears have played 15 times since the 2002 season with the Golden Bears holding a slight edge on the Griffons 7-8. The two teams have not played since March 22, 2009 when the Griffons defeated Concorida-St. Paul 4-2 in St. Joseph.
• The two teams have also met twice in the NCAA Tournament with the Golden Bears holding a 2-0 lead. CSP won 2-0 on May 13, 2005 and 3-2 on May 13, 2006.
• The Golden Bears were picked 6th in the NSIC preseason poll. Alicia Meiser was named All-NSIC First Team and All-NFCA Central Region Second Team last season after collecting a slash line of .385/.460/.476.  Her .385 average and .460 on-base percentage were both good for seventh in the NSIC.  Meiser was also a huge factor on the basepaths, collecting a league-best 37 steals.
• Stephanie Kappes made 24 appearances, starting 18 of them, and collected an 11-5 record with a 3.27 ERA.  Kappes threw 124.0 innings with 108 strikeouts.  With the departure of Ashley Kluever, Kappes will be counted on to possibly fill an even bigger role.

Wayne State (Neb.)  (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Series with WSC since 2002: MWSU leads 13-6 - Home: 8-2 - Road: 3-3 - Neutral: 2-1
• The Griffons and the Wildcats have played 19 times since 2002 with the Griffons holding a 13-6 advantage. The Griffons are an impressive 8-2 at home with the Griffons winning the last two meeting which was on March 14, 2012 in St. Joseph, Mo. The Griffons won 3-0 and 3-1.
• The Wildcats return all nine position starters and the team's top three pitchers from last season that was 28-16 overall and finished tied for sixth in the NSIC with a 17-9 league mark. The Wildcats were picked 7th in the NSIC preseason poll.
• Listed as players to watch for Wayne State this season in the NSIC are juniors Sara Scheffert and Kaiti Williams.
• Scheffert, a pitcher from Lincoln Southeast HS, posted a 17-7 record last season with a 2.31 ERA.  She fired a team-high 148.1 innings and recorded 14 complete games with six shutouts.
• Williams, a first baseman from Papillion-LaVista South HS, was an All-NSIC Second Team selection last season for a second straight year after leading Wayne State in hitting with a .357 average.  She led the Wildcats in hits (50) and runs scored (34) last season while tied for the team lead in doubles with 11.

#8 Augustana (SD) (4-1, 0-0 NSIC)
Series with AC since 2002: MWSU leads 8-6 - Home: 2-0 - Road: 1-1 - Neutral: 5-5
• The Griffons and the Vikings have played 14 times since the 2002 season with the Griffons holding a slight edge on the Vikings 8-6. The two teams have not played since March 29, 2008 when the Griffons defeated Augustana 7-6 in St. Joseph.
• Augustana made moved up 14 spots and is now ranked eighth in the country in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association Top 25 Poll.
• The Vikings were ranked 22nd in the NFCA preseason poll.
• Augustana jumped by going 4-1 in its opening weekend, including a win over then No. 1 ranked and defending national champion Central Oklahoma.
• The Vikings started off the season strong going 4-1, taking down the No. 1 team in the country on the way.
• Augustana opened the tournament with a 7-6 win over top-ranked and defending national champion Central Oklahoma. Emily Heinz drove in the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning to earn the one-run win over UCO.
• In a 7-3 win over Adams State, the Vikings used a five-run sixth inning to come from behind to win. The Vikings won their third straight game with a 12-2 triumph over Black Hills State in five innings. Augustana scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to down BHSU by the 10-run rule. The "Cardiac Kids" did it again in game four of the Desert Stinger when Caitlin Nichol drilled a walk-off two-run homer to lift the Vikings to a 2-0 win over tournament-host Montana State-Billings.
• Augustana was denied a perfect start to its stellar opening weekend with a 4-3 setback to UC-Colorado Springs.Augustana nearly came back to defeat the UCCS in the bottom of the seventh, but the Mountain Lions' three-run seventh proved to be enough.
• Augustana is picked 3rd in the NSIC Preseason poll. Augustana's Lindsay Spanton and Jenelle Trautmann were listed as "Players to Watch" in the NSIC in 2014.
• Trautmann, a native of Hastings, Minn., was an NFCA and Daktronics All-America selection last season after tying her owns school record with 18 home runs for the second straight year in 2013. Trautmann led Augustana in home runs, RBI (48), and slugging percentage (.731), while recording a .33 batting average as a sophomore. She also posted a 25-11 mark in the circle with a 2.52 ERA holding opponents to a .241 batting average. Trautmann struck out 208 batters in 216.2 innings last season.
• Spanton, Augustana's lone senior in 2014, started 48 games last season and batted .275 with 41 hits, including two home runs, four doubles while driving in 17 runs. Spanton recorded a team-high 347 putouts and tallied 27 assists to go along with a .992 fielding percentage. Augustana finished 32-17 in 2013, making its fourth straight and 21st overall NCAA Tournament appearance. The Vikings finished sixth in the NSIC with a 17-9 mark in league play.

St. Cloud State (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Series with SCSU since 2002: MWSU trails 9-3 - Home: 0-4 - Road: 0-2 - Neutral: 3-3
• The Griffons and the Huskies have played 12 times since the 2002 season with the Huskies holding the lead 9-3  oThe two teams
• The two teams have not played since April 28, 2007 when the Griffons defeated the Huskies 7-3 in Mankato, Minnesota.
• St. Cloud State University finished the 2013 season with a 28-26 overall record and a 12-12 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Huskies received an eighth place ranking in the 2014 NSIC Coaches' Poll.
• St. Cloud State will be led once again by Head Coach Paula U'Ren who will begin her seventeenth season with the Huskies. U'Ren has compiled a 545-342 overall career mark and has the best winning percentage in SCSU softball history at .627 in 16 years.
• The Huskies will be led by pitcher Kelly Franks who finished last season with a 20-15 overall record and a 1.72 ERA. She pitched 228 innings with 22 complete games and five shutouts. She also struckout 275 batters and held her opponents to a .169 batting average.
• Breana Conova is the top returner on offense with a .226 batting average a year ago. She finished hte season with 38 hits, eight doubles and four home runs.

GRIFF NOTES...
• #1 Kat Steponovich --She is off to an very good season hitting .214 with seven RBI and one home run. She had a career games against Ouachita Baptist with 5 RBI.
• #2 Brooke Schaben -- Schaben has started all 10 games at the hot corner. She is hitting .265 with 9 hits and dour runs scored. She has also hit two doubles on the season.
• #3 Jakie Bishop --  Jackie Bishop Missouri Western's all-time leader in victories with 74 is 4-1 on the season and threw her 2nd career no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over Ouachita Baptist last weekend. She was named the MIAA Atroturf/Pitcher of the Week for her performance. She is also the Griffons all-time leader in strikeouts with 735 career strikeouts.
• #4 Katie Klosterman -- Klosterman is a freshman from Omaha, Neb. where she played her high school softball at Millard West HS. She has played in one game with one at bat.
• #5 Morgan Rathmann - Rathman a freshman from Neosho, Mo. has played and started all 10 games in centerfield. She is hitting .318 with 7 hits and four runs scored. She has also stolen two bases.
• Sydney Washington - Washington is a freshman from Columbia, Mo. and has played and started all 10 games in left field. Washington is hitting .231 with six hits and three runs scored. She has two doubles and two RBI. She has also stolen two bases.
• #7 Michelle Stevenson -- Has started all 10 games at second base...is hittnig .300 with 9 hits. Six of her hits have been for extra bases as she has hit 3 doubles, 2 triples and a home runs. She has six RBI and leads the team with three stolen bases.
• #8 Kristin Lange -- A freshman from Elkhorn, Neb. played her high school softball at Elkhorn HS...she has played in one game with one at bat.
• #9 Megan Korgie -- A freshman from Omaha, Neb. played her high school softball at Ralston HS.
• #10 Sydney McCune -- A senior from Des Moines Area Community College..,she hit her first homer of her career against Northern State University last season.
• #11 Tiffany Gillaspy -- Has stared all 10 games at first base..leads the team with a .455 average...has 15 hits, 10 runs scored and 6 RBIs...has 3 home runs and 61 putouts...has a hit in all 10 games this season.
• #12 Taylor Anding -- Has started all 10 games with 12 hits and .414 batting average...has 7 runs scored, 2 home runs with 6 RBIs...has 15 putouts, 15 assists.
• #14 Breanna Fleschner -- Has started all 10 games at fight field...is hitting .382 with 13 hits, 3 doubles and two RBI...went 8-for-8 against Northern State in a doubleheader last season...has a hit in eight of last 10 games.
• #15 Kailey Green -- Freshman from Kearney, Mo. who has played in eight games with nine starts. She leads the team with nine RBI which includes four against Illinois-Springfield. She has three hits in that contest as well. She has a hit in her last two games.
• #17 Sarah Elliott -- A freshman from Platte City, Mo...has played in one games scoring one run while pinch running.
• #18 Janie Smith -- Has pitched ans started five games this season going 3-2 with a 3.91 ERA...she has one shutout with 19 K's...she is hitting .231 with three hits which included her first home run of her career against Illinois-Springfield last weekend.

GRIFFON HEAD COACH JEN BAGLEY...
• Missouri Western head coach Jen Bagley enters her 13th season at Missouri Western. Bagley holds a 422-260 overall record in 12 seasons and has coached 57 All-MIAA selections over the past eight seasons, including the programs first NFCA All-America selection (Amy Beverly) in 2006.
• This past season (2013), Bagley continued the success of MWSU softball guiding the Griffons a 38-16 record which is the 8th time in her career that a team has won more than 30 games. The Griffons finished 3rd in the MIAA with a 20-8 record and had seven players earn All-MIAA honors which included Fisrt Team Selections Jackie Bishop and Maegan Roemmich. Sarah Elliott, Tiffany Gillaspy, Keri Lorbert, Kendall Sorenson and Michelle Stevenson were all named to the honorable mention team. Roemmich was also a NFCA Second Team All-Central Region selection and first team selection by Daktronics. She earned honorable mention All-America honors by Daktronics while Jackie Bishop was named second team All-Central region by Daktronics. Bishop owns the MWSU career record for wins (70) and strikeouts (686). Keri Lorbert broke the all-time career record for home runs with 39. Bagley reached yet another milestone winning her 400th career game on March 30, 2013 with a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburg State Gorillas in Pittsburg, Kan.
• 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 Sorenson and Annalee Rubio were named honorable mention.
• Jen's team has averaged 34 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 return to action next weekend in the MSSU Invitational. The Griffons will take on William Jewell and Illinois-Springfield on Saturday, March 1. Game times are set for 12 pm and 4 pm. The wrap up the invite on Sunday, March 2 with two games against Wayne State College and Northern State. Game times are set for 9 am and 1 pm.

GRIFFONS IN THE MIAA TOURNAMENT SINCE 2002
In the tournament since 2002 the Griffons are 23-24 with their best finish being in 2012 and 2007 when they fell in the finals against Emporia State.  Last season Missouri Western defeated Truman State 5-3 before falling 3-0 against Fort hays State. The Griffons then defeated Northeastern State7-4 before falling 7-6 against Emporia State.