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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The gauntlet continues this week for Griffon Softball as the team prepares to play six games in three days in the Apple Market Classic.
 
The Griffons will host 14 other teams from the MIAA and NSIC over the three day event played at the Spring Sports Complex and Heritage Park. All six of the Griffons' games will be played on campus. This year's field includes four nationally ranked teams, two of them are matched up against MWSU, and another team receiving votes in the latest NFCA poll. Should Mother Nature cooperate, the Griffons will end the tournament having played 10 games in six days. Coming into the weekend, that marathon has favored MWSU with the team 4-0 so far this week and winners of their last six games.
 
GRIFFON PREVIEW (15-9)
Missouri Western enters the weekend with a six-game win streak after sweeping three doubleheaders in four days. The Griffons began the streak by taking two from MIAA foe Southwest Baptist State and followed with twin bill winners over Southeastern Oklahoma State and Northwest Missouri State. After the last six wins, the team stands at 15-9 overall and 6-2 in MIAA play. The Griffons have yet to lose at the Spring Sports Complex, going 6-0 at home this season.
 
Tiffany Gillaspy leads the team with her .382 batting average, .697 slugging percentage, 29 hits and seven home runs. Morgan Rathmann is hitting .368 and leads the squad with 23 runs scored. Shelbie Atwell's six doubles are tops on the team as are Paige Shifflett's 24 RBIs.
 
Shyanne Saladino and Janie Smith have split starts in the team's 24 games. Saladino is 8-4 with a 4.71 ERA wile Smith is 7-5 with a 4.25. Smith leads the team with 82.2 innings pitched, 62 strikeouts and 14 appearances.
 
MINNESOTA STATE (12-8)
The Mavericks come to town after winning their last three games in a row. The team is yet to face a conference opponent and has outscored the competition a combined 20-1 in its last three games. MSU holds one win over the Griffons this year, winning a 2-1 battle at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
 
Tatum Klein is one of two players batting over .400. She leads the team with a .479 average with Samantha Buhmann at .415. The duo split the team lead in most offensive categories. Buhman's .569 slugging percentage and 18 RBIs lead the club. Tatum is getting on base at a team-high, .500 clip. She also leads the team with 22 runs, 34 hits and 40 total bases. Libby Bemis is 6-0 with a 3.29 ERA and Coley Ries is 6-7 with a 2.94 ERA and a team-high 116 strikeouts.
 
NORTHERN STATE WOLVES (11-6)
Northern State dropped its final game of the National Training Center Spring Games but enters St. Joseph as winners of five of the last six games. At 11-6 on the year, the Wolves sit in the middle of the pack in the NSIC.
 
Eryn Yancy comes to town with a team-high .426 batting average. Yancy leads the team with 23 hits, eight doubles, six home runs and 17 RBIs. She's also slugging .907 on the year. In the circle, Kami Smesmo is 7-2 with a 2.15 ERA in 10 starts, with eight complete games. Smesmo has pitched 62 innings and has struck out 35. Missy Elkins is 3-4 with a 3.52 ERA after seven starts and nine appearances.
 
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY-ST. PAUL GOLDEN BEARS (7-10)
Concordia has dropped its last five games coming into the classic and enter with a 6-11 record. Despite the team's record, three Golden Bears come to St. Joseph with .370+ batting averages.
 
Nicole Thompson leads the team with her .467 average. Emily Shinn is batting .378 and Jamie Fleischhacker is third on the team with a .373. Fleischhacker leads the quad with 18 RBIs and four doubles. Elena Koncar's two home runs are the most on the team. Stephanie Kappes has started seven games, and has appeared in 12 total. She's 3-7 with a 4.10 ERA. Haley Schanks is 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA in six starts and Linzy Heim is 1-3 with a 4.20 in four starts.
 
#24 AUGUSTANA COLLEGE VIKINGS (14-4)
Regional rival, Augustana enters the weekend No. 24 in the latest AFCA poll, carrying a 14-4 record. Back on Feb. 20, the Vikings were No. 23 when the lost to the Griffons 6-4 at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Augustana has won its last four games.
 
Sarah Kennedy's .547 batting average tops three players all over .400. Jenelle Trautmann is batting .469 and Caitlin Nichol comes in with a .429 batting average. Trautmann leads the team with nine home runs and 29 RBIs. She's also 7-1 with 3.17 ERA in 10 starts and 13 appearances in the circle. She leads the Viking staff with 73 strikeouts. Karlee Koopman is 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA and Carly Pickett carries a 3.68 ERA with her 3-3 record.
 
WAYNE STATE COLLEGE WILDCATS (10-4)
Another 2015 rematch for the Griffons, Wayne State is 11-3 on the year, including a 3-2 win over MWSU on Feb. 20 at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite.
 
Another team with a fearsome lineup, four Wildcats are batting .410 or better. Much better than .410 is Lexie Loos' .538. She leads the team with 28 hits in 52 at bats and has scored 19 runs. Kaiti Williams is batting .440 and leads the team with 16 RBIs. Jordan King has 15 RBIs and is hitting .467. Alyssa Schropp comes into St. Joseph with a .410 average. Three different pitchers have started games for WSC, with Kelcie Bormann leading the way. Bormann is 6-3 after 10 appearance, seven starts. Bormann has a 3.66 ERA and has struckout 61. Cassy Miller is 3-0 with a 3.17 ERA.
 
#14 WINONA STATE WARRIORS (16-3)
The No. 14 Winona State Warriors come to St. Joseph with 16-3 overall record. Consistency shows through the Warrior lineup, but it's the team pitching staff that's putting up some impressive numbers.

Hanna Lythberg is 8-1 with a 0.75 ERA and has seven complete games in eight starts. Not far behind is Ashley Walker with her 1.37 ERA and 6-1 mark. Lythberg leads the team with 47 strikeouts and Walker has 34. Walker also leads the team with her .419 batting average, 22 runs scored, 26 hits, nine doubles, four triples and is second with 20 RBIs. As a team, Winona State is batting .318, while holding opponents to a .220 clip.