Live Stats | Live Audio
MWSU Season Stats | MIAA Standings

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – After playing 12 consecutive games at home and 14 of its last 16 overall, Griffon Softball hits the road this week, beginning with a trip to Maryville for a non-conference doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State on Tuesday. Missouri Western takes a 16-game win streak into its rival's home park. The third and fourth wins in that streak came on March 17 in a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Missouri State in St. Joseph.
 
THE GRIFFONS
No. 17 Missouri Western moved up two spots in the MIAA standings to third, sweeping conference doubleheaders over Lindenwood and Lincoln this past weekend. The Griffons are one of the hottest teams in the country and the hottest team in the MIAA. Northwest Missouri's four-game winning streak is closest to the Griffons' 16-game undefeated stretch.
 
Offensively, the team is led by Tiffany Gillaspy. The senior second baseman leads the team in batting average (.431), slugging percentage (.826), hits (47), RBIs (32), doubles (8), home runs (11) and total bases (90). She also leads the MIAA in home runs and total bases and sits in the top-three in most offensive categories. Morgan Rathmann's five triples are the most in the MIAA and her .382 average is 11^th best in the conference. The Griffons are batting .317 as a team and have hit 39 home runs compared to 17 by their opponents.
 
While the offensive numbers are impressive enough, the team's pitching staff has been the biggest difference during the winning streak. Coming into the week, MWSU sits second in the MIAA with a 3.38 team ERA. Janie Smith is 12-5 with a team-low 3.14 ERA. The junior leads the team in innings (114.2) and strikeouts (76). Shyanne Saladino has worked her record to 12-4 with a 3.53 ERA. The duo has split starts in the team's 34 games. Taylor Schaben is the only other Griffon to pitch this season. In four relief appearances, Schaben is 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA. She has struck out six in 11.2 innings of work.
 
THE BEARCATS
Northwest Missouri used solid pitching performances to sweep a pair of doubleheaders over Lincoln and Lindenwood last weekend. The Bearcats have won four in a row and are 13-15 overall, 7-5 in the MIAA.
 
Stephanie Mark leads the MIAA with a .483 batting average. The Griffons held Mark without a hit back on March 17. Mark leads her team in slugging percentage (.888), on base percentage (.529), runs (28), hits (43), RBIs (34), home runs (9) and total bases (79). As a team, the Bearcats are batting .284, while holding opponents to a .283 mark.
 
The Northwest pitching staff enters the week with a 3.82 ERA. Kendle Schieber's 2.56 ERA is lowest on the team. She's 4-4 in six starts and 14 overall appearances. Sarah Baldwin is 7-5 in 14 starts and carries a 3.06 ERA. Baldwin leads the team with 60 strikeouts in 84.2 innings of work. Abbie Vitosh is 0-3 with a 5.75 ERA in eight starts and Paige Blythe carries a 2-3 record with her 9.08 ERA.
 
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Griffons will be tested as they play 10 of their next 12 games on the road. Coming into the week, the team has played just eight true road games, going 3-5 in those contests. After Tuesday's non-league games against Northwest, the Griffons travel to Fort Hays for a pair on Friday then trek up to Nebraska-Kearney for a Saturday doubleheader. Central Missouri visits St. Joseph on Tuesday, April 7 before the team hits the road again with doubleheaders at Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State on April 10 and 11. Looking at the current MIAA standings, the Griffons are set to face three of the league's top-four teams in the closing weeks.