WEEKEND PREVIEW
#16 Griffon Softball at UAM 8-State Classic – Bentonville, Arkansas
Live Stats for all games
Friday, Feb. 12; 11 a.m. vs. East Central
Friday, Feb. 12; 3 p.m. vs. Arkansas Tech
Saturday, Feb. 13; 9 a.m. vs. Southern Arkansas
Saturday, Feb. 13; 11 a.m. vs. Missouri S&T
Sunday, Feb. 14; 9 a.m. vs. Minnesota State-Mankato
Sunday, Feb. 14; 1 p.m. vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State
 
ST. JOSEPH – It's back to Arkansas this weekend for No. 16 Missouri Western Softball. After going 2-2 last weekend in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the team is scheduled to play six games in three days at the Arkansas-Monticello 8-State Classic played in Bentonville.
 
Missouri Western will see regional competition from the Great American and Northern Sun conferences and will play former MIAA and current Great Lakes Valley Conference member Missouri S&T. The Griffons scored 22 runs over four games last weekend, while allowing 21. Fifteen of those runs came in the Griffons' two losses.
 
Freshman Taylor Hamilton began her Griffon career 5-11 at the plate with three walks and hit her first home run. The Cameron, Missouri native drove in three runs and scored twice. Shelbie Atwell drove in seven runs and hit .385 last weekend with a grand slam in her first at bat of the 2016 season. Shyanne Saladio took a tough-luck loss in her first start of the year but sits 1-1 after going 15.2 innings in two starts with 15 strikeouts. Saladino has a 0.45 ERA after allowing just one earned run on 16 hits. Janie Smith is also 1-1 with a 6.50 ERA. The senior went the distance in both her starts, giving up 13 earned runs on 19 hits in 14 innings.
 
Minnesota State and Missouri S&T will be opening the season this weekend. Southeastern Oklahoma is 2-4 while East Central enters the weekend 3-4. Southern Arkansas is 6-0 and features this week's National Pitcher and Hitter of the Week. Arkansas Tech fared well against MIAA competition last weekend, going 4-1 with two wins against defending Central Region and MIAA Champion Central Missouri and a season opening victory over Central Oklahoma.