WEEKEND PREVIEW
Griffon Softball (8-4) at Teri-Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament (Joplin, Mo.)
Saturday, Feb. 27
2 p.m. – vs. Drury (2-4)
4 p.m. – vs. Rockhurst (3-7)
Sunday, Feb. 28
10 a.m. – vs. Sioux Falls (4-0)
12 p.m. – vs. McKendree (4-8)
*Live Stats will not be provided for this weekend's games
 
ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Softball takes its 8-4 record to Joplin, Missouri this weekend as the team takes part in the Teri-Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament hosted by Missouri Southern.
 
Head coach Jen Bagley Trotter will look for her 500^th career victory this weekend. She currently sits at 498 wins. The Griffons have won four of their last five games, going 4-1 last weekend at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Missouri Western's only loss last weekend came to then No. 20 Augustana. At the time, Missouri Western was No. 16 in the NFCA poll, but the Griffons have since dropped from the top-25.
 
Stellar pitching led Missouri Western last weekend in Minnesota. Shyanne Saladino picked up two shutout wins on the weekend and lowered her season ERA to 0.73. Saladino is 3-2 on the year, striking out 26 batters and walking just seven in 38.1 innings of work. She's held batters to a .208 average. Janie Smith is 5-2 on the year with a 3.17 ERA. She leads the team with 30 strikeouts. Smith has walked 10 batters in her 46.1 innings of work.
 
Offensively, Morgan Rathmann is off to a blistering start, batting .422. The junior leads the team with 19 hits, three doubles, one triple and 24 total bases. Her 10 runs scored also lead the team as do her six stolen bases in seven attempts. Shelbie Atwell is batting .417. Kailey Green leads the team with a .581 slugging percentage, and two home runs. Freshman Taylor Hamilton's 10 RBIs lead the team. Hamilton is one of six Griffons to hit a home run this season.
 
Next weekend, Missouri Western begins MIAA play at home against Northeastern State and No. 13 Central Oklahoma.