WEEKEND PREVIEW
Saturday, March 25
Missouri Western (22-6, 2-0) at Northeastern State (16-15, 5-3) | Live Stats
Sunday, March 26
Missouri Western at #16 Central Oklahoma (20-4, 4-0) | Live Stats
 
MWSU Weekly Notes | MIAA Standings
 
ST. JOSEPH – After eight-straight games at home, Griffon Softball hits the road this week, playing four MIAA games in Oklahoma.
 
BACK TO THE LEAGUE
Missouri Western has already played more than half its scheduled regular season games, but only two MIAA games. It's all league play from here on out as the Griffons travel to Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma this weekend.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS
Missouri Western finds itself tied atop the MIAA standings in in the top-nine of all major statistical categories. The Griffons enter the week leading the MIAA in on base percentage (.402), scoring (6.25 runs/game) and triples per game (.5). Shelbie Atwell leads the league in doubles with 13 and in on base percentage (.500). Katie Klosterman's four sacrifice flies are the most in the MIAA and second most in the nation. Morgan Rathmann is on a record-breaking pace with six triples this season to lead the nation. Four more, and the senior breaks her MWSU single season record, and she needs five more to break the MIAA career record of 31.
 
STILL KNOCKING IT THROUGH
Shelbie Atwell went hitless in MWSU's last game, but it was just the sixth time it's happened this season. The junior's .451 average is second best in the MIAA, and she's been there virtually all season.  Atwell hasn't just hit safely in 22 of 28 games, but she has recorded 12 multi-hit games this season. Her batting average has only been below .400 for one day this year (.375), that was between the second and third games. After all that offense, all season long, Atwell was finally named MIAA Hitter of the Week for her performance during the Hy-Vee Classic (.438/7 RBI/2 HR/2 2B).
 
REIGNING QUEEN
Kailey Green was named MIAA and NFCA National Player of the Week last week with a four-home run performance in a doubleheader sweep of Lindenwood. It wasn't just that week, though, that the senior has been raking. Green has hit .429 in MWSU's last 10 games with a team-high 13 RBIs and five home runs. She's slugged 1.036 over the last 10 with a team-high 29 total bases. Green is also now eight home runs from breaking Keri Lorbert's MWSU career home run record (39). Green has six this season and hit 14 last year.

RE-WRITING THE RECORD BOOKS
Morgan Rathmann became MWSU's career triples leader last season and broke the program stolen base record earlier this season. She needs just nine more runs to become the MWSU career leader. The senior's .361 career average is currently 16 points behind Amy Beverly's MWSU career record. Her .426 career on base percentage is not far off Becky Diehl's .441 career mark either. She's a bit behind Lindsey Predovich's 751 career at bats, but could get there with a long postseason run. Thirty seven more hits will give her the career hits record at MWSU and she would need 110 more total bases to overtake Beverly for that record.
 
THEY'LL GET THAT RUN IN
Missouri Western hitters are a staggering .553 with a runner on third with less than two outs. They have 42 RBIs in 76 opportunities this season. Their opponents have driven in the runner 29 out of 64 times for a .453 success rate.
 
TWO OUTS, NO PROBLEMS
The Griffons have 56 two-out RBIs this season compared to just 34 for their opponents. For some perspective, MWSU has scored 175 runs all season, meaning at least 32 perecent of the team's runs have been scored with two outs.
 
MORE MILESTONES NEAR
Jen Bagley Trotter won her 500th game as MWSU head coach early last season, and now is on the clock for win No. 600. Entering this week, Trotter had 557 career wins. She ranks second all-time among MIAA head coaches in wins and needs 58 more to pass former MWSU and Central Missouri head coach Rhesa Sumrell for first all-time.