HUGE STRETCH

Missouri Western could get a couple legs ahead in its race to repeat as MIAA champions this week. Missouri Western is tied for second place in the conference standings, and plays the league's other three top-four teams in its next three doubleheaders. The Griffons got off to a great start with a doubleheader sweep at Central Oklahoma this past Sunday. Central Missouri leads the pack with its seven-game winning streak that has the Jennies 7-1 in league play. The Griffons are tied with Northwest Missouri at 5-1, and are just a half game up on Southwest Baptist, who is 6-2 after splitting a doubleheader at Pittsburg State Tuesday. 

ANYONE'S LEAGUE

It's early, but the league standings are about as tight as they could be more than halfway through the season. Four MIAA teams have two or fewer MIAA losses and then there's Emporia State whose eight conference wins are the most, but the Hornets have four losses. Entering the weekend, seven teams have a winning MIAA record and Northeastern State is 6-6 in league play. That's five games separating first place UCM from eighth-place NSU. 

CUFF 'EM BEKAH

No other Griffon catcher has caught as many would be base stealers as Rebekah Mueller. The junior took over when she gunned down the 31st of her career in Oklahoma this past weekend. Technically, pitchers also get credit for the statistic, so Mueller needs one more to become MWSU's all-time leader over Lindsey Predovich, but with a season and a half left in her career, the record seems to be pretty safely in her mit. 

HILZER HAS THE HOT HAND

Freshman Kenzie Hilzer did her own handcuffing job on Central Oklahoma hitters Sunday. Hilzer became the first pitcher this season to shut out the Bronchos, and it furthered a trend. She is 5-1 in her last six starts and has dropped her ERA from 5.16 to 3.82 over her last seven starts. In her last three starts, Hilzer is 2-1 with a 1.40 ERA and has limited batters to a .200 average with just 15 hits allowed over 20 innings.

SLUMPS NOT HURTING OVERALL NUMBERS

Missouri Western ranks second in the MIAA with its 195 runs scored and .319 team batting average. The Griffons have done that with decreased production from four 2016 All-MIAA performers. Morgan Rathmann led the Griffons last year, batting .393 and was named first team All-MIAA. The senior enters this weekend with a .330 average, but has a team-high .412 average in conference play. Fellow 2016 first team selection Katie Klosterman has been in a bit of a slump and her current .333 average is well below her .356 mark from last year. Junior Paige Shifflett is already a two-time All-MIAA selection, but enters the weekend with a .269 average after hitting .309 last season and .347 as a freshman. Then there's Kailey Green, whose .282 average is far off from her career-high .323 mark as a junior. The team's overall numbers have been aided by others stepping up. Shelbie Atwell has been a steady force, and leads the team with a  .437 mark. Sydney Washington has steadily raised her average to .370, and Bekah Mueller is hitting .346, considerably better than her career .267 average. 

THREATENING BATS

Speaking of offense, the Griffons rank in the top-seven of the MIAA in every major offensive statistical category. Along with sitting second in average and runs, the team is fourth with 277 hits, second with 52 doubles, first with 14 triples, third with 30 home runs, third with 170 RBIs and third with 46 stolen bases. 

AMONG THE BEST IN DII

Morgan Rathmann's six triples this season are second most in the nation and three off her own MWSU single season record. Shelbie Atwell ranks sixth in the nation with 14 doubles. 

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 560 career wins. She ranks second all-time among MIAA head coaches in wins and needs 55 more to pass former MWSU and Central Missouri head coach Rhesa Sumrell for first all-time. Rathmann, who already owns the MWSU career triples and stolen base records, needs just four more runs to take that career title as well.