WEEKEND PREVIEW
Friday, April 14 -- 2 p.m.
Missouri Western (28-14, 8-8) at
Fort Hays State (11-35, 4-16) |
Live Stats |
Audio (FHSU Broadcast)
Saturday, April 15 -- 12 p.m.
Missouri Western at
Nebraska-Kearney (7-39, 4-16) |
Live Stats |
Audio (UNK Broadcast)
MWSU Game Notes |
MIAA Standings
ST. JOSEPH - Griffon Softball hits the road one last time in 2017 with its eyes on a turnaround heading into the final week of the regular season.
Missouri Western is 3-7 over its last 10 games and ninth in the MIAA standings, but the Griffons showed signs of improvement with a 2-2 mid-week performance against Northwest Missouri and Central Missouri. The Griffons' next two opponents, Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney are a combined 18-74, and after this weekend's road trip, MWSU will play its final six games at home.
SPLITSVILLE
Missouri Western's split doubleheaders with Northwest Missouri and Central Missouri earlier this week gave the Griffons four splits in its last seven series. MWSU was swept twice last weekend and swept Central Oklahoma in the team's only series without a split. It's left the Griffons 8-8 in MIAA play and ninth in the standings. Only the top-eight in the standings make the MIAA Tournament, so the Griffons have some ground to make up if they want a shot at defending their 2016 championship, but the schedule stacks up nicely. MWSU's next three opponents are a combined 23-109. The Griffs also get their last six games at home.
PRODUCTION FROM THE BOTTOM
The Griffs' top-four hitters over the last five games typically reside in the bottom part of the batting order. No. 5 hitter
Shelby Uhl has hit a blistering .571 in that stretch. No. 9 hitter Bekah Mueller hit .462 in the last five.
Paige Shifflett has worked her way up to No. 6 and hit .385 in the last five while No. 8 hitter
Riley Wilson batted .333. Those four also drove in and scored 10 of the team's 17 runs in the last five along with hitting two of three home runs and three of four doubles.
NEW NUMBER ONE
Jen Bagley Trotter announced
Kenzie Hilzer will become the team's No. 1 starter after the Central Missouri series. The freshman is 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA and two complete game shutouts in her last five starts. She held UCM to three hits Wednesday in a shutout victory, one of two wins in two starts this week for Hilzer.
WHAT'S IN A WIN
In Missouri Western's 28 wins this season, the team had a .977 fielding percentage with 18 errors. In its 14 losses, MWSU had a .953 fielding percentage with 18 errors. That's 1.3 errors per loss and 0.6 errors per win. It's not just the defense that makes a difference. The Griffons hit .325 in the wins and .252 in losses, averaging two runs per loss and 6.8 runs per win. As for the pitching, the Griffons had a 2.49 ERA to their opponents' 5.85 in wins and a 4.80 to opponents' 2.58 in losses.
EXTENDING AND GETTING OUT
The Griffons are 3-7 in their last 10 games and what happened with two outs in an inning had a lot to do with that record. In those games, MWSU hit .182 with two outs and allowed opponents to bat .318. Missouri Western's opponents had 14 more two-out hits (28) on 11 more (88) at bats than the Griffons. Success from the first batter in an inning could help those numbers. Over the last 10, MWSU's leadoff hitters batted .281 to its opponents .385.
