ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Griffon Softball hosts Truman State for one of the final non-conference doubleheaders of the season, as Missouri Western prepares to make the charge for a postseason run while the first regional rankings of the season loom.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans looking to watch to Missouri Western Softball (27-14, 9-9 MIAA) can tune into the MIAA Network. Click on the "MIAA Network" tab above to sign in and purchase a subscription if you have not already.
POSTSEASON CHARGE IS ON
The Griffons are on pace to win 30 games for the second season in a row. Twelve games remain in the season, and Missouri Western only needs three wins to match last season's win total. The final road stretch looms after the doubleheader with TSU, with trips to Pittsburg, Joplin and Rolla standing in between the final two homestands.
HAWKINS KEEPS HACKING
Sydni Hawkins is up to fourth in the nation for total hits this season, notching 63 so far. She's also 25th in the nation in batting average as well, holding a .460 line at the plate. On top of that, she has 17 doubles this season, tied for second overall in the nation and just four behind the leader.
SCOUTING TRUMAN STATE - APRIL 18, 2/4 PM
The Bulldogs (13-31, 3-13 GLVC) are 2-10 in their last 12 games and have struggled on the road this year, only winning one game away from Kirksville, Missouri. Truman State has only played Missouri Western six times since 2012, with MWSU winning five of those games. The last time Truman State beat MWSU was on April 13, 2023.
Who to Watch
Alex Beard leads Truman State in nearly every statistical category in batting. She currently has a .353 batting average, leads the team with 27 RBI, 41 hits and is tied for the lead in home runs with two blasts this season. McKenzie West, Macy Taylor and Breianne Klein all are also hitting above .300 for the Bulldogs.
In the circle, Annabel Zimmer and Klein both have 100 or more innings pitched. Zimmer is 6-11 with a 4.68 ERA, while Klein has a 5.50 ERA and is 5-12 overall. No other TSU pitcher has more than 40 innings pitched this year, and the four other players who have pitched this year have a total of four starts compared to 20 for each of Zimmer and Klein.
ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON SOFTBALL HISTORY - APRIL 18
On this day in 2007, MWSU split a series with Nebraska Omaha. The Griffons lost the first game of the series 6-0 but bounced back with a 7-5 win.
