PITTSBURG, Kan. — Missouri Western Softball heads south to take on Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern in a pair of doubleheaders against teams that are different ends of the conference standings.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans looking to watch to Missouri Western Softball 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.
TERRIFIC TRIO
The Griffons (29-14, 9-9 MIAA) have a trio of players with terrific numbers at the plate, with
Sydni Hawkins,
Mackenzie DeVine and
Abby Dickey all hitting over .300 on the season. They also all have on-base percentages over 400, with Hawkins at .491, DeVine at .441 and Dickey at .407. Not far behind these three leaders are
Harley Pruetting and
Kalee Higdon, who are both batting above .290.
DYNAMIC DUO
Pruetting and
Sam Pederson have been lights out on the hill this year, combining for a record of 27-10 and an ERA of 1.84. They have only given up 10 total home runs and 31 total doubles, and they both rank in the top five in the MIAA for ERA. Pederson is also third in the league in complete games, throwing 13 this season.
SCOUTING PITTSBURG STATE: APRIL, 2/4 PM
The Gorillas (23-17, 8-10 MIAA) are led by strong hitting that has helped them to a middle-of-the-pack record and set them up to make a late-season push that will make the showdown with the Griffons all the more important. Five different Gorillas have a .300-or-higher batting average, and two players have an OPS over 1.000 as well.
Who to Watch
Taylor Lambert leads PSU with a .406 batting average, with almost all of her hits being singles. Paxtyn Hayes has the team's most doubles and home runs with 15 two-baggers and 11 dingers. No one else on the Gorillas has more than six homers, and only one other player has double-digit doubles.
ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON SOFTBALL HISTORY: APRIL 21
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
On this day in 2017, the Griffons swept Washburn at home in a convincing manor, winning 5-3 and 3-1 at the Spring Sports Complex. The sweep helped the Griffons notch their seventh victory in a row and eventually reach one of their highest win totals ever, finishing 38-20 on the season.
SCOUTING MISSOURI SOUTHERN: APRIL 22, 2/4 PM
Ranked No. 25 in the nation, Missouri Southern (31-8, 16-2 MIAA) leads the MIAA after a hot start, holding a one-game lead over No. 5 Central Oklahoma. The only two losses the Lions have in conference play are to Lincoln in early March and then vs. Emporia State on April 15. The Lions have won in rule-rule fashion 10 times this season.
Who to Watch
Yazmin Vargas leads the Lions with a .422 batting average, and Leighton Withers is not far behind with a .411 clip. As a team, the Lions have the second-best batting average in the MIAA (.322) and have scored the third-most runs in the conference (250).
ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON SOFTBALL HISTORY: APRIL 22
On this day in 2011, MWSU swept Pittsburg State in a doubleheader, winning 5-4 and 4-0.
