ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Now set for year three of the Joe Yegge Era, Griffon Softball will begin their 2024 season with two games this Saturday at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Missouri Western will play the University if Texas at Tyler and Arkansas Tech this weekend, with first pitches set for 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. After going 37-20 and finishing sixth in the conference last season, MWSU was tabbed fifth in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Poll. Yegge is already out to great start in two years with the Griffons, going 67-42 with two MIAA Tournament runs. 

The Griffons return four All-MIAA selections from a season ago. An all-conference second team member, junior outfielder Mackenzie DeVine is back after leading the team with a career-high nine home runs and 39 RBI, hitting .353 in the process. Sophomore pitcher and honorable mention Harley Pruetting is back after a phenomenal freshman campaign, as she led the Griffons with with four shutouts in the circle while pulling double-duty with nine doubles, tying her for second on the team.

Tying Pruetting for second with nine doubles and also coming back is junior catcher Kennedy Preston, another honorable mention who finished 2023 tied for second with 31 RBI. Outfielder Abby Dickey is one of five seniors on the team, as she rounds out MWSU's All-MIAA Honorable Mention list. Dickey hit .313 and finished second for the Griffs with five triples.

NOTABLES

• Missouri Western finished the 2023 season fourth in the MIAA with a .304 batting average.
• The Griffs finished tied for second with 17 triples.
• Western also finished fourth in the conference with 287 hits.
• With a 2.24 team ERA, MWSU was second in the MIAA.
• Western's pitching staff also finished third in the MIAA 315 strikeouts. 

SCOUTING NO. 8 TEXAS AT TYLER | 11 AM
After going 62-6 in 2023, No. 8-rankedTexas at Tyler (5-1) is coming off an NCAA Division II College World Series, ending the season in the semifinal round. The Eagles have won their last four games after starting the season with an 0-2 loss to MSU Denver. The Patriots are coached by 19-year man Mike Reed, the program's only-ever head coach since starting in 2005. 

Who to Watch
Graduate student utility player Audrey Escamilla leads the Patriots with a .500 batting average and is second with three RBI. In front of her is graduate student infielder Courtney Plocheck with a team-high five RBI and two doubles.

Through two starts, freshman pitcher Crimson Bryant has yet to yield a single run, giving up nine hits in 14 innings of work. Graduate student Genesis Armendariz has an 0.26 ERA and leads the pitching staff with 18 strikeouts and 27 innings.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECH | 1:30 PM
The Golden Suns enter the Alvy Early Memorial with a 3-2 record after going 28-24 in 2023. Arkansas Tech is led by first-year Head Coach Jordon Jones.

Who to Watch
Senior infielder Dani Lindsey is a problem at the plate, as she sports team-high .600 batting average and also leads the team with nine hits, three doubles, two triples and six RBI. Junior catcher Savannah Snow is tied for second on the team with two RBI and possesses the team's only home run so far this season.

Junior pitcher Bradi Basler is 3-0 in the circle for the Golden Suns, holstering a 2.21 ERA and a team-high 17 strikeouts in 19 innings. She's joined by Alexis Findley, a junior with 6.39 ERA.

*Editor's Note
There will be no live stats or video streaming available at the Alvy Early Memorial. Fans can check back on Saturday evening to find out MWSU fared in Bentonville.