ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western softball (17-12, 5-5 MIAA) is back home this weekend for a pair of MIAA doubleheaders – the first against Newman (6-26, 1-7 MIAA) on Friday and the other against No. 6 Central Oklahoma (26-5, 7-1 MIAA) on Saturday.

Friday's games are set for 2 and 4 p.m., while Saturday's will start and 12 and 2 p.m., weather permitting. The games will be broadcast on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen) and available to stream on the MIAA Network.

Last Time Out
Missouri Western was swept at Central Missouri this past Saturday, dropping the first game 3-0 and the second game 8-6 at the South Recreation Complex in Warrensburg.

It's the first time all season that Missouri Western has been swept by a conference opponent.

Game 1: Central Missouri 3 Missouri Western 0
Missouri Western was no-hit by UCM's Brooke Weimer, who struck out eight and walked three in a complete game shutout.

Sydney Rader (12-4) went the complete game as well, striking out five and walking three, giving up three earned runs. Rader also hit two batters.

Game 2: Central Missouri 8 Missouri Western 6
Missouri Western scored five runs in the top of the first, but UCM answered with four runs in the first and four more in the fourth.

The Griffons had a rally going in the top of the seventh, as Sydney Young hit a one-out, single shot home run. Western then had runners on first and second with one away, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the game.

Seven different Griffons had a hit, and six different Griffs scored a run. Taylor Jones and Ella Fitzpatrick each had two RBIs.

Ashlyn Finarty (3-4) took the loss in the circle, pitching the first 3.1 innings and surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits. She walked one and struck out none. Harley Pruetting tossed 2.2 innings of hitless relief, striking out two and walking one.

Thompson Time
Missouri Western softball has begun a new chapter in its storied history, as head coach Nicole Thompson is in her first season as the seventh head coach in program history.

Hired last June, Thompson came to the Griffons from NCAA Division II Regis University in Colorado, and is fresh off a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Tournament championship and an NCAA South Central Regional appearance in 2024. In her five seasons as head coach at Regis, Thompson compiled a 132-101 overall record, leading the Rangers to 33 wins or more in each of her last three seasons. Her 2024 team swept its way to the RMAC Tournament title as a No. 5 seed and earned the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015. The Rangers also then defeated #1 nationally ranked West Texas A&M in the tournament's opening round. 
 
Prior to Regis, Thompson spent three seasons as head softball coach at NAIA Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky.. Thompson compiled an overall record of 82-70, while her Appalachian Athletic Conference record was a remarkable 50-20. She guided her team to third-place finishes in 2017 and 2018, earning AAC Coach of the Year honors in 2017. 
 
Thompson had a unique start to her coaching career. Originally accepting a position as the Assistant Director for Communications at Union College in February 2016, Thompson served as the Interim Head Coach beginning in September 2016 before being named the full-time head coach.
  
Thompson was a dual-sport athlete in college, competing in both softball and basketball for NAIA Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. As a softball player, she was a three-time All-KCAC First-Team selection at shortstop. Her team won two KCAC regular season championships and one KCAC Tournament title, while also making two NAIA National Tournament appearances (2012, 2013).

Joining Thompson on staff is pitching and catching coach Steffany Dickerson. Before MWSU, Dickerson was a graduate assistant at the University of Kansas and contributed to the Jayhawks' seven Top 25 victories in 2023 and '24.

Steffany was a standout starting pitcher at Missouri State who received numerous accolades, including MVC Pitcher of the Year and MVC All-Tournament MVP. She completed her collegiate career with an impressive ERA of 2.24 and 530 strikeouts.

Guess Who's Back
Missouri Western returns 11 players from a 2024 team that went 31-20 overall and 13-13 in the MIAA.

The Griffons return seven of their top eight hitters from a season ago - all seven of whom started 43 games or more. Shortstop Kalee Higdon returns after garnering second-team all-MIAA honors last year. Outfielder Mackenzie DeVine is now a two-time all-MIAA selection, picking up honorable mention honors last season.

In the circle, the Griffons return three-time all-MIAA senior Sydney Rader, who earned honorable mention all-conference accolades last season. Rader went 15-7 last year, striking out 149 in 161.2 innings. MWSU also brings back starters in Harley Pruetting and Ashlyn Finarty. Finarty was honorable mention all-MIAA in 2024, while Pruetting was an honorable mention all-conference pitcher in 2023.

Rader's Last Hurrah
In her final go-around with Missouri Western, the fifth-year senior has been downright dominant in the circle. Rader currently ranks No. 1 in the MIAA in wins (12), complete games (15), complete game shutouts (6), innings pitched (105), No. 2 in ERA (1.47) and No. 3 in strikeouts (98).
 
Her six shutouts are second most among all pitchers in NCAA Division II, her 15 complete games are third most in the nation and her 12 wins are tied for sixth most in the country.
 
Rader has also scattered her name all across the Missouri Western career record books. As of March 28, 2025, Rader ranks in the top five in program history in each of the following categories:

• 2.16 ERA (2nd)
• 58 Ws (4th)
• 111 appearances (4th)
• 91 games started (5th)
• 577.2 IP (5th)
• 542 K (3rd, needs 3 more to tie Lindsey Predovitch for 2nd)
• 2459 batters faced (5th)
• .231 career opponent batting average (4th)
• 58 complete games (5th)
• 20 shutouts (tied with Janie Smith for 2nd)

New Kids on the Block
Missouri Western added 10 new players to its roster in the offseason - five freshmen and six transfers. Joining Coach Thompson from Regis are C/UTL Rachel Barriga, catcher Sydney Young and outfielder Sienna Reed.

Barriga made 42 starts for Regis last year and batted .304. Young made 49 starts as a freshman last season at Regis, batting .275 on the year. Reed started a combined 103 games in two seasons at Regis, where she had a career batting average of .275 and a career slug percentage of .426. Reed was an honorable mention all-RMAC selection at Regis last season as well.

Outfielder Ella Fitzpatrick joins MWSU from Division I Lipscomb University. Fitzpatrick had also played at Iowa Western Community College, helping the Reivers to a NJCAA World Series Appearance in 2024. In that season, Fitzpatrick had a huge impact, batting .345 with a .593 slug. She scored 49 runs on 50 hits, including eight home runs.

A couple more JUCO stars join Missouri Western in 2025. Infielder Lauren Newlin had a terrific year last year at Central Arizona College, batting .343 in 40 games. Another infielder, shortstop Ayva McComas, joins MWSU from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, where she was an NJCAA All-American, collecting a combined 53 HRs and 159 RBIs in two seasons.

Two-Sport Stars
The Griffons added some pitching help as well, borrowing All-American thrower Makenzie Garr from MWSU Track and Field. Garr, in her sophomore year, is no stranger to softball. The St. Joseph native was an all-city and all-district pitcher for St. Joseph Central, helping the Indians to a district championship game appearance in 2022. She recorded 185 strikeouts in her senior season alone.

Missouri Western will also have Griffon soccer keeper Morgan Byrd playing infield this spring. Byrd had a terrific softball career at Papillion-La Vista High School in Nebraska, helping the Monarchs to state titles in 2020 and 2023. She earned all-state honors in 2023 as well.

Jets and Bronchos Breakdown
Missouri Western hosts the teams at the top and bottom of the MIAA standings this weekend. The first one is Newman, currently sitting in last place in the league.

Newman has scored regional wins this season over Arkansas Tech, East Central, Minot State, Northeastern State and Northwestern Oklahoma State.

For Newman, this is just their second true road doubleheader of the season. The Jets have played 14 games at home, and 16 more at neutral sites.

Newman returns second-team all-MIAA utility player Hayley Bonython from last season. Redshirt junior A.J. Borja leads Newman this season with 11 doubles (t-2^nd MIAA) and a .505 on-base percentage (8^th MIAA).

Missouri Western is 7-3 vs. Newman all-time, including a 3-1 mark in St. Joseph.

Central Oklahoma, picked to finish 2^nd in the MIAA this preseason, has lived up to the hype, jumping up to No. 6 in the latest coaches' poll after starting the season ranked No. 25.

The Bronchos rank toward the top of the league in several offensive categories and are No. 1 in the MIAA with a .984 fielding percentage.

Rylee Lemos, a two-time all-MIAA performer, leads UCO and the MIAA with an .884 slug percentage. In the circle, sophomore Shelby Beard (11-1) has an MIAA-best 1.02 ERA and a league-leading .195 opponent batting average in nine starts.

UCO has been a national power for a decade-plus in softball, winning a national title in 2013 and appearing in 11 of the last 13 NCAA tournaments.

Saturday will mark the 34th and 35th all-time meetings with UCO. The Bronchos lead the series 18-15 all-time, and have beat the Griffons in each of the last three meetings.