THIS WEEK:
at Lincoln (Mo.)
Wednesday (March 14) -- LU Softball Field - Jefferson City, Mo. @ 2 & 4 p.m. (CT)
vs. Illinois Springfield (UIS)
Saturday (March 17) -- S&T Softball Field - Rolla, Mo. @ 12 & 2 p.m. (CT)
vs. Lewis
Sunday (March 18) -- S&T Softball Field - Rolla, Mo. @ 12 & 2 p.m. (CT)
On Deck: A pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) weekend doubleheaders highlight Missouri S&T softball team's schedule this week as the Lady Miners host Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Lewis this Saturday (March 17) and Sunday (March 18), respectively at the S&T Softball Field in Rolla, Mo. Prior to this weekend's action, S&T visits Lincoln (Mo.) this Wednesday (March 14) for a pair of non-league games at the LU Softball Field in Jefferson City, Mo.
2018 Record: Missouri S&T is 9-11 and 1-1 in the GLIAC this season to date. The Lady Miners split a conference-opening series against Bellarmine last Saturday (March 10), prevailing 4-3 in the opener before falling 2-0 to the Knights in the nightcap at BU's Knights Field in Louisville, Ky. S&T is presently 2-2 on the road, 6-3 at home, and 1-6 at neutral sites this season.
Missouri S&T Head Coach - Cathy Monroe (Truman State, 2002), Third Season, 47-77. 8-0 vs. Lincoln, 0-4 vs. UIS, 2-1 vs. Lewis.
Monroe guided the 2016 Lady Miners to a five-win improvement in her first season with the squad as S&T made another six-game jump in the win column in 2017 going 22-31 overall and 14-16 in the GLVC. The Lady Miners were in contention for a spot in the GLVC Tournament all the way to the final day of the season with a team that had two all-conference performers. Monroe led S&T to a 16-35 mark in her first year after spending the previous 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Truman State University, the last two as the program's associate head coach. While at Truman, Monroe served as the acting head coach for the Bulldogs for an eight-game stretch during the early stages of the 2015 season and compiled a 7-1 record. Truman State concluded the 2015 campaign with a 33-16 overall record, which included a 21-7 GLVC mark and a second straight NCAA Division II Midwest Regional appearance.
The Opposition: Lincoln (Mo.) - The Blue Tigers are presently 3-13 overall and 0-4 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) this season. Lincoln, who are 2-4 at home, 0-3 on the road, and 1-6 at neutral sites this season, have registered an 0-3 ledger versus S&T this campaign as a result of suffering a 14-1 loss at Ouachita Baptist's Ronnie Hawkins Invitational (Feb. 3) before being swept, 7-6 and 5-2, by the Lady Miners (Feb. 13) at Rolla. LU, under third-year head coach Chad Kerr, is led by sophomore pitcher-utility Jordan Lawson (.377, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 20 hits) along with junior catcher-infielder Rachel Balke (.353, 0 HR, 5 RBIs, 18 hits) and sophomore infielder-utility Chelsey Kerr (.340, 2 HR, 12 RBIs, 16 hits). In the pitching circle, sophomore Delayne Patton (2-6, 7.47 ERA, 39.1 IP) and senior Madison Ragar (1-7, 4.58 ERA, 44.1 IP) lead the way.
UIS - The Prairie Stars, who are presently 11-6 overall and 0-0 in the GLVC this season, will conclude their PFX Spring Games Tournament play in Clermont, Fla., with contests against Wayne State (Mich.) and Purdue Northwest Tuesday (March 13) followed by encounters versus Fairmont State (W.Va.) and Augustana (S.D.) this Wednesday (March 14). UIS, which is 0-0 on the road, 2-2 at home, and 9-4 at neutral sites this spring, is paced offensively by senior infielder-pitcher Ali Haesele (.375, 0 HR, 12 RBIs, 18 hits), sophomore utility Erin Stroup (.353, 0 HR, 7 RBIs, 12 hits), and sophomore outfielder Lakyn Wagoner (.346, 0 HR, 5 RBIs, 18 hits). Haesele (7-2, 1.31 ERA, 69.2 IP) has been the Prairie Stars' top hurler this season while junior Jaycee Craver (2-2, 5.32 ERA, 23.2 IP) and senior Rachel Goff (2-2, 5.65 ERA, 26.0 IP) have also logged action for fourth-year head coach Shannon Guthrie's squad.
Lewis - The Flyers currently boast a 12-8 overall and are 1-1 in the GLVC this season going into this Saturday's (March 17) conference twinbill against Maryville at Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo. Lewis, directed by fourth-year head coach Becky Pearl, is 0-2 on the road and 12-6 at neutral sites this spring. Junior pitcher-infielder Cassie Shaw (.381, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 16 hits), senior catcher Sarah DeMasi (.338, 1 HR, 10 RBIs, 25 hits), and senior outfielder-designated player Kaylee Prieto (.323, 3 HR, 16 RBIs, 21 hits) are the Flyers' top hitters to date. Junior Dara Sanders (9-3, 2.45 ERA, 77.0 IP), Cassie Shaw (3-2, 1.09 ERA, 38.2 IP), and sophomore Taylor Boelte (0-3, 5.75 ERA, 24.1 IP) comprise LU's pitching corps.
All-Time Series: Missouri S&T holds an 86-20 lead over Lincoln in the all-time series which began in 1980. The Lady Miners are 27-11 on the road against the Blue Tigers. S&T trails UIS 15-7 in their all-time series dating back to 2009. The Lady Miners are 3-7 in home outings against the Prairie Stars. S&T is 10-14 in its series with Lewis, which started in 2006 and has compiled a 6-6 mark in home encounters versus the Flyers.
S&T Diamond Notes: Junior first baseman-outfielder Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) is hitting .533 (8-15) with three multiple-hit games in her last five outings … The Lady Miners have now won five of their last eight conference openers following a 4-3 win at Bellarmine last Saturday (March 10) … Sophomore pitcher Avery English (Carterville, Ill./Carterville) is 5-1 in home encounters this campaign with a 1.30 earned run average and 21 strikeouts in 34.2 inning pitched … Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) is batting a team-best .471 (8-17) this month in six contests to go with a .706 slugging percentage …. Sophomore first baseman-outfielder Olivia Young (Milstadt, Ill./Belleville Township) has already established personal career season highs in home runs (five), RBIs (20), and runs scored (14) in 20 games this season to eclipse last season's output of three homers, 15 RBIs, and 11 runs scored in 36 contests. Young is eight base hits shy from surpassing her last season's 25 base hits total … Junior utility Hannah Franceschini (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) is seven hits away from registering the 100th of her career. Franceschini totaled a career season-most 41 hits a season ago in 50 games and has compiled 14 in 20 contests this campaign … Junior outfielder Courtney Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) has hit safely in five of her last six games and is batting .300 (6-20) during that stretch. Jackson has recorded at least a hit in 14 contests this spring and has accumulated six multiple-hit single-game performances this season.
Up Next: Missouri S&T is on the road for a pair of GLVC matchups as the Lady Miners visit Truman State Saturday, March 24, in Kirksville, Mo. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m. (CT) proceeded by the second game at 2 p.m. (CT). S&T will then face Quincy on Sunday, March 25, at Quincy, Ill., with first pitch for the series opener at 12 p.m. (CT) and 2 p.m. (CT) for the nightcap.
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