ROLLA, MO  --  Missouri S&T softball is set for another pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheaders this week, facing #22 McKendree and Illinois Springfield on Friday and Saturday.
 
About the Bearcats
The McKendree Bearcats are #22 in the most recent edition of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II poll. McKendree is 20-11 this year and have won their last three, with victories over Drury and Southwest Baptist.
 
The Bearcats rank second in the conference in both pitching and fielding, recording a 3.09 ERA and a .966 fielding percentage. Their batting average is one of the best in the GLVC as well, ranking third with a .317 average. Lauren Harris leads the team in batting, ranking third in the conference with a .461 average and leading the GLVC in RBIs with 40 this season.

About the Prairie Stars
With a 17-10 overall record and a 5-3 record against conference opponents, Illinois Springfield is fourth in the GLVC standings. They went 3-1 last week, beating Southwest Baptist once and taking both games in their doubleheader against Rockhurst.
 
Illinois Springfield has been successful both at the plate and on the mound this season, ranking fourth in team batting average (.304) and fifth in team ERA (3.75) within the conference. They boast the top two batters in the conference for slugging percentage, with Ella Brinkley' .787 and Addyson McClure's .783. However, fielding has been a challenge for the Prairie Stars, as they hold the second-lowest fielding percentage in the conference (.946) and have committed a league-high 43 errors.
 
About the Miners
Missouri S&T holds a 5-20 overall record and a 2-4 conference record, placing them 13th in the GLVC. Left handed pitcher Julia Kanoy (Hamilton, Mo./Penney) has been solid on the mound recently, recording 19 strikeouts in the last 12.1 innings. She ranks 11th in the conference with 51 strikeouts in just seven starts.
 
The Miners have hit three grand slams through their first 25 games, with Trista Grobe (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto), Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk), and Keira Jones (Richmond Hill, GA/Richmond Hill) each recording one. They are also tied for the third-most home runs in the GLVC this season, with four apiece.
 
What's Next
The Miners will be back home next week for Parents Day against Lewis and Grandparents Day vs UIndy.
 
Follow Miners Softball on X and Instagram at miners_sb