PREVIEW | Softball Wraps up Non-Conference Season in Oklahoma

2/12/2019 4:15:00 PM

By: Jake Wise - Athletic Communications Student Assistant

THIS WEEK
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team is traveling to Oklahoma to play in the OCU/UCO Invite. The Mountain Lions will be playing four different teams in their four scheduled games, with double-headers scheduled for both Saturday, Feb. 16 (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Sunday, Feb. 17 (Edmond, Okla.). On Saturday, Feb. 16, UCCS will be playing Oklahoma Christian University (OCU) at 10 a.m. (MT) and Northwestern Oklahoma State University at 12 p.m. (MT). On Sunday, Feb. 17, UCCS will be playing Southwestern State University at 10 a.m. (MT) and the University Central Oklahoma (UCO) 12 p.m. (MT).

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
The Oklahoma Christian University Eagles have started the season 6-1. In those seven games, the eagles have amassed 52 runs on 66 hits including 13 doubles and nine home runs. Offensively, OCU has been led by junior Brie Dunckel and senior Kaylie Upton, who both have batting averages of .500 and .450 respectively this season. Dunckel is leading the team in runs (13) and hits (10), while Upton is tied for second on the team in hits (nine) and leads the team in home runs (four) and RBI (12). Defensively, Kaylie Upton has also put up solid numbers pitching. In three starts this year, Upton has a record of 1-0 and a 1.62 ERA, giving up five hits and three runs on the year. Madison Hagood has also pitched well for OCU this year, as she boasts a 2-1 record with a 2.21 ERA and 10 strikeouts on the season in almost 13 innings of work. However, Kali Crandall has, by far, the most impressive pitching statistics on the team. In five appearances including three starts, Crandall has a record of 2-0, a 1.62 ERA and has only allowed seven total runs in almost 22 innings, while also racking up 30 strikeouts in the process.
The Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rangers have yet to play a game in the 2019 season. The Rangers finished the 2018 season with an overall record of 17-33, with a 16-28 record in the Great American Conference (GAC). Offensively, Northwestern Oklahoma State was led by seniors Madi Parrott and Jordan Sutton and junior Morgan Kirk. Parrott and Sutton both had batting averages of .338 and .309, respectively, with Parrott leading the team in hits (49), home runs (nine) and RBI (25). Kirk finished the year with a batting average of .297, was second on the team in both hits (44) and home runs (six) and was third on the team in RBI with 19. Defensively, the Rangers were led by junior pitcher Karly Murray and senior pitcher Madison Garza, who both posted impressive ERAs of 3.88 and 3.93 respectively. Murray finished the year with a 9-16 record and 76 strikeouts, while Garza finished the year with a 6-15 record and an impressive 139 strikeouts. With Garza, Parrott, Sutton, and six other seniors having graduated, Northwestern Oklahoma State will look to players like Morgan Kirk and Karly Murray to lead them in 2019.

The Southwestern Oklahoma State University Bulldogs have also not played a game so far in 2019. Last season, the Bulldogs finished the year with an overall record of 13-38, with a 13-28 record in the Great American Conference. Offensively, Southwestern Oklahoma State had a team batting average of .286. Individually, the Bulldogs were led by freshman Amanda Moreno, junior Sidney Kirk and sophomore Allyson Gafford, who all finished 2018 with batting averages over .350. Moreno led the team in batting average (.358) and hits (53), was second on the team with 10 doubles and third with 25 RBI. Kirk was second on the team in batting average (.356) and third in hits (47), however, she led the team with nine home runs and 33 RBI. Gafford finished third on the team in batting average (.354), was first in doubles (11) and fourth in hits with 46 and RBI with 23. Defensively, Miranda Grover (6-8) and Rileigh Ricken (5-17) were the two top pitchers for the Bulldogs. Grover gave up 91 total runs (67 earned) on 143 hits in 83 innings pitched, earning her a team best 5.65 ERA in 2018. Ricken finished the season with a 6.33 ERA, giving up 164 total runs (130 earned) on 200 hits with 62 strikeouts in almost 144 innings pitched. With four of their five key players returning in 2019, Southwestern Oklahoma State will look to improve their record this season starting this weekend.

The University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos have an impressive 9-1 record so far this season, which includes a five-game winning streak. The Bronchos have a team batting average of .373, including 101 hits in those 10 games. Individually, Central Oklahoma is being led by seniors Carli Jones and JoBi Heath and junior Hazel Puempel. Jones is leading the team in batting average (.484) and hits (15), is second in the team in RBI (12) and is tied for the team lead home runs with two. Heath and Puempel are tied for second on the team in both batting average (.424) and hits (14), while Heath is tied for the lead in home runs with two and Puempel leads the team in RBI with 14. Defensively, Sydney McLeod (4-1) and Bailey McKittrick (4-0) have been the two best pitchers for the Bronchos this season. In six appearances and four starts, McLeod has given up 12 total runs (5 earned) on 27 hits with 15 strikeouts, giving her an impressive 1.72 ERA. McKittrick has made seven appearances and three starts this year and has given up 19 total runs (13 earned) on 27 hits with 15 strikeouts as well, giving her a respectable 4.01 ERA this year. Central Oklahoma will look to keep their winning streak alive heading into this weekend.

LAST TIME OUT
UCCS went 1-3 in Texas last weekend at the LCU Softball Classic, with three of the four games decided in five innings. Over the course of their four games, the Mountain Lions recorded 40 hits, including 12 extra base hits (seven doubles, two triples, triples home runs). Rayle Glover (.478 BA) and Melissa Martinek (.417 BA) provided consistent offense for the Mountain Lions, both tallying six hits in the four games played. Glover recorded at least one hit in each game, including two doubles, two home runs, and six RBI, giving her a .545 batting average for the weekend. Martinek added a double, a triple and a home run amounting to five RBI of her own, giving her a batting average of .429 for the weekend. The best performance for the Mountain Lions came in their second game against the University of Texas – Permian Basin where they scored 14 runs on 19 hits, including three doubles, two triples and a home run. Ten different players recorded a hit in the game and five different players had at least one RBI. Cami Duffey got the win for UCCS against UT-Permian Basin, as she went five full innings only giving up five hits and three runs (two earned) with three strikeouts. UCCS will look to get back on track starting with Oklahoma Christina University on Saturday.

WEATHER FORECAST
The weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday in the Oklahoma City area is slated to be in the low 40's both days and mostly cloudy. Winds are expected to blow from 10-15 miles per hour with only a 10 percent chance of rain on Saturday.

UP NEXT
UCCS will begin conference play next weekend as they host Colorado State University – Pueblo in a four-game series. The series will consist of two double-headers, one on Saturday, Feb. 23 and one on Sunday, Feb. 24. The games on Saturday will take place at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and the games on Sunday will take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

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