Complete Release (.pdf)

March 31, 2009 – Mother Nature has forced the Truman softball team to take on a busy schedule over the next week as the team will play six doubleheaders over the course of eight days.  The Bulldogs will kick off the marathon with by hosting one of the hottest teams in the MIAA when Missouri Western comes to town for a 2:00 p.m. twinbill.

It has been nine days since Truman last played a game (Mar. 22) and the Bulldogs have had four doubleheaders moved because of either rain in Kirksville or a late-season snow storm that struck eastern Kansas.

Truman will open up MIAA play by facing the Griffons on Wednesday afternoon.  Missouri Western plays their first conference games on Tuesday afternoon in Topeka, Kan. against Washburn.

The Bulldogs are 8-15 overall and have lost their last four games after a four-game winning streak.  Truman had a nine-day layoff last season due to weather but came back winning four of their first six games.

The Griffons enter the week on a 22-game winning streak and have a record of 25-4.  They were receiving votes in the latest NFCA Division II Coaches Poll.

Following the conference opener, Truman will play a non-conference doubleheader at Rockhurst on Thursday in Kansas City, a conference twinbill in Hays, Kan. against Fort Hays State before returning to Kirksville for another non-conference pair against Drury University.

SCHEDULE CHANGES:

The home games scheduled last week against Lincoln and Missouri S&T were postponed due to weather.  The games against the Blue Tigers were moved to Tuesday, April 28th at 2:00 p.m. while the contests with the Miners have yet to be rescheduled.  

The road games against Emporia State and Washburn scheduled for March 20-21 were moved to April 7-8.

BULLDOG BITES:

·         Truman is hitting .224 as a team and has only hit three home runs this season. 

·         The Bulldogs are 15-of-20 in the stolen base department with Dani Mayer leading the team with four swipes out of six attempts.  Mayer has 60 career stolen bases which is fifth all-time and five behind Stephanie Schlegel for fourth.

·         Senior Kali Holleran leads the team offensively with a .323 average with 21 hits in 65 at bats.  She leads the team with six extra base hits, five doubles and a home run.  Holleran is one RBI behind Mayer (8) for the team lead.

·         Ashley Rotkvich leads the staff with 17 appearances and a 4-4 overall record.  In 55 2/3 innings pitched, Rotkvich has a 3.65 ERA and 34 strikeouts.

·         The Bulldogs have a team ERA of 3.55 and have surrendered 20 home runs.

·         Truman is 11th in the MIAA in batting with their .224 mark and sixth in pitching with a 3.55 ERA.

·         Richelle vanGennip is the only Bulldog ranked as an individual.  vanGennip is eighth in both strikeouts per game with a 5.75 mark and opponent batting average (.234).

WHO’S HOT (Last 5 games):

  • Rebekah Shea – has hit .417 (5-of-12) with three RBI’s and has a .500 slugging percentage.
  • Kali Holleran – hitting .357 (5-of-14) with two walks, a run scored and an RBI.
  • Erica LaCombe – hitting .333 (4-of-12) with a slugging percentage of .583 and two extra base hits.
  • Richelle vanGennip – has a 2.94 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched with an opponent batting average of .186.

 

TRUMAN WINS 800TH GAME:

With their 4-1 victory over Tarleton State on March 14th, the Truman softball program won their 800th game.  The Bulldogs have an overall record of 804-585-1 (.579) since 1973. 

SERIES VS. MISSOURI WESTERN:

Truman holds a 31-27 advantage over Missouri Western in the all-time series between the two schools.  The Bulldogs swept a doubleheader from the Griffons last season in St. Joseph.  Truman won the first game 4-0 behind a Katie Noski 2-hit shutout and took the nightcap 5-2 in eight innings after Dani Mayer hit a three-run double to clear the bases.

SCOUNTING MISSOURI WESTERN:

  • The Griffons had won 22 straight games prior to their conference opener with Washburn on Tuesday (March 31). 
  • Missouri Western is fifth in the conference in hitting (.272) and second in pitching (1.76 ERA).
  • Sophomore Brittany Douglas is ninth in MIAA hitting with a .361 average
  • Freshman Carla Anderson has posted a 4-1 record with a league-leading 0.47 ERA.  Sophomore Allison Jones is 14-1 with a 1.39 ERA.
  • Senior Amanda Nocita leads the team with 26 runs scored while junior Becky Diehl has four home runs.

 

SERIES VS. ROCKHUSRT:

This will be the first meeting with the Hawks on the softball diamond.  Rockhurst is in their fifth season as an intercollegiate program.

SCOUNTING ROCKHURST:

  • The Hawks are 11-8 this season and 2-2 at home.
  • Heather Robertson leads the team with 10 hits in 16 at bats for a .625 average.
  • Leslie Furdek has started all 19 games and has hit for a .344 average and has four doubles.
  • As a team, the Hawks hit .280 with three home runs and 63 runs batted in.
  • Robertson leads the team in ERA with a 2.11 and is 4-4.
  • Opponents are hitting .250 against the Hawks staff and they have a team ERA of 2.55.
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SERIES VS. FORT HAYS STATE

The Bulldogs and Tigers have split the six games they have played previously.  Fort Hays won 2-1 and 8-7 at home in 2008 and have won the last three games in the series.

SCOUNTING FORT HAYS (19-18):

  • The Tigers are second in the MIAA in hitting with a team batting average of .299
  • They are second in home runs with 19 and first in runs batted in with 152.
  • Fort Hays is ninth in pitching with a 4.10 ERA.  They have allowed 30 home runs thus far.
  • Senior Hollie McMillen is hitting .376 in 35 games this season and has 26 runs batted in.
  • Kayla Rupa leads the conference in appearances in the circle with 23 and 129.1 innings pitched.  Rupa has a 3.10 ERA and has struck out 136 hitters.

 

SERIES VS. DRURY

Drury is another new program and the Bulldogs split with the Panthers last year in their first year of softball.  Truman won 2-1 and lost 8-5 in Springfield.  The two teams were scheduled to play earlier this year but those games were rained out.

SCOUNTING DRURY (11-24):

  • Drury hits .225 as a team and has 10 home runs and 84 runs batted in.
  • Laura McCarthy (.194) leads the Panthers with three home runs.
  • Kelsea Garthoff leads the team in average with a .286 mark.
  • McCarthy leads the Panthers with a 2.05 ERA and eight wins. 
  • The Panthers team ERA is 3.74 and opponents are hitting .274.

 

ON DECK:

The Bulldogs will play make-up games with Emporia State on April 7th and Washburn on April 8th.  The away doubleheader against Missouri-St. Louis that was scheduled for April 7th will be moved to accommodate the conference games.

Truman will return home on April 10th and 11th when they host Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist in conference games.