Complete Release (.pdf)

April 6, 2009 – One-third of the Bulldog conference season is on the docket this week as Truman looks to get in four doubleheaders over the next six days.  The Bulldogs will kick things off with road games at Emporia State on Tuesday and Washburn on Wednesday followed by home games with Central Missouri on Friday and Southwest Baptist on Saturday.

The Bulldogs are looking to break an eight-game loosing streak that started on March 21 against Quincy.  Truman lost a pair of games to #21 Missouri Western at home and had a pair of walk-off losses at Fort Hays State.

Senior Kali Holleran leads the team with a .286 batting average while Stephanie Johnson has the team low in ERA with a 2.64.

SCHEDULE CHANGES:

The home games scheduled on Sunday against Drury University was postponed due to weather; no make up date has been announced.  Also postponed last week was the doubleheader with Rockhurst University; again no make-up date has been scheduled.

BULLDOG BITES:

·         Truman is hitting .220 as a team and has only hit three home runs this season. 

·         The Bulldogs are 19-of-25 in the stolen base department with Dani Mayer leading the team with five swipes out of seven attempts.  Mayer has 61 career stolen bases which is fifth all-time and four behind Stephanie Schlegel for fourth.

·         Senior Kali Holleran leads the team offensively with a .286 average with 22 hits in 77 at bats.  She leads the team with six extra base hits, five doubles and a home run.  Holleran is three RBIs behind Mayer (10) for the team lead.

·         Ashley Rotkvich leads the staff with 20 appearances and a 4-5 overall record.  In 62 2/3 innings pitched, Rotkvich has a 3.69 ERA and 38 strikeouts.

·         Richelle vanGennip leads the staff in strikeouts with 53 in 60 2/3 innings pitched.  As a team, Truman has struck out 126 opposing hitters.

·         The Bulldogs have a team ERA of 3.47 and have surrendered 23 home runs.

·         Truman is 11th in the MIAA in batting with their .222 mark and seventh in pitching with a 3.58 ERA.

·         The Bulldog pitchers have averaged 4.81 strikeouts and 3.12 walks per game.

·         Richelle vanGennip is ranked seventh in the conference in strikeouts per game with a 5.68 and eighth in opponent batting average with a .238 mark.  Stephanie Johnson is seventh in opponent batting average with a .232 average.

WHO’S HOT (Last 5 games):

  • Richelle vanGennip – hitting .417 (5-of-12) with two RBIs and a run scored.
  • Katie Pitts – has three of the teams 8 RBIs over the five game span.
  • Stephanie Johnson – has posted a 1.79 ERA in three appearances.

 

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 804-589-1 (.579) since 1973. 

SERIES VS. EMPORIA STATE:

Emporia holds a slim 26-25 advantage over the Bulldogs in the all-time series between the two schools.  The Lady Hornets have won the last seven meetings with Truman with the Bulldogs last win coming on April 23, 2005 in Kirksville.

SCOUNTING EMPORIA STATE (22-9/3-1 MIAA):

  • Emporia State is coming off a sweep of Northwest Missouri on Saturday in which they hit eight home runs over the two games.
  • The Lady Hornets are the MIAA’s top hitting team with a .321 average.  Emporia is second in home runs with 26 and are third in stolen bases with 47.  They are the only team in the MIAA that hits above .300.
  • With a 2.83 ERA, the Lady Hornets are fifth in team pitching in the MIAA.  Pitchers averaged 5.90 strikeouts and 2.60 walks per seven innings.
  • Junior Miranda Campbell is third in conference hitting with a .424 average. 
  • Abby Smith leads the team with seven home runs
  • Megan Dennis has a 3.42 ERA in 22 appearances and has 100 strikeouts to 20 walks.
  • Emporia State has won the last four MIAA regular season championships and the last five MIAA tournament titles.

 

SERIES VS. WASHBURN:

Washburn holds a 30-27 advantage against the Bulldogs in the all-time series.  Truman swept all three games last year, one non-conference game and both league tilts. 

The two teams met in a non-conference game back on March 13 in Emporia, Kan.  The Lady Blues scored a run in the first and added three in the top of the seventh for a 4-0 victory.  Samantha Farris pitched a complete game four-hitter for the Lady Blues

SCOUNTING WASHBURN (15-22/2-4 MIAA):

  • The Lady Blues are led by Dani White with a .427 average in 37 games played.
  • Tish Williams leads the team and the league with 12 home runs and the Lady Blues lead the MIAA in homers with 33 this season.
  • Washburn is second in the conference in team batting average with a .289 mark.
  • The Lady Blues are sixth in pitching with a 3.53 ERA.  They are the only MIAA team with a greater walk to strikeout ratio.  The Lady Blues average 3.15 walks to 2.88 strikeouts per game.
  • Farris leads the team with a 2.97 ERA in 20 appearances.

 

SERIES VS. CENTRAL MISSOURI:

The Jennies lead the all-time series with the Bulldogs 47-44.  Central won all three meetings last year winning 4-0 and 5-3 in Warrensburg and 6-0 at the MIAA postseason tournament in Kansas City.  The Jennies have won five of the last six meetings.

SCOUNTING CENTRAL MISSOURI (22-8/6-0 MIAA):

  • The Jennies are one of two unbeaten MIAA teams thus far (Missouri Western). 
  • Central will face Southwest Baptist before making the trip to Kirksville on Friday.
  • Central has won 14 of their last 15 games.
  • Kelli Kurka leads the Jennies in batting average (.391), home runs (8) and RBIs (27).
  • Megan Leonard has been nearly unhittable with a 0.49 ERA, 11-1 record and a strikeout to walk ratio of 165 to 18.  Opponents are batting just .121 against Leonard and she has posted seven shuouts.
  • As a team, the Jennies hit .269 with 22 home runs and have swiped 38 bases entering the week.

 

SERIES VS. SOUTHWEST BAPTIST:

The Bulldogs have dominated the all-time series with the Bearcats winning 33 of the 41 games played between the two schools.  SBU split with the Bulldogs last year in Kirksville.  Truman won 2-0 in the first game but the Bearcats pulled out a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

SCOUNTING SOUTHWEST BAPTIST: (16-24/1-5 MIAA):

  • Southwest Baptist will host Central on Tuesday and travel to Missouri Western on Friday before visiting Kirksville on Saturday.
  • The Bearcats enter the week on a six-game loosing streak.
  • SBU hits .279 as a team with Krysta Baderdeen leading the squad with a .457 average. 
  • Three Bearcats are tied for the team lead with five home runs and 25 RBIs apiece (Baderdeen, Nina Amaro Garcia and Taressa Gomez).
  • Josie Rose has appeared in 26 games making 21 starts and has an ERA of 3.61 and a record of 11-12.  Rose has 112 strikeouts.

 

ON DECK:

Truman is on the road for three straight doubleheaders beginning on April 17th at Northwest Missouri.  The Bulldogs will then travel to conference newcomer Nebraska-Omaha the next day and will then wrap-up the three-game swing with a non-conference tilt with Quincy on April 22nd.