RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Fresh off a hot offensive performance in their 2-1 road series win at Southern Nazarene in their last outing, the Arkansas Tech softball team returns home this weekend for a three-game conference series against the Oklahoma Baptist Bison. The opening game of the series will be played on Friday with first pitch set to go at 5 p.m. that evening. Then, the weekend series will conclude with a doubleheader that has first pitch slated for noon on Saturday. The second game of the doubleheader will begin shortly after the conclusion of the first.
SCOUTING THE BISON
Entering the weekend, Oklahoma Baptist is 18-14 overall with a 6-7 record among conference opponents and are coming off a split doubleheader against Southwest Baptist at home. Against GAC opponents, the Bison have picked up two series wins with a 3-0 sweep at Ouachita Baptist and a 2-1 series win over East Central at home.
As a team, the Bison are hitting .260 so far this season (224-for-861) with 152 runs scored, 39 doubles, nine triples and 23 homeruns. Coming into the series, the Bison have two hitters in their lineup with at least 50 at-bats hitting .300 or better and are led by Samantha Campos with a .344 average (32-for-93).
In terms of power numbers, the Bison have nine players who have hit at least one homerun on the year and are led by Jocee Sparks with seven. Following Sparks is Campos with four, while Adi Reese and Mia Moddelmog have recorded three homeruns each this season. Emily Smith, Stephanie McDonald, Aileen Avelar, Sheyanne Sandoval and Sammie Greene make up the rest of homerun hitters on the list for the Bison. The RBI leaders for Oklahoma Baptist on the season are Sparks with 28 and Campos with 20.
In the circle, the Bison have a team ERA of 3.96 and have struckout 260 hitters in 214.0 total innings.
Four total pitchers have made at least one appearance on the season for the Bison. Kayleigh Jones is the leading starter for Oklahoma Baptist with 18 starts, while Aspen Younce has started 13 games in the circle. Jones is 12-6 with a 2.70 ERA and has dished out 165 strikeouts in 114.0 innings. She also has two saves on the season for the Bison. Opponents are hitting .236 against Jones when she's in the circle this season. Younce is 6-6 with a 4.08 ERA and has 76 strikeouts in 72.0 innings.
TECH TIDBITS
The Golden Suns enter this weekends three-game conference series against the Bison at 18-12 overall with a 9-5 record among Great American Conference opponents. Tech is coming off a strong 2-1 series win on the road at Southern Nazarene where they put on a dominant offensive showcase that included a 24-2 five-inning run rule in the second game of the series. The Golden Suns are 8-3 in their last 11 games and have won four straight conference series against Southern Arkansas, Harding, Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Nazarene.
Offensively, the Golden Suns are hitting .296 as a team this season (234-for-791) with 187 runs scored, 44 doubles, three triples and 42 homeruns. Entering the weekend, the Golden Suns have four batters with at least 70 at-bats hitting .300 or better and are led by
Caitlyn Wells' .441 average (41-for-93).
Tymber Riley also holds a solid average at the plate hitting .432 on the season (41-for-95).
In terms of power numbers, the Golden Suns boast 12 total players who have notched at least one homer on the year. Leading the charge in homeruns for Arkansas Tech is both Wells and Riley who have crushed eight each.
Makenzie Goins follows closely behind the leading pair with seven busted homers, while
Shelby Chavers has whacked six. Rounding out the list of homerun leaders for the Golden Suns is
Holly Crutchfield with five and
Savannah Snow with two. Leading Tech in RBI's on the season is Goins who has collected 32, while Wells has recorded 30. Riley closes out the RBI leaders with 29 on the year.
In the circle, the Golden Suns have a 2.67 team ERA and have struckout 176 batters in 193.2 total innings.
Eight total pitchers have made at least one appearance inside the circle for Arkansas Tech so far this season.
Shannon Lasey leads the team in starts with 13.
Bailey Buffington has 10 starts, while
Maddy Prough has started seven games. Lasey is 7-4 when starting in the circle and holds a 2.45 ERA, the highest among the Tech starters. The sophomore pitcher has also recorded 49 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched and has held opposing bats to just a .202 average at the plate. Buffington is 6-4 with a 2.46 ERA and has collected the most strikeouts among the Golden Sun starters with 56 in 57.0 innings of work. She is also holding opposing bats at the plate to just a .202 average. Prough is 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA and has struckout 41 in 48.2 innings. Like the other two starters, Prough holds hitters to a low average of .230 at the plate.
In relief,
Kaila Cartwright leads the Golden Suns with 15 total appearances and boasts a 1.75 ERA. Cartwright has managed to log 23 strikeouts in 24.0 relief innings and leads the Golden Suns in saves on the season with two. Lasey and Prough account for the rest on the Golden Suns this season as the pair has picked up one save each.
