SHAWNEE – On the heels of an electric run at the MSU Round-Up, the Oklahoma Baptist softball team (8-1, 0-0 GAC) embarks on another journey this weekend at the Emporia State Classic.
OBU is set to take on four teams, beginning on Saturday with Minnesota Duluth at 10 a.m. and No. 21 Washburn at 2:30 p.m. Then on Sunday, the Bison face off with Newman and Emporia State at 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
Saturday's contests will be played at Gahnstrom Field on the campus of Washburn, while Sunday's games will take place at Trustler Sports Complex on Emporia State's campus. Coverage links for the games can be found on the Bison Softball schedule page.
The Bison are off to a hot start with an 8-1 overall record, including three wins last weekend in Texas. OBU took down Cameron (10-1) and Rockhurst (3-0) before topping Midwestern State 4-3 in a 10-inning thriller. Their lone loss came against Fort Hays State by a score of 7-6.
Perhaps OBU's most challenging weekend of the season begins tomorrow as their opponents have a combined 23-6 record, led by Minnesota Duluth's 8-0 start. Friday's date with Washburn will be the second time Oklahoma Baptist has faced a nationally ranked opponent this season, with the first time resulting in a 6-0 Bison triumph over then-ranked No. 6 Texas A&M Kingsville.
The pitching staff, led by Kayleigh Jones and Aspen Younce, shined at Midwestern State. Jones earned her second-career NFCA Pitcher of the Week and second consecutive GAC Pitcher of the Week honors earlier this week for her performances.
Posting a 3-0 mark, Jones fanned 34 batters and recorded a 0.00 ERA in 18.1 innings of work. Her three wins brought her season record to 6-0 in the circle. Younce made one appearance to collect a career-high 14 strikeouts in 6.1 innings against Midwestern.
The duo accounts for 85 of OBU's nation-leading 101 strikeouts. Jones has the most strikeouts (64) and is tied for most victories (6) in DII.
At the plate, infielder Emily Adler batted .500 and tallied a team-best six RBIs. She scored three runs, totaled seven bags, and posted an on-base percentage of .571. Adler matched her season-high for RBIs (3) against Midwestern State before bringing in another two in the next game against Cameron. On the year, she has recorded 15 hits, 13 RBIs, and is hitting .517. Additionally, the Kansas native adds a team-high in stolen bags (4).
Sammie Greene was also outstanding in the box, batting .462 with six hits and a triple. Greene added two stolen bases, the most on the team. She registered back-to-back two-hit games (MSU & CU) for the first time in her career.
Here's a quick look at the weekend's opponents:
| Team |
|
|
| Minnesota Duluth (Sat, 10 a.m.) |
Record: 8-0 (0-0 NSIC) |
Stats |
| #21 Washburn (Sat., 2:30 p.m.) |
Record: 7-2 (0-0 MIAA) |
Stats |
| Newman (Sun., 2:30 p.m.) |
Record: 3-3 (0-0 MIAA) |
Stats |
| Emporia State (Sat., 4:45 p.m.) |
Record: 5-1 (0-0 MIAA) |
Stats |
For more information on OBU Softball, follow the team on Twitter (
@OBU_Softball) and Instagram (
@OBU_Softball).
