SHAWNEE – Fresh off two more wins over Newman in its home opener on Wednesday, Oklahoma Baptist will travel to Arkansas this weekend to begin Great American Conference play at Harding. Both teams currently possess a 13-2 overall record.
The series will start at 4 p.m. on Friday with a doubleheader before concluding on Saturday in a single game at noon. HU brings an 18-5 all-time record into this weekend against OBU, including winning eight of the last 10 contests.
Through 15 games this year, the green and gold have put together some of the best pitching numbers in the country. Take a look:
| Team ERA |
1.15; No. 7 in D2 |
| Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio |
6.32; No. 5 |
| Shutouts |
5; Tied for 6th |
Individually,
Kayleigh Jones has been sensational in 12 appearances. Here's how she stacks up nationally:
| ERA |
0.12; Tied for 22nd |
| Strikeouts |
104; National leader |
| Shutouts |
3; Tied for 5th |
| Victories |
10; National leader |
But just as important for coach
Sam Maples' team is their pitching depth.
Aspen Younce ranks in the top-six in the GAC in ERA (1.88) and strikeouts (31) while
Jaycee Shaffer and
Morgan Max have posted some solid appearances for the Bison.
On the offensive side,
Emily Adler has been stepping up for OBU. Here are her top GAC marks:
| Hits |
23; Leads the GAC |
| RBI |
18; 2nd |
| Batting Average |
.500; 3rd |
| On-Base Percentage |
.564; 5th |
Also of note,
Kennedy Clark is second on the team with a .423 average while
Samantha Campos ranks second with 12 RBI and is tied for the team lead with
Adi Reese with a trio of two-baggers. Furthermore,
Reagan Ford's five stolen bases and 14 runs scored are tops on OBU.
Harding has the top offense in the GAC and ranks No. 41 in the nation with a .327 batting average. HU has two players ranked within the top nine of the GAC in hitting, one of only two school to possess that.
Macy Smith: Ranks No. 7 in the GAC in BA (.448)
Nicole Shano: Slotted 2nd in hits (21), doubles (6) & home runs (4)
Hannah Garrett: Her .424 average is good for 9th
In the circle, the Lady Bisons' 2.88 ERA is third in the GAC. They've notched 81 strikeouts but also have given up 31 extra-base hits. Eighteen of those are doubles while 12 are homers, tied for the third-most allowed by a GAC team this season.
Individually, Lily Tanski is HU's top pitcher who ranks No. 3 in opposing batting average (.157) and seventh in earned run average (2.01). Additionally, Riley Price is slotted fourth in the GAC in innings pitched (40.1) and batters struck out looking (11).
