SHAWNEE – After a week away from competition, the Oklahoma Baptist softball team will venture to face Arkansas-Monticello for a three-game series this weekend. On Saturday, Feb. 22, the teams will play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. A day later, the series wraps with a solo game at 12 p.m.
This series has favored OBU as of late. In the last nine matchups, the Bison have won eight. Overall, OBU holds a 15-11 series advantage. For UAM, its last series win over Oklahoma Baptist came in 2021.
Weather substantially derailed last weekend's GAC/MIAA Invitational. OBU was set to play five games in Shawnee, but poor temperatures left the Bison with just two contests. That included a victory over Fort Hays State and loss to Washburn. With those results, OBU moved its record to 5-7.
As for Monticello, the Cotton Blossoms are 5-5 this year and are coming off a doubleheader split against Delta State on Feb. 17.
Below are notes on both teams.
Bison Notes
- Pitching, led by junior Jaycee Shaffer, has been one of OBU's key strengths early on.
- The team ranks ninth in the nation with 7.55 strikeouts per nine frames.
- Shaffer has been the main reason behind that team total; her 37 strikeouts are No. 20 in the country and second in the GAC.
- Last week versus Fort Hays State, Shaffer dialed up a complete-game, three-hitter. Included in that was a career-high 12 strikeouts with no runs allowed.
- Also, OBU's 2.42 stolen bases per game is second in the conference and No. 26 in D2.
- Senior Sammie Greene leads that front with nine stolen bags. Those rank 14th nationally.
- Greene also has 72 stolen bags in her career, second-most in OBU history.
- Offensively, Haley Hacker is off to a good start in her freshman year. She ranks fifth in the GAC in runs scored (11) and slugging percentage (.733). Plus, her two homers are tied for sixth with teammate Greenlee Wells.
- Another freshman, Kaley Cook, has two triples this season. That's good for 22nd nationally and second in the league.
Cotton Blossoms Notes
- A couple things jump out about the Blossoms: their .974 fielding percentage is No. 2 in the GAC and 40th nationally.
- UAM has also amassed 10 sacrifice bunts. That total is 16th in D2 and second in the league.
- Offensively, Dacia Sexton's five doubles are slotted 19th in the nation and No. 3 in the conference.
- Jadyn Hart has added a pair of homers which rank tied for sixth in the GAC.
- On the downside, UAM has scored no more than two runs in six of 10 games. That included being shut out three times.
- In the circle, pitcher Kyann Woods' 1.62 ERA is eighth-best in the GAC.
- UAM's staff has generated 39 strikeouts in 64.0 innings pitched and allowed opponents to hit .284.
