Kearney, Neb. – For the first time all season, the Nebraska-Kearney softball team will remain at home for more than a few days.
After hosting Central Oklahoma in a makeup double header this past Monday, Northwest Missouri State (Friday) and Missouri Western State (Saturday) come to Dryden Park this Easter Holiday weekend.
With rain in the forecast, check the
Loper schedule page for possible date/time changes and media links. Friday's contest has already been moved up to a 12:00 p.m. start.
UNK (7-39, 4-16) has had four true home games to date; two against UCO and two back in March vs. Northeastern State. The Lopers have also had four "home" games at Smith Softball Complex in Hastings.
Earlier this year, a home double dip against Chadron State was wiped out due to weather. Next weekend, the 2017 home finale will come against rival Fort Hays State (April 23rd).
Northwest (22-14, 11-5) is led by former Loper assistant coach Ryan Anderson. His squad is 6-4 on the road this spring and features Skutt graduate and true freshman Kaitlyn Weis.
The 5-10 utility player is batting .383 with 11 doubles, 10 homers and 38 RBI's, all team-highs. She also is one of seven Bearcats to have started all 36 games; UNK has two players with 46 starts and two with 45.
Besides Weis, junior infielder Abigail Gilson is at .302 with eight HR's and 22 RBI's. In the circle, junior lefty Taylor Blackford (11-3, 2.29 ERA) and Weis (3-2, three saves, 1.91 ERA) lead the way. In 2016, UNK lost in Maryville by scores of 7-2 and 5-1.
Mo West has had a busy week, hosting Northwest (Tues.) and Central Missouri (Wed.) and playing at Fort Hays State Friday afternoon.They then get Easter off before hosting Lincoln next Monday.
The Griffons (28-14, 8-8) have two pitchers that have won 14 games in Ralston junior Barbara Billingsley and freshman Kenzie Hilzer. A JUCO transfer, Billingsley has 19 complete games under her belt with Hilzer at 15 including three shut outs.
Offensively, MWSU is hitting .302 and managed 14 triples and 33 homers. The leaders are senior outfielder Sydney Washington (.324, seven HR's, 33 RBI's) and junior infielder Shelbie Atwell (.415, 15 doubles, four HR's & 30 RBI's). Last spring, the Griffons swept a double dip in St. Joe, 6-5 and 6-3.
UNK is currently led by true freshman
Nicole Spykstra (.329, 12 doubles, 14 RBI's) and
Alexis Howe (.292, three HR's, 11 RBI's). Spykstra is one of two Lopers to have started all 46 games with Howe have thrown out 13 would-be base stealers.
Among the veterans, senior first baseman/second baseman
Molly Stern leads in homers (eight), RBI's (25), total bases (65) and slugging percentage (.478). She also had 192 put outs and 55 assists in the field.
In the circle, junior
Meg Housholder (10), junior
Abbey Martin (one) and freshman
Sara Sempek (five) have combined to throw 16 complete games. Martin also has UNK's lone save with Sempek at a team-best four wins and Housholder logging a staff-best 116.0 innings
Weather permitting, Kearney heads to Chadron State (21-17, 18-9) for a double header on Tuesday, April 18th.
