TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State Softball plays its final weekend of the regular season looking to make a charge into the eight-team playoff bracket. The RiverHawks host Washburn Friday and Emporia State Saturday.

THE LEAD OFF

1. The RiverHawks are 21-18-1 on the season and 9-12-1 in conference play. They are 12-6 at home. NSU is currently ninth in the MIAA standings, half a game out of the playoffs.
2. Northeastern State will look to win out as they trail Washburn by 2.5 games and lead Emporia State by half a game in the standings. Northwest Missouri, the current No. 8 seed plays at contender Missouri Southern and Pitt State that trails NSU by half a game.
3. NSU will honor eight seniors pregame. The three current playing seniors include shortstop Megan Green, centerfielder Cameron Conrad and right fielder Addie Elbon.
4. Fans are asked to socially distance the best they can at RiverHawks Park where admission is free.

THE BIG BATS

• There are five batters hitting over .290 for the RiverHawks and the team has a .284 average with a .489 slugging. NSU leads the conference with 46 home runs, which is tenth nationally. NSU is tied for fourth in the MIAA with 65 doubles.
• Freshman designated player Chloe Bohuslavicky hits .347 and has hit eight home runs on the season. Her 34 RBI leads the team and is seventh of all freshmen nationally. Rhomie Bradshaw is batting .333 with 20 extra base hits. Alyssia Crick leads the power brigade with 11 home runs to go with 31 RBI and is eighth in the conference with a .700 slugging percentage. She and Bradshaw rank third and fourth in conference home runs, respectively.
• Carly Kelley, who was out with injury, has made her return to the lineup in a big way and moved over from third to play second base. She is hitting .321 and tied for the team lead with two triples. Addy Wolfe is hitting .303 and getting on base at a .415 clip. NSU's shortstop, Megan Green, is third in the conference with 21 walks while the RiverHawks draw the most in the MIAA.

IN THE CIRCLE

• Gail Young (13-9) has thrown 2.2 more innings than any other conference pitcher and her 17 complete games is the third-most nationally. She has 58 wins in her career, two off of Kayce Wooldridge (2013-16), who holds NSU's NCAA era mark for wins by a starting pitcher. 
• Jenna Chassie, a 2021 transfer, leads the team with a 3.13 ERA She has 12 quality starts.
• NSU has a 3.50 team ERA.

LAST WEEKEND RECAP 

• Northeastern State went 0-4 on the road trip to Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State.
• The RiverHawks were shutout twice and Bohuslavicky had four of the six RBI over the weekend.
• The pitching staff threw to a 3.50 ERA.

ABOUT THE FOES
Washburn 25-12 (11-9 in MIAA) – Friday April 30 2/4 p.m.

• NSU holds a 13-12 advantage since 1995 and the teams did not meet last season.
• The Ichabods have played 14 games since April 17 while the RiverHawks just six. Over that stretch they have dropped eight and now have a two game cushion for seventh in the conference standings.
• Washburn hits .328 as a team to lead the conference with seven batters over .300. The Ichabods slug .491.
• In the circle, Jaycee Ginter and Reagen Hamm have split the innings. Combined they have a 3.13 ERA.

Emporia State 19-21 (9-13 in MIAA) – Saturday May 1 12/2 p.m.

• Since 1996, holds a slim margin in the all-time series, 17-16. ESU has won the last four.
• The Hornets have dropped their last three games and will play at Rogers State before coming to Tahlequah.
• ESU is a soft-hitting team with just a .385 slugging and only four players with multiple home runs.
• The Hornets hit .272 this season, which is 11th in the MIAA.
• Five different pitchers have combined for a 4.22 ERA. Kelsey Phillips leads the staff with a 1.29 WHIP and has thrown nearly double the innings of any other arm.

UP NEXT: NSU will close the regular season at home by hosting Washburn and Emporia State next weekend.