TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State hosts their first MIAA opponents of 2024 with #11 Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern traveling to RiverHawks Park this week.

The RiverHawks still search for their first MIAA victory after taking a pair of losses last week against Emporia State and Washburn.

The Setup
- Northeastern State is in its first season with Rachel Rhode as the head softball coach.  She has experience as an assistant at Truman State (2021-22) and Bemidji State (2019-20).
- The RiverHawks enter the campaign after a 30-win result in 2023, the team's sixth straight winning season and their second 30-win effort since 2018. A 12-14 MIAA record resulted in NSU missing the league's postseason tournament for the second time in three seasons. 
- Northeastern State's 26-game MIAA schedule continues with this week's doubleheaders.

Around the Diamond
- Northeastern State's first MIAA dates at RiverHawks Park take place this week. Over the last two seasons, the RiverHawks hold an 18-8 record against conference foes. 
- After losses last week to Emporia State and Washburn, the RiverHawks have been swept in their first three MIAA doubleheaders for a second consecutive season. 
- Brynn Burchfield and Raegan Edwards had productive showings against the Lady Hornets last week, with a pair of multi-hit efforts in Emporia. Notably, Burchfield's three-hit performance in the late game against ESU marked the fourth showing of three hits or more in a single game for an NSU player for the season. 
- Emily Sampson led all NSU players with four RBI last week, with three occurring in the early game against ESU for her fourth multi-RBI game of the season, the most on the team. Sampson also holds the MIAA lead in doubles with 14, a total she's added to recently with four last week. 
- Addy Wolfe scored twice against Emporia State last week to account for her 13th and 14th runs of the campaign. The senior holds a six-run lead over Allison Zanca and Drew Hawkins for the team crown in runs in 2024. 

Northeastern State vs. #11 Pittsburg State (Mar. 22 at 3 p.m., 5 p.m.) // Live Coverage

About #11 Pittsburg State (30-2, 4-0 MIAA) 
- The Gorillas became the first NCAA team to reach 30 wins this season with a perfect six-for-six mark across last week's Teri Mathis-Zenner MIAA/NSIC Crossover Tournament, featuring victories over Winona State, Augustana and Concordia - St. Paul. 
- Jenny Fuller is in her third season leading Pittsburg State softball. The team's 30 wins in 2024 have already outdone their 27-win and 25-win campaigns from 2023 and 2022. Fuller's previous head coaching experience extends further in the Division II ranks at Northern State, where she spent four seasons (2018-21), while she also spent two seasons in the same role at Cardinal Stitch at the NAIA level. 
- Heather Arnett currently holds the MIAA batting crown with a .508 average, while she also holds the conference lead in base hits (68), triples (seven), at-bats (120), stolen bases (35) and runs scored (46). Arnett serves as a highlight of a Pittsburg State offense that holds the conference's best batting average (.361) and on-base percentage (.413), while falling victim to the fewest strikeouts (96). 
- With 117 strikeouts, Ava Laurent accounts for nearly half of the Pittsburg State pitching staff's MIAA-best total (238). The Gorillas have the fourth-lowest earned run average (2.17) in the conference, though they've surrendered the second-most doubles (41) and home runs (17) in the conference. 

Series Notes
- The Gorillas hold a five-game advantage in the series, 33-28. 
- PSU won both of last season's encounters in Pittsburg, Kan. 
- The RiverHawks have won their last five in Tahlequah, with their last home loss to the Gorillas happening on Apr. 22, 2016. 

Northeastern State vs. Missouri Southern (Mar. 23 at 12 p.m., 2 p.m.) // Live Coverage

About Missouri Southern (23-8, 3-1 MIAA)
- The Lions remain in the receiving votes category for the NFCA Division II Coaches Poll after taking two losses across six non-conference games the previous week when competing in the Teri Mathis-Zenner MIAA/NSIC Crossover Tournament.
- MSSU goes to Claremore to battle the #3-ranked Rogers State Hillcats on Friday before traveling to Tahlequah the next day. 
- Hallie Blackney is in her sixth season leading the program. 2023 saw Blackney's fifth squad in Joplin make their first trip to the NCAA Regionals since 2001, with a 41-win season including a program-record 21 MIAA triumphs. Under her watch, the Lions have finished over .500 in overall play for four straight seasons and above .500 in league action for three.
- The Lions have the fifth-best batting average in the conference (.314) and lead the league in stolen bases (99). In the circle, MSSU ranks in the top half of the conference in ERA (2.66) and strikeouts (144). 

Series Notes
- The Lions lead the series 42-26-1. 
- MSSU claimed wins in both of last season's meetings in Joplin, Mo. 
- The most recent Tahlequah doubleheader between the squads saw a narrow split, with the RiverHawks taking the early meeting by a single run (5-4), while the Lions won game two in extras (10-7). 

Coming Up
Northeastern State entertains a pair of opponents from the Show-Me state, with Lincoln and Central Missouri driving to RiverHawks Park for doubleheaders on Mar. 29 and Mar. 30.