TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State continues a five-doubleheader homestand with two home dates featuring contests with Lincoln and Central Missouri.
The RiverHawks seek a rebound after dropping both doubleheaders last week to Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern.
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
- Emily Sampson homered for the first time in 2024 with a solo shot over the center field wall against Missouri Southern last Saturday. Sampson will seek to continue her success against conference foes this week, as the senior is tied for second in the MIAA with 11 doubles and possesses the team crown in RBI (15).
- Addy Wolfe led all hitters on the team with six bases hits across four games last week. Wolfe holds the team lead with 23 across the season, seven of which have landed for extra bases.
- Madison Heinle enters the second week of Northeastern State's homestand after pitching 8.2 innings against Missouri Southern last Saturday, being assigned just three earned runs across the afternoon contests and striking out seven hitters against two walks.
- Korynn Tindel enters the last month of the regular season with the pitching staff's lowest ERA (2.94), while opposing hitters have only found a .222 average against her across the season.
- Maddie Messenger finished with a multi-hit game against the then-#11 Pittsburg State Gorillas last Friday, including a home run against PSU pitching, her second of the year.
Northeastern State vs. Lincoln (Mar. 29 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.) // Live Coverage
About Lincoln (9-19, 1-9 MIAA)
- The Blue Tigers split a doubleheader against Emporia State last Friday to claim their first league win of 2024 before being swept by Washburn on Saturday.
- Jason Ollison is in his second season with Lincoln, returning to his alma mater with his hiring in the summer of 2022. Ollison's first season with the Blue Tigers saw the team claim seven wins, a mark they've already outdone with a month left in 2024's regular season. Notably, 2023 saw the team score a victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Apr. 16 in their first game at the new LU Softball Field in Jefferson City, Mo. Ollison spent the six prior years at Versailles High School, where he was the team's head coach in 2020 and 2021.
- Abbi Conrad (.360), Leslie Callahan (.313) and Maris Ollison (.305) lead the LU offense as a trio of hitters swinging into .300 territory over halfway into the season. Ollison has hit three of the squad's seven home runs.
- Lincoln is tied for the second-lowest batting average in the conference at .244, while possessing the second-highest earned run average (4.90).
Series Notes
- Northeastern State has won 22 of 23 meetings.
- Last season saw NSU claim two wins over the Blue Tigers by a combined score of 26-3.
- This is the final regular season doubleheader between the teams with Lincoln as a member of the MIAA, as they will depart the league for the GLVC at the conclusion of the season.
Northeastern State vs. Central Missouri (Mar. 30 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.) // Live Coverage
About Central Missouri (15-16, 4-6 MIAA)
- The Jennies face a ranked test against Rogers State before going to RiverHawks Park Saturday.
- UCM began the final week of March off of a pair of non-conference victories over Missouri - St. Louis Tuesday.
- Susan Anderson leads the Jennies in her 18th season as the program's head softball coach. Winning over 500 games in Warrensburg, she ranks second all-time in UCM history in wins and win percentage (among coaches with at least 20 games). The team enters off a 33-win season last year, their third across the last four full seasons with at least that amount. Anderson has guided UCM to two first place finishes in the league during her time leading the program, in addition to nine top three finishes.
- The Jennies are tied for the second-lowest batting average in the conference at .244, tying for ninth in home runs with 11. UCM is eighth in the conference in ERA (3.12) and sits in 11th in strikeouts (128) and sixth in opposing batting average (.267).
Series Notes
- UCM holds a two-game advantage over NSU all-time at 15-13.
- The Jennies won two in Warrensburg last year, though the RiverHawks have won three of the last four at RiverHawks Park.
- The RiverHawks will aim for a stronger day inside the batter's box after being held to just one run across last season's doubleheader.
Coming Up
Northeastern State hosts Oklahoma Baptist to conclude the five-doubleheader homestand on Apr. 2 at RiverHawks Park in Tahlequah.
