April 7, 2009
Columbia, Mo. - Down to the final 13 games of the regular season, the Missouri softball team is set to host Southern Illinois in the first-ever Strike Out Cancer game, Wednesday, April 8, at 3 p.m. (CT) on University Field. Fans wearing pink to the game will gain free entrance to the afternoon contest and donations will be accepted on behalf of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Coming off of back-to-back wins over Texas A&M, the Tigers will take a break from Big 12 play by hosting the Salukis. Southern Illinois marks Missouri's second to last non-conference opponent of the 2009 campaign. Head Coach Ehren Earleywine and his squad will host instate opponent Missouri S&T in the final non-conference doubleheader of the year, Wednesday, April 15, beginning at 5 p.m. (CT).
Sitting at 33-5 on the year, Missouri is 27-3 against non-conference opponents and holds a 9-2 record at home on University Field. Redshirt junior Gina Schneider (Liberty, Mo.) owns the best average at home at .481, while teammate Lindsey Ubrun (Riverside, Calif.) has the most hits on University Field with 14. When it comes to home runs, Ubrun, sophomore catcher Megan Christopher (Wright City, Mo.) and senior Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) have hit the most balls out of the park, three.
Senior Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich.) continues to dominate in the circle. At 8-2 on the year, Delaney has made 13 starts this season and seven appearances in the last 10 games. With a 1.00 overall ERA, the two-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week has struck out 79 batters in 77 innings and held opponents to a .182 average. In non-conference competition, the Tiger right handed hurler owns a 0.95 ERA and 5-1 record including a no-hitter against then-15th-ranked North Carolina (March 15). As a pitching staff, the Tigers collectively own a 1.85 ERA on University Field.
Wednesday's meeting with Southern Illinois is Missouri's first since the 2007 campaign. The two teams faced off at the NCAA Regional held in Carbondale, Ill., with the Tigers earning an 8-0 win and 7-4 victory en route to the tournament's Championship game. Missouri holds a 17-12 advantage in the all-time series with SIU, winning three of the last five games against the Salukis.
Southern Illinois enters University Field with a 23-6 record and stands fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference at 7-3. Three Salukis are batting over .300 with Chelsea Held hitting .400 on the year. As a team, SIU is averaging .269. Alicia Garza leads her teammates with 33 hits, while Held leads for most extra base hits including eight doubles and four home runs. Her .650 slugging percentage is a squad high. Katie Wagner leads the team with 20 RBI, two more than Garza who stands second with 18.
In the circle, three Salukis have seen time as pitcher, with Katie McNamara owning the best ERA at 0.12 with an 8-1 record. Nikki Waters owns one more win at 9-1 on the season, but holds a 1.56 ERA. Together, the three person staff, has managed 211 strikeouts in 198.2 innings, allowing 130 hits and 40 earned runs.
Following the midweek game, Missouri will travel to Oklahoma State for a two-game series beginning Friday, April 10, at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game against the Cowgirls will air on Fox Sports Midwest. Fans unable to attend the game are asked to check their local listings for availability of the show on the Fox Sports Network.