Bronchos Host Pitt State Saturday

No. 16-ranked Central Oklahoma opens up a six-game Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association homestand Saturday when the Bronchos host Pittsburg State for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

UCO is 27-9 on the season and leads the league at 16-4. The Gorillas are 15-23 overall and ninth in the conference standings at 9-11.

"We've had a lot of great battles with Pittsburg State over the years and I expect the same thing this time," head coach Cody White said. "We need to stay focused on what we do best."

The Bronchos finish the regular season next week with back-to-back home doubleheaders against Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State.

Eight teams advance to the MIAA Postseason Tournament, which opens May 7-8 when the top four teams host the next four teams in a best-of-three series. UCO will host the four winners May 13-16 to determine the champion, which earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO was scheduled to play a non-conference doubleheader at Southern Nazarene Wednesday, but those games were canceled just before game time due to health and safety reasons.

The Bronchos are riding a 17-game home winning streak dating back to last season, including a 14-0 mark this spring.

Central ranks in the top 10 in NCAA Division II in three team categories – third in sacrifice flies (16), fifth in doubles (65) and ninth in fielding percentage (.979).

Nine players have at least one sacrifice fly and Lexy Dobson ranks eighth nationally with four. Seven players have five or more doubles and the Bronchos have committed just 21 errors in 36 games.

Shayla Harper leads the offense with a .341 average, 14 home runs and 32 runs batted in. She tops the MIAA and is fourth nationally in homers, having moved into sixth place on UCO's single-season list.

Taylor McKittrick is batting a team-high .361 and has been on fire lately, having hit .588 (10-for-17) with four doubles and six RBI in her last six games.

Five other regulars are hitting .300 or better – Hazel Puempel (.346, eight doubles, five homers, 21 RBI), Jacee Minter (.333, nine homers, 26 RBI), Tarin Dubler (.318, six doubles), Allie Eicher (.311, eight doubles) and Amelya Huggins (.302). Minter has reached base in 20 consecutive games.

Corrina Rivas and Kylee Lynch continue to lead Central's pitching staff.

Rivas is 13-5 with a 2.17 earned run average in a team-high 103 innings pitched. The junior right-hander has appeared in 21 games with 16 starts and has nine complete games to her credit.

Lynch is 12-3 with a 3.27 ERA after winning both starts last weekend. She's allowed just 18 walks in 96 1/3 innings and has eight complete games in 18 starts.

ABOUT THE GORILLAS: PSU swept Lincoln in its last outing and enters the weekend batting .271 as a team while averaging 7.2 hits and 4.2 runs a game.

Kami Zimmerman leads the Gorillas with a .327 average and 17 RBI. Kylee Bohle is hitting .303 with nine doubles and 17 RBI, while Taylor Lambert is at .301 with 14 stolen bases.

PSU is giving up 8.2 hits and 5.2 runs per contest and has a team ERA of 4.44.

Kaylee Burns is 8-9 with a 2.23 ERA and 65 strikeouts in the circle. Taylor Compton is 4-6 with a 2.52 ERA as the other main starter.

UCO has a narrow 20-18 lead in a series that started in 1983. The Bronchos have an 11-5 advantage since joining the MIAA in 2013.

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Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson: OF; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

#10 Allie Eicher: IF; 5' 7"; Junior; L/R

#28 Hazel Puempel: OF; 5' 9"; Senior; L/R

#4 Tarin Dubler: IF; 5' 7"; Junior; R/R

#13 Corrina Rivas: P; 5' 7"; Junior; R/R

#22 Kylee Lynch: P; 5' 8"; Freshman; L/R

#25 Amelya Huggins: IF/C; 5' 5"; Sophomore; R/R

#11 Shayla Harper: IF; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

#12 Jacee Minter: OF; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

#23 Taylor McKittrick: IF; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#10 Allie Eicher
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/R
: IF

#28 Hazel Puempel
: 5' 9"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#4 Tarin Dubler
: 5' 7"; Junior; R/R
: IF

#13 Corrina Rivas
: 5' 7"; Junior; R/R
: P

#22 Kylee Lynch
: 5' 8"; Freshman; L/R
: P

#25 Amelya Huggins
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF/C

#11 Shayla Harper
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF

#12 Jacee Minter
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#23 Taylor McKittrick
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: IF