Softball 3/24/2022 9:42:00 AM

UCO Resumes League Schedule Friday

No. 19-ranked Central Oklahoma returns to Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play this weekend when the Bronchos host back-to-back doubleheaders at Gerry Pinkston Field.

UCO, 25-5 on the season and 4-0 in the league, takes on Northwest Missouri (6-21, 0-2) Friday in a 2 p.m. twinbill before meeting Missouri Western (11-13, 2-2) at noon Saturday.

The Bronchos played six non-conference games last week, going 4-2 with a pair of neutral-site losses to No. 16 Minnesota State-Mankato that dropped UCO 11 spots in this week's national poll.

"We had a couple of tough losses last weekend," head coach Cody White said. "Hopefully we learned something from that and can use it to make us better moving forward. Every conference game is important and we need to protect our home field this weekend."

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: The defending conference champion Bronchos are 15-0 at home this season, including a four-game sweep of Emporia State and Washburn two weeks ago to open MIAA play.

UCO continues to thrive at the plate, averaging 8.7 hits and 6.9 runs a game while batting .340 as a team.

Sophomore Jacee Minter paces the Bronchos with a sizzling .457 average that includes 14 doubles, six home runs and 39 runs batted in. She ranks in the top 10 nationally in four offensive categories – RBI (fourth), doubles (fifth), total bases (sixth with 79) and hits (10th with 43).

Junior Amelya Huggins is batting .412 with a team-high seven homers, seven doubles and 22 RBI. She also tops UCO in walks (28) and on-base percentage (.577), ranking ninth nationally in walks per game (0.93).

Senior Lexy Dobson has a .367 average with six double and 17 RBI, while senior Brighton Gilbert is hitting .344 with a team-best nine stolen bases.

Dobson continues to climb up the career charts in several school categories. She's now sixth in hits (224), seventh in doubles (39), at bats (665) and games played (215) and ninth in runs scored (121). Dobson also needs one RBI to reach 100 for her career.

Central has a team earned run average of 2.48 while giving up 5.5 hits and 2.7 runs per game.

Sophomore Kylee Lynch has been the workhorse, having appeared in 18 games with 15 starts. She's 13-0 with a 1.79 ERA and has walked just 12 batters in 90 innings.

Lynch ranks third nationally in wins and ninth in games started. She's now 38-10 for her career.

Sophomore Isie Cox has stepped into a starting role the last two weeks and is 6-3 with a 3.45 ERA. Junior Bailey McKittrick has given UCO a big boost with an earlier-than-expected return from off-season surgery and has an 0.55 ERA in 12 2/3 innings.

Freshman Terin Ritz (6-2, 3.61 ERA) is expected to miss the remainder of the season with injury.

Stout defense has also been a key for the Bronchos this season. UCO has committed just 18 errors in 30 games and ranks seventh nationally in fielding percentage (.978).

ABOUT THE BEARCATS: Northwest Missouri is hitting .273 as a team while averaging 7.3 hits and 3.9 runs a game. The Bearcats give up 10.3 hits and 7.7 runs per contest.

Skylar Pieper (.360) and Jacee Winn (.350) pace the offense, while Breck Dickey (3-7, 6.64 ERA) is the top pitcher.

UCO and NWMSU first met in 1984 and the Bronchos own a big 37-11 series advantage, having won the last seven meetings.

ABOUT THE GRIFFONS: Missouri Western will play a doubleheader at Newman Friday before coming to Edmond.

The Griffons average 6.8 hits and 4.4 runs a game behind a .263 team batting average. MWSU gives up 7.6 hits and 4.1 runs per contest.

Emma Hoffart (.342, six homers, 23 RBI) and Chloe Armstrong (.333) lead the offense. Natalie Kissinger (5-6, 3.15) and Sydney Rader (6-5, 4.61) are the main pitchers.

Central has a slim 21-19 lead in a series that started in 1984. The Bronchos are 13-11 vs. MWSU since joining the MIAA and has won six of the last seven meetings.

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Players Mentioned

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

#5 Brighton Gilbert: IF; 5' 5"; Junior; L/R

#27 Bailey McKittrick: P; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

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

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

#14 Isie Cox: P/UT; 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/L

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

#99 Terin Ritz: P/1B; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

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

#5 Brighton Gilbert
: 5' 5"; Junior; L/R
: IF

#27 Bailey McKittrick
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

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

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

#14 Isie Cox
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/L
: P/UT

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

#99 Terin Ritz
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: P/1B