Softball 4/29/2022 8:59:00 AM

Bronchos Finish Regular Season On The Road

No. 4-ranked Central Oklahoma wraps up the regular season this weekend with back-to-back road Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association doubleheaders.

The Bronchos, 41-7 on the season and 20-2 in league play, go to Pittsburg, Kan. Saturday to take on Pittsburg State (22-25, 4-18) before moving on to Joplin, Mo. Sunday to face Missouri Southern (24-21, 12-10). Game-time is 1 p.m. both days.

UCO trails Washburn (22-2) in the conference standings in its bid for a third straight regular season title. The Ichabods, who have won 20 straight since dropping a doubleheader to the Bronchos on March 12, close the season Saturday at Emporia State.

"It's another big weekend for us," head coach Cody White said. "We want to finish the regular season on a positive note and we have a chance to win the conference so all four games are important.

"It will be tough, but our girls are looking forward to the challenge. Pitt State has a lot of weapons and can really swing it and Missouri Southern always has a tough team."

UCO will host the MIAA Postseason Tournament May 4-7 at Gerry Pinkston Stadium. Eight teams qualify for that double-elimination event, with the champion earning the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO will earn the No. 1 seed for the MIAA Postseason Tournament if the Bronchos finish the season tied with Washburn atop the league standings.

Central has reached the 40-win mark for the ninth time in school history, all of those having came in the last 18 years. Ninth-year head coach Cody White has led the Bronchos to six of those 40-win campaigns.

UCO continues to lead NCAA Division II in team fielding percentage at .983, with the team having committed just 23 errors in 48 games. The Bronchos are also eighth nationally in double plays with 23.

In other team statistical categories, UCO is sixth in won-loss percentage (.854), seventh in total runs (351) and ninth in on-base percentage (.429). The Bronchos are averaging 8.9 hits and 7.3 runs per game while hitting .339 as a team.

Eight players are batting at least .326, with five at .340 or better – Jacee Minter (.420), Amelya Huggins (.388), Tarin Dubler (.342), Shayleigh Odom (.340) and Korbyn Skipworth (.340).

Minter is tied for the Division II lead in doubles with 21 and is 10^th in runs batted in with 55. The sophomore standout is tied for third on the school single-season doubles list, three behind JoBi Heath's record of 24, and is 10th in RBIs.

Huggins has 12 doubles, nine home runs and 38 RBIs along with a school-record 39 walks. She ranks ninth nationally in walks per game (0.81) and her .538 on-base percentage leads the MIAA.

Dubler has knocked in 31 runs with six doubles, three triples and a homer and has just four errors from her second field position.

Odom has six doubles, four homers and 32 RBIs. Skipworth hit three of her four homers for the season last weekend as UCO won three of four games at Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State.

Shayla Harper ranks sixth nationally in triples with seven, two off the single-season school record of nine set by April Bradley in 1993. The junior third baseman is also fifth in single-season assists with 126, 28 behind the record of 154 set by Hannah Justus in 2012.

Senior Lexy Dobson continues to climb up the career charts in several school categories. She's now fourth in games played (233), fifth in at bats (721), sixth in hits (239) and seventh in both runs scored (135) and doubles (42).

Pitching has also been a season-long strength, with the Bronchos carrying a 2.26 team earned run average while allowing just 5.6 hits and 2.5 runs per game.

Kylee Lynch is enjoying a spectacular season, having put together a 22-1 record with three saves and 1.57 ERA in 31 appearances. The sophomore star has thrown 17 complete games with seven shutouts and walked just 20 batters in 156 innings.

Lynch is fourth nationally in wins, with her 22 victories ranking eighth on UCO's single-season list. She's already racked up 47 career wins, which is seventh on the school's all-time chart.

Bailey McKittrick has come on strong in the last month to solidify the staff. She's 4-0 with one save and an 0.79 ERA, having walked only three batters in 35 2/3 innings.

ABOUT THE GORILLAS: Pittsburg State enters the weekend with a seven-game losing streak and won't qualify for the MIAA Postseason Tournament.

The Gorillas possess one of the top offenses in the league, ranking second behind UCO in team batting average (.334) while averaging 9.2 hits and 6.3 runs a game. PSU gives up 9.2 hits and 6.3 runs a contest.

Taylor Lambert is batting a conference-high .468 with 11 doubles, six homers, 26 RBIs and 23 stolen bases to lead the way. Paxtyn Hayes (.392, 10 homers, 39 RBIs) and Kealah Griffith (.340, 13 homers, 40 RBIs) are also among the MIAA's top hitters.

Hannah Harrison is 11-7 with a 3.41 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 106 1/3 innings to top the pitching staff.

The Bronchos own a 22-18 lead in a series that started in 1983. UCO has a 13-5 advantage as MIAA rivals.

ABOUT THE LIONS: Missouri Southern hosts Newman for two games Saturday before welcoming UCO to town. The Lions are tied for sixth in the conference standings at 12-10.

MSSU is averaging 7.8 hits and 5.2 runs a game while hitting .295 as a team. The Lions allow 7.3 hits and 4.0 runs per game.

Yazmin Vargas sparks the offense with a .363 average eight doubles, five triples and 21 stolen bases. Ashley Williams (six homers, 44 RBIs) and Leighton Withers (.348, eight homers, 42 RBIs) also contribute.

Bailey Lacy (11-10, 2.94 ERA) and Kara Amos (11-9, 3.19 ERA) are the top pitchers.

The two teams first met in 1985 and UCO has a 30-7 series lead, including a 15-1 advantage in MIAA games.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#4 Tarin Dubler: IF; 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"; Junior; R/R

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

#6 Shayleigh Odom: OF; 5' 1"; Sophomore; L/R

#10 Korbyn Skipworth: UT; 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#6 Shayleigh Odom
: 5' 1"; Sophomore; L/R
: OF

#10 Korbyn Skipworth
: 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R
: UT