UCO Heads To Missouri For Two MIAA Doubleheaders

Bronchos Play At Central Missouri, At Lincoln This Weekend

No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma hits the road this weekend, traveling to Missouri for a pair of Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association doubleheaders.

The Bronchos, 30-6 on the season and 10-0 in league play, go to Warrensburg, Mo. Friday for a 1 p.m. twinbill against Central Missouri (17-18, 6-8) before moving on to Jefferson City, Mo. Saturday to take on Lincoln (10-22, 2-12) in a noon doubleheader.

UCO has won 23 games in a row, the second-longest winning streak in school history. The Bronchos won 35 straight in 2012 on their way to a 46-9 record and berth in the Division II World Series.

"It's hard any time you go on the road in this conference and this weekend is no exception," head coach Cody White said. "We've played really well the last six weeks, but there's still a lot of room for improvement and that's what we have to focus on."

Pitcher/first baseman Terin Ritz has been UCO's ringleader, both at the plate and in the pitching circle.

The junior standout leads the team with a .413 average and tops the MIAA in home runs (14) and slugging percentage (.923) while ranking second in runs batted in (46). She's also drawn 20 walks and has a team-best .512 on-base percentage.

Ritz takes a 14-game winning streak in the circle into the weekend. She's 15-2 with a 1.27 earned run average, having struck out 60 batters and walked just 19 in 105 innings.

Four other players are batting above .350 – sophomore outfielder Rylee Lemos (.412), sophomore second baseman Rylee Anglen (.370), junior third baseman McKenna Johnson (.366) and sophomore shortstop Emily Deramus (.357).

Lemos leads the team in runs (46), hits (49), triples (five) and stolen bases (19) and had a school-record 20-game hitting streak ended in UCO's last game, a 2-0 non-conference win over Southeastern Oklahoma Tuesday.

Deramus pinch-hit in both games against SOSU in her return to action after missing two weeks to injury and is expected to return to the lineup this weekend.

Junior Jordyn Pipkin compliments Ritz in the circle, having compiled an 11-3 record and 2.42 ERA. She's thrown two straight shutouts, giving her four for the season, and has walked only 24 batters in 84 innings.

UCO returns to Edmond next weekend to finish the regular season home schedule with back-to-back doubleheaders against No. 3 Rogers State and Northeastern State.

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Players Mentioned

#9 Rylee Anglen: IF; 5' 3"; Sophomore; L/R

#5 Emily Deramus: IF; 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R

#8 Rylee Lemos: OF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R

#15 Jordyn Pipkin: P; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

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

#22 McKenna Johnson: IF; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#9 Rylee Anglen
: 5' 3"; Sophomore; L/R
: IF

#5 Emily Deramus
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF

#8 Rylee Lemos
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R
: OF

#15 Jordyn Pipkin
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: P

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

#22 McKenna Johnson
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: IF