No. 10 UCO Hosts Sixth-ranked Rogers State, NSU This Weekend

Bronchos Face Hillcats Friday and RiverHawks Saturday at Gerry Pinkston Stadium

No. 10-ranked Central Oklahoma returns from a lengthy layoff this weekend to host a pair of intrastate MIAA rivals for back-to-back doubleheaders at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.

The Bronchos, 21-4 on the season and 3-1 in the league, haven't played since March 8. UCO takes on No. 6 Rogers State (22-5, 6-2) in a top-10 showdown Friday at 2 p.m. before meeting Northeastern State (9-19, 3-5) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"We were tired and a little beat up after played 25 games in the first five weeks of the season so it was good to take a little break," head coach Cody White said. "We were able to get some rest and then got back to work ready to get into the heart of the conference schedule.

"It should be a fun weekend playing two state rivals. Rogers has a great team and will be a big test for us and we always have tough battles with NSU. We just need to stay focused on ourselves and playing like we're capable of in all phases."

White enters the weekend with a 467-164 record in his 12th year at the helm and is closing in on Genny Stidham's school record of 475 wins. Stidham went 475-289-2 in 16 years (1998-13), leading the Bronchos to the 2013 Division II national championship.

UCO AT THE PLATE: The Bronchos are batting .335 as a team while averaging 8.4 hits and 6.9 runs per game.

UCO ranks in the top 20 nationally in five offensive categories – 11th in on-base percentage (.433), 14th in slugging percentage (.548), 16th in scoring (6.9 runs/game), 16th in runs batted in per game (6.2) and 19th in home runs (24).

Junior outfielder Rylee Lemos is the offensive catalyst. The left-handed lead-off hitter tops the team in average (.486), at bats (74), runs (37), hits (36), doubles (nine), homers (eight), walks (14), hit by pitch (six), total bases (73), slugging percentage (.986), on-base percentage (.596) and stolen bases (nine).

Lemos ranks third in Division II in runs per game (1.48) and is also sixth in slugging percentage, nine in total runs, 11th in total bases and on-base percentage and 17th in homers. She's had 11 multi-hit games, including a pair of 4-for-4 outings.

Junior catcher Kennedy Clark (.420) and senior pitcher/first baseman Terin Ritz (.412) are also above the .400 mark.

Clark has five doubles and 23 RBI, while Ritz has seven doubles, six homers and a team-high 33 RBI. She ranks 15th nationally in total RBI and 18th in RBI per game (1.32).

Three other players have .300-plus averages – junior Rylee Anglen (.342, three doubles, 14 RBI), sophomore Brooklyn Ryan (.308, two doubles, two homers) and junior Emily Deramus (.304, seven doubles, four homers, 28 RBI). Deramus ranks fifth in the nation in sacrifice flies with four.

UCO IN THE CIRCLE: The Bronchos have used six pitchers this year and feature a 2.26 team earned run average. UCO is giving up just 5.2 hits and 2.8 runs per game.

Sophomore Shelby Beard along with seniors Sydney Ward and Terin Ritz have done the bulk of the work in the circle this season.

Beard is 10-1 with a paltry 1.18 ERA. She's thrown a team-high 47.1 innings in 11 games with eight starts, having allowed just 31 hits while racking up 48 strikeouts.

Ward is 5-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 46.2 innings. She's also appeared in 11 games and has four complete games in seven starts with three shutouts, which ranks 18th nationally. Ward has struck out 49 and walked just six.

Ritz is 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA in eight games, all starts. She's walked only seven and fanned 34 in 44.1 innings.

RECORD BOOK LOOK: Terin Ritz is ranked in UCO's career top 10 in six categories, four pitching and two hitting.

The two-time All-American is sixth in wins (58), seventh in innings pitched (445), tied for eighth in strikeouts (278) and ninth in shutouts (13). Ritz is also fifth in homers (41) and sixth in RBI (167).

Rylee Lemos now ranks fifth in stolen bases (51) and is tied for fifth in triples (11). The junior also ranks seventh in runs (155).

Emily Deramus has moved into a tie for ninth in doubles (42).

ABOUT THE HILLCATS: No. 6-ranked Rogers State swept a non-conference road doubleheader from No. 18 Oklahoma Chrisitan Tuesday and is now 22-5 overall and 6-2 in the league.

The Hillcats average 9.1 hits and 6.3 runs a game behind a .324 team average. RSU has a 3.27 team ERA while allowing 5.9 hits and 2.8 runs per contest.

Abbey Rogers leads the offense with a .518 average, 11 doubles, six homers and 31 RBI. Kaylee Lynn is hitting .457 with 11 doubles, eight homers and 21 RBI.

Harley Culie paces the pitching staff with a 10-1 record and two saves. She has a 3.46 ERA and has 74 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. Jade Sanders is 7-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 75.2 innings.

UCO owns a 15-7 lead in the series.

ABOUT THE RIVERHAWKS: NSU dropped a home non-conference doubleheader to Arkansas Tech Tuesday to fall to 9-19 overall. The RiverHawks are 3-5 in MIAA play.

Maddie Messenger is hitting .358 with seven doubles, four homers and 19 RBI to spearhead the offense. Madison Heinle has a .342 average with four doubles, three homers and 16 RBI.

Gracie Turner leads the pitching staff with a 4-3 record and 4.03 ERA.

NSU is hitting .277 as a team while averaging 7.0 hits and 4.5 runs a game. The RiverHawks give up 8.1 hits and 5.7 runs behind a 5.50 team ERA.

The Bronchos own a big 90-58 lead in a series that started in 1976 and has won eight of the last nine meetings.

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Players Mentioned

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

#11 Shelby Beard: P; 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R

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

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

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

#7 Brooklyn Ryan: OF; 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#13 Sydney Ward: P; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#14 Kennedy Clark: C/1B; 5' 7"; Junior; L/L

Players Mentioned

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

#11 Shelby Beard
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

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

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

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

#7 Brooklyn Ryan
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#13 Sydney Ward
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: P

#14 Kennedy Clark
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/L
: C/1B