Bronchos Travel to UNK, FHSU This Weekend

No. 20 UCO Enters Weekend Third in MIAA Standings

KEARNEY, Neb. – No. 20 Central Oklahoma opens an eight-game MIAA road swing this weekend when the Bronchos head north for a pair of doubleheaders.

UCO, 33-10 overall and 10-4 in the league, goes to Kearney, Nebraska Friday to meet Nebraska-Kearney (13-30, 2-12) before moving on to Hays, Kansas Saturday to take on Fort Hays State (18-25, 4-14). Game time both days is 2 p.m.

"I've been really impressed with how our team has attacked this week in preparation," head coach Sam Maples said. "Every pitch, every at bat and every opportunity to score matters. Their communication and adjustments this week have been great.

"I see them maturing in their approach at the plate and pitchers making strides in their game-plan towards hitters. I expect a great weekend of competition."

The Bronchos travel to No. 2 Pittsburg State and No. 11 Missouri Southern next weekend before finishing the regular season at home May 1 against Newman. The 10-team single-elimination MIAA Softball Championship is set for May 6-9 at Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia, Kansas.

UCO is third in the league standings at 10-4, trailing Pittsburg State (11-1) and Missouri Southern (9-3). The Bronchos went 2-2 last week, splitting a mid-week non-conference doubleheader at Southern Nazarene before doing the same at home against league rival Emporia State.

UCO is hitting .345 as a team and continues to lead Division II in doubles with 94 while ranking sixth in both runs batted in (272) and slugging percentage (.550). Five players are hitting above .370.

Junior Brooklyn Ryan leads the way at .391 and has at least one hit in 10 of the last 11 games. She leads the team in at bats (138), hits (54), sacrifice hits (10) and stolen bases (15). Senior Rylee Lemos is batting .380 and riding a seven-game hitting streak. The returning All-American tops the team in runs (49), triples (five), total bases (99) and on base percentage (.482) to go along with eight homers and 49 RBI.

Sophomore Jenna Jobe leads the nation in doubles with 19, which ranks sixth on UCO's single-season list. and also has 25 RBI. She went 7-for-10 with three doubles in four games last week. Sophomore Brooklyn Lyles has a .375 average with nine doubles and 22 RBI, while freshman Haley Gallo is hitting .373 with team highs in homers (10), RBI (50) and slugging percentage (.738).

Central features a 2.82 team earned run average behind the dynamic duo of junior Shelby Beard and freshman Carleigh Kinnaird, who have combined for 31 of the team's 33 wins.

Beard is 17-5, leading the MIAA and ranking 13th nationally in wins. She has a 2.67 ERA and has appeared in 28 games with 23 starts (seventh-best in DII), having struck out 101 batters in 118 innings. Kinnaird ranks second in the league and 18th nationally in strikeouts with 136. The newcomer is 14-3 with a 2.68 ERA in 120 innings and opponents are batting just .194 against her.

Lemos has already established herself as one of the school's all-time greats and currently ranks in the top 10 in 10 career categories at UCO. The All-American already holds all-time records for runs (238), triples (22) and longest hitting streak (20) and is tied for second in steals (74) and hit by pitch (37). Lemos also ranks fifth in doubles (55), sixth in at bats (733), seventh in RBI (150), eighth in games played (231) and hits (241) and 10th in homers (28).

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#13 Brooklyn Lyles: IF; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

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

#22 Haley Gallo: OF; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

#28 Carleigh Kinnaird: P; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

#1 Jenna Jobe: C/IF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R

Players Mentioned

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

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

#13 Brooklyn Lyles
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF

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

#22 Haley Gallo
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#28 Carleigh Kinnaird
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#1 Jenna Jobe
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R
: C/IF