Softball 4/9/2026 8:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Hosts Emporia State Friday In MIAA Doubleheader

Central Oklahoma Looks To Extend League Winning Streak

EDMOND – No. 18 Central Oklahoma returns to Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association action Friday when the Bronchos host Emporia State for an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.

Game time was moved up three hours in anticipation of rain hitting the Edmond area late Friday afternoon.

UCO is 32-9 on the season and 9-3 in league play, while the Hornets from Emporia, Kansas are 22-13 and 8-6. The Bronchos are third and ESU sixth in the MIAA standings with three weeks left in the regular season.

"This will be a big doubleheader for us on Friday," head coach Sam Maples said. "Emporia has a really good team with a lof of offensive weapons and steady arms in the circle. We'll look to continue doing what we do well as a team and come out ready to play hard for each other."

Central is back home next Tuesday to host No. 12 Oklahoma Christian for a 5 p.m. non-conference single game before embarking on an eight-game conference road trip. The Bronchos end the regular season at home May 1 against Newman.

UCO has won seven of its last eight games and has eclipsed the 30-win mark for the 14th straight year, not counting the abruptly shortened 2020 campaign.

Maples registered her 200th career win last week, including her fourth consecutive 30-win season. She went 170-117 in six years at Oklahoma Baptist before coming to UCO and is now 302-126 overall.

The Bronchos are batting .344 as a team and have seven regulars hitting .325 or better.

Junior Brooklyn Ryan leads the way with a .382 average that includes 10 doubles, three home runs, 19 runs batted in and a team-high 15 stolen bases. She's hit safely in eight of the last nine games.

Haley Gallo is enjoying one of the best freshman seasons in school history. She's had 14 multi-RBI games already and is batting .375 with 13 doubles along with team highs in homers (10) and RBIs (50).

Senior All-American Rylee Lemos is at .374 with 13 doubles, seven homers and 45 RBIs. She leads the team in runs (47), triples (five), on-base percentage (.478) and slugging percentage (.750).

Brooklyn Lyles also has a .374 average and has nine hits in her last 16 at bats. The sophomore has nine doubles and 20 RBIs on the season.

Sophomore Jenna Jobe is batting .360 with a league-leading 18 doubles – which is tied for eighth on the school's single-season list – and 23 RBIs. Senior Sherri Mason (.347, 20 RBIs) and senior Kennedy Clark (.325, 39 RBIs) round out UCO's .325-plus hitters.

The Bronchos have a 2.92 team earned run average behind the dynamic duo of junior Shelby Beard and freshman Carleigh Kinnaird. That twosome has combined for 30 of the UCO's 32 wins and 226 of the team's 261 innings, having thrown 113 apiece.

Beard tops the MIAA in wins (16) with a 16-5 record and has a 2.79 ERA with 99 strikeouts. Kinnaird also has a 2.79 ERA and 131 strikeouts, with opponents hitting just .194 against her.

Emporia State features a trio of offensive standouts and one of the league's top pitchers.

Addison Callaway has a .397 average with nine doubles and 19 RBIs, while Brooke Flewelling is hitting .378 with a MIAA-best 14 homers and 38 RBIs and Taryn Burkhardt is at .368 with 25 steals.

Hannah Butterbaugh tops the pitching staff with a 10-4 record and tidy 1.60 ERA in 96 innings. The Hornets have three other pitchers who have thrown at least 37 innings.

UCO owns a 50-30 lead in the series with Emporia that started in 1984.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#21 Sherri Mason: UT; 5' 4"; Senior; 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

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

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

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

#21 Sherri Mason
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: UT

#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