LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Throughout the 2016 softball season, the NFCA will feature some of the sport’s highest-profile contests in our “Featured Five” Games of the Week.
Each weekly installment will be released on Thursday, providing live stat links, game notes, team info, social media accounts and any available broadcast links in hopes of becoming another reason for fans to visit us during the season for information on some of collegiate softball’s best games.
As the year continues, we will attempt to expand our focus to include matchups throughout as many divisions as possible. This week’s featured games come from NCAA Division I, II and III.
We may not be able to highlight every division or big game each week, but our hope is to provide a spotlight for as many different teams and games as possible throughout 2016.
Make sure you follow the NFCA on our social media (NFCAorg) through Twitter (Periscope), Instagram and on Facebook and let us know what you think of our “Featured Five” segment.
DI – No. 2 Michigan vs. RV Oregon State
March 5 | 9:30 a.m. PT | Judi Garman Classic | Fullerton, Calif. (All Times PT) | Tournament Central | Live Video ($)
#2
13-2
Big Ten
Statistics | Game Notes | Live Stats
* Currently 5-1 on its 11-game California swing with victories over No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 13 UCLA; Lone loss was to No. 9 Washington
* Batted a robust .360 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with 11 home runs, a .654 slugging percentage and .437 on-base percentage
*Came into the week ranked fourth nationally at 1.71 homers per game
* Tera Blanco leads the squad with a .487 average, three doubles, 19 hits and a .565 OBP; Sierra Romero (.439) paces the squad with six homers, 27 RBI, 22 runs and a .924 slugging percentage
*Sara Driesenga is 8-0 with a 2.82 ERA in 44.2 innings; Megan Betsa is 5-1 with a 3.32 ERA, 60 strikeouts and a .182 batting average against
RV
14-2
Pac-12
Statistics | Preview
* Head coach Laura Berg was recently named the head coach of the 2017 Junior Women’s National Team
* 14-2 start is matched only in program history by the 2006 WCWS team, which started 28-2
* Natalie Hampton has the nation’s and Pac-12’s No. 2 RBI (29) total and is batting .434 with four home run
* McKenna Arriola leads the squad iwht a .517 average, 30 hits and a .554 OBP
*Offensively, the Beavers are batting .397 with 39 doubles, a .471 on-base percentage, .594 slugging percentage and 30 stolen bases
DI – No. 20 Minnesota at No. 9 Georgia
March 5-6 | 2:30 ET (Both Days) | 13th Annual Georgia Softball Classic | Athens, Ga.
#20
10-4
Big Ten
Statistics
* Head coach Jessica Allistar earned her 200th career win following a 5-3 win over Houston on Feb. 27
* The Gophers are coming off a 5-0 weekend at the Diamond Devels Tournament in Tempe, Ariz.
* It included a 10-1 win over host No. 19 Arizona State
* Sam Macken is hitting .412 with 21 hits, 11 doubles, three home runs, 13 RBI, 10 runs scored and a .804 slugging percentage
* Maddie Houlihan (.314) has a team-high four long balls with 12 RBI and 11 runs scored
* Two-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Sar Groenewegen is 7-2 witha 1.93 ERA, two shutouts, 84 strikeouts and 11 walks in 58 innings of work; She has recorded seven complete games and held opponents to a .188 average
RV
13-1
Pac-12
Statistics | Game Notes | Tournament Central
* Head over to the tournament central page to view live stats and which games are on SECN+
* Finished 4-1 at the Mary Nutter with victories over LIU Brooklyn, Cal State Fullerton, Northwestern adn San Jose State; Suffered first loss of season to then No. 11 UCLA
* Maeve McGuire hits .643 with nine hits and five runs in California; McGuire is hitting a team-high .500 with 20 hits, five doubles, nine RBI and 14 runs scored
* The Bulldogs are hitting .411 as a team and posting a .524 OBP
* Four more Bulldogs are batting between .435 and .487; Cortni Emanuel has scored a team-high 20 runs, while Kaylee Puailoa has a team best seven doubles, three home runs and 24 RBI
* Chelsea Wilkerson is 7-0 with a 2.60 ERA, two shutouts, 40 strikeouts and a .191 opponent’s batting average in 35 innings
DI – #3 Other Notable Judi Garman Classic Contests
March 3-6 – Judi Garman Classic | Fullerton, Calif. (All Times PT) | Tournament Central | Live Video ($)
March 3
10:00 a.m. – No. 19 Arizona State (14-2) vs. RV Long Beach State (8-6)
10:30 a.m. – No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 18 Missouri (9-2) | Field 1
1:00 – RV Long Beach State vs. No. 2 Michigan | Field 1
March 4
9:30 a.m. – No. 2 Michigan vs. RV California (9-4) | Field 1 | Live Stats
2:30 – RV California vs. No. 18 Missouri | Field 1 | Live Stats
5:30 – No. 24 Baylor (11-3) vs. RV Oregon State | Field 2 | Audio (Baylor)
March 5
2:30 – No. 22 Fresno State (12-3) vs. No. 24 Baylor | Field 1 | Audio (Baylor)
5:30 – No. 18 Missouri vs. No. 19 Arizona State| Field 2 | Live Stats
8:00 – No. 18 Missouri vs. No. 24 Baylor | Field 2 | Audio (Baylor) | Live Stats
Other Notable Division I Games
March 5
12:00 (ET) – RV South Alabama (8-6) at No. 1 Florida (16-0) | Aquafina Invitational | Live Stats | Live Audio
3:45 (PT) – No. 7 Oregon (12-4) vs. RV Florida Atlantic (11-1) | Alexis Park Resort Classic | Las Vegas | Live Stats
3:45 (PT) – RV Kent State (12-3) at No. 8 Washington (12-3) | LiveStats
March 6
1:00 (PT) – No. 12 Florida State (13-3) vs. No. 13 UCLA (9-6) | Stacy Winsberg Tournament | Northridge, Calif. | Audio
1:30 (PT) – RV Kent State (12-3) at No. 8 Washington (12-3) | Live Audio | LiveStats
5:00 (PT) – No. 10 James Madison (12-1) at No. 15 Arizona (11-5) | Wildcat Invitational | Live Stats | Video
DIII – No. 15 West Virginia Wesleyan at No. 11 Saint Leo
March 3 | 4 & 6:30 ET |University Softball Stadium | Saint Leo, Fla.
#14
8-0
Mountain East
Statistics
* Head Coach Steve Warner earned his 900th victory on Feb. 29 (903-330-1)
* Posted six shutouts, including last four games
* Owns win over then-No. 5 UMSL (2-1 in 8 inn.)
* Anna Eggleston (3-0, 18 K, 0 R, 10 H, 22 IP) and Sayaka Foley (2-0, 19 K, 1 BB, 1 R, 17 IP) have not allowed an earned run, while the entire staff has a 0.37 ERA
* Eggleston is also batting . 407 with 11 hits, two doubles and team-high seven RBI; Tori Pogue leads the squad with a team-best .500 average, 12 hits and seven runs scored
#11
12-0
Sunshine State
Statistics | Live stats |Video
* No. 11 ranking is highest in program history
* Posted shutouts in eight of last 10 games and allowed just one run in the last 37 innings
* A trio of pitchers has recorded a 0.27 (all 0.32 or less) ERA with 89 strikeouts and 15 walks; Each hurler has surrendered two runs, one earned
* Stephanie Adkins (5-0 0.21 ERA) has allowed 12 hits and struck out 45 in 33 innings; Samantha Tyler (3-0 0.30)
* The Lions are hitting .395 with a .449 OBP and .545 slugging percentage
* Brooke Samios-Uy (.447) leads the squad with three triples and 20 RBI; Sommer Pollard has a team-high .571 average with 16 hits, eigh RBI and 11 runs scored, while Rachael Heath is hitting .516 with 16 hits and a team-high 14 RBI
Other Notable Division DII Games
March 5-6
2 & 4:00 (CT) / 1:00 (CT) – RV West Florida (18-4) at No. 6 North Alabama (21-4) | Live Stats | Video (3/5 only)
March 5
12 & 2:00 (PT) | Concordia (Calif.) (21-2) at No. 9 California Baptist (15-3) | Live Stats & Video
1 & 3:00 (ET) | No. 17 Catawba (12-5) at RV Young Harris (13-5) | Live Stats
DIII – No. 18 Lake Forest at No. 4 Emory
March 6 | 12 & 2:00 ET |Emory Softball Field | Atlanta, Ga.
#18
0-0
Midwest Conference
* The Foresters posted a school-best 35 victories and the highest winning percentage (.761) in program history last season, reaching the NCAA Super Regionals
* Lake Forest set single-season team marks for hits (416), runs (289), RBIs (258), total bases (645), doubles (74) and walks drawn (161) on offense
* In the circle, the Forester pitching staff set team records for strikeouts (308) and saves (five), including 304 by the returning tandem of senior Jessi Werner (192) and junior Jenny McTague (112)
* Senior first baseman Sally Snarski powered a balanced offense a year ago, with a .400 average, nine doubles, eight homers, 34 walks and 37 RBI
*Fellow seniors Alex Hemmer (.363, 11 doubles, three triples, four homers, 38 RBI) and Kaleigh Ambrose (.304, eight doubles, nine homers), and sophomore Sydney Gardner (.364, two doubles, triples and homers, nine steals) also return
#4
9-1
University Athletic Association
Statistics | Live Stats | Live Video
* The Eagles won three of four games last weekend at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic to improve to 9-1 and surge 14 places into a fourth-place tie with three-time defending national champion Tufts in the latest NFCA Top 25
* Emory already has three wins over ranked opponents this season, with the lone loss by one run last Sunday against NCAA Championship participant Salisbury
* The opposition has hit just .181 against the Eagles’ quintet of pitchers, led by junior Brittany File (7-1, 59K in 41.1 innings)
* Five regulars in Emory’s lineup are hitting .435 or better, with three batting .500 or higher
* Freshman Cassie Baca (.542, 13 hits and 14 runs) headlines a loaded lineup where four players already have drove in 10 or more runs, including 14 each by junior Taylor Forte and senior Melody Carter
Other Notable Division DIII Games
March 4
1 & 3:00 CT – No. 6 East Texas Baptist (5-1) at Howard Payne (7-7)| LIVE STATS
3 & 5:00 ET – Eastern Mennonite (0-0) at No. 2 Christopher Newport (8-0) | LIVE STATS
3 & 5:00 CT – No. 1 Texas-Tyler (8-2) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (4-8) | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
March 5
9:00 a.m. ET – No. 3 Washington (Mo.) (4-0) vs. Bethany (W. Va.) (0-0) LIVE STATS
12:00 CT – No. 6 East Texas Baptist at Howard Payne | LIVE STATS
1:00 CT – No. 1 Texas-Tyler at Mary Hardin-Baylor | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO