Softball | 3/5/2010 1:41:34 PM
What's happening…
Great Northwest Athletic Conference co-favorites collide in Monmouth this week as Western Oregon and Montana State Billings go head-to-head for a pair of doubleheaders, Mar. 6-7. The four-game series will get underway Saturday at noon and conclude Sunday, the first pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
A look at Western Oregon…
Western Oregon is 2-3 on the season, 1-3 in the GNAC and 1-0 at home. After opening the season with a 1-0 win over Corban, the Wolves went to Central Washington and dropped three of four games in their GNAC opening series.
WOU is averaging 3.4 runs per game while giving up 5.4 runs. Wolves' batters are hitting .281 on the season and have already racked up 15 extra base hits (four homers, 11 doubles). Rueck lead the team in batting average (.533), on-base percentage (.588) and slugging (.933). Leadoff batter
Tyler Sutherland is hitting .438 with a .500 on-base percentage. She and
Andrea Bailey have also posted four stolen bases to tie for the team lead.
Tierra-Lyn Cuba (.385) and
Ellen Bogardus (.300) are the other Wolves hitting .300 or better.
Western Oregon returned 14 letterwinners, five of which earned all-conference honors from last year's team. Highlighting the returners is 2010 GNAC Player of the Year and Daktronics All-American selection
Tyler Sutherland, who will once again be at the top of the order. First team selections
Jessica Hallmark and
Amanda Fleer will be back to fill out the middle of the order along with second team selection
Bailey Rueck. Fellow second team selection
Jessica Wood returns to lead the pitching staff.
A look at Montana State Billings…
The Yellowjackets are 5-4 on the season and are tied for first in the GNAC standings with a 3-1 record. Last week, they went on the road and took the first two games of the series against Western Washington, and then split the doubleheader on getaway day.
Kaycee Hoffman leads the team with a .458 batting average and seven RBI. She also has two home runs and 19 total bases. Bobbie Lee (.318) and Whitney Whittemore (.308) are the only other starters hitting over .300 for MSU Billings. Lindsey Trenary is 3-0 this season and leads the GNAC with a 0.65 ERA. Katie Conder is the returning GNAC Freshman of the Year after posting a 16-4 record and a 1.52 ERA. This year she is 2-4 with a 4.20 ERA.
Preseason Poll…
Defending champion Montana State Billings and Western Oregon, which won the 2008 league title and reached the West Regional championship game, are co-favorites to win the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball title. Both teams received 31 points in the GNAC Coaches preseason poll, though the Yellowjackets did receive three first-place votes compared to two by the Wolves.
GNAC preseason coaches poll…
Team (first place votes) 2009 Records Pts
1. Montana State Billings (3) 39-17, 30-10 31
Western Oregon (2) 23-23, 20-15 31
3. Central Washington (1) 33-20, 29-11 26
4. Western Washington 20-26, 16-20 18
5. Saint Martin's 16-37, 14-25 12
6. Northwest Nazarene 9-44, 5-38 8
