OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha softball team returns to action this week, facing Nebraska in a single game match-up, Mach 11, at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. First pitch on Wednesday is set for 5 p.m., and links to live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Leading off for Omaha
- The Mavericks are currently on a 23-game road stretch to start the season.
- Lia Mancuso is currently on a six-game hitting streak and has seen her average rise to .333, which leads the team. Mancuso is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts.
- Freshman Kelly Pattison has a .324 average this spring with a pair of homeruns and 11 RBI. Pattison currently has a four-game hitting streak and has reached base in five straight games.
- Omaha's lead-off hitter Allie Mathewson owns a .322 batting average and leads the team with five home runs and is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs. Mathewson has a team-best .644 slugging percentage with seven stolen bases.
- Senior Tonya Peterson has a .304 average with three homeruns and is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs. She has reached base in five straight games.
- Campbell Ditto her second career grand slam against Georgetown on February 27. Ditto has hit four long balls this season and has 11 RBIs.
- Kat Barrow and Jaylee Hinrichs each own a 3-2 record on the season. The duo have combined for 42 strikeouts and only 21 walks.
- Senior pitcher Carly Nielsen picked up her first career win and save at the Colorado State Classic.
- Sophomore pitcher Lizzie Noble earned her first win of the season against Valparaiso last weekend.
- Hinrichs was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 16. This was the first award of her career.
About the Mavericks
Omaha concluded its fourth weekend of the 2015 season by tacking on three more victories at the Colorado State Classic over the weekend. The Mavericks currently possess a 9-9 mark on the season.
Four Mavericks are hitting above .300 with sophomore Lia Mancuso leading the way with a .333 average. Mancuso is currently riding a six game hitting streak and is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts this season. Senior outfielder Allie Mathewson leads the squad with five homeruns and is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs. Mathewson is 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts. Tonya Peterson is hitting .304 this year and is tied with Mathewson for the team high with 14 RBIs. Campbell Ditto has four homeruns, second-most on the roster.
Freshman pitcher Jaylee Hinrichs leads the team with a 4-2 record with a 4.30 ERA. Hinrichs has struck-out a team high 27 batters. Opponents are batting .221 against the freshman. Senior Kat Barrow owns a 3-2 mark this season with a team-low 3.03 ERA and has 23 strike outs. Carly Nielsen has a 1-2 record with one save and a 4.74 ERA.
As a team, the Mavericks are hitting .248 with 14 doubles, 19 homeruns and 84 RBIs. Omaha has a .418 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .337. UNO is 25-for-26 in stolen base attempts and has drawn a total of 51 walks, averaging 2.8 per game. In the circle, the Maverick pitching staff has posted a 4.46 ERA in 113 innings of work while striking out 67 and allowing 45 walks.
In Depth with the Huskers
Nebraska is 8-11 this season after splitting four games at the Shocker Invitational last weekend. The Huskers swept a pair of games with South Dakota, but lost twice to the host Shockers. This will be the first home game of the season for the Huskers after 19 straight contests away from Bowlin Stadium. Last season, NU advanced the NCAA Super Regionals before being eliminated by Alabama.
Nebraska has three players hitting over .400 on the season. Kiki Stokes is leading the offensive charge with a batting average of .439, registering 25 hits, six home runs and 18 RBIs. Pitcher Cassie McClure holds a 4-2 record in the circle with a 3.44 ERA. McClure is also second on the team with a .429 batting average with two home runs and 13 RBIs.
Series History
Wednesday's game marks the 43rd all-time meeting between the instate programs. Omaha owns a 22-20 all-time record against Nebraska with the series dating back to 1971. Last season, the two schools split a pair of games with each school winning on the road.
On Deck
Next up for the Mavericks is the Jayhawk Invitational in Lawrence, Kan. Omaha will open with Idaho State on March 13 at 6 p.m. The Mavericks will play a pair of games on March 14 against Saint Louis at 4:30 p.m., followed by Kansas City at 7 p.m. Omaha wraps up tournament play on March 15 against tournament host and 25th rated Kansas.
Hinrichs Named Summit League Pitcher of the Week
Freshman pitcher Jaylee Hinrichs was named the Summit League's Pitcher of the Week following her performance Feb. 9-15, the league office announced Monday.
This is the first player of the week award in Hinrichs' career and comes after her performance at the Eagle Challenge in Apex, N.C. over the weekend. Hinrichs pitched two complete games against North Carolina Central and Virginia on her way to a perfect 2-0 record. She gave up only two hits and struck out nine in a 7-1 victory of North Carolina Central Friday. For the week, she totaled 15 strikeouts while only allowing three earned runs for an ERA of 1.50.
