OMAHA, Neb. – The Maverick softball team will travel to Fort Collins, Colo. this weekend to take part in the Colorado State Classic at Ram Field. UNO will open the tournament against Colorado State on Friday, March 6 at 4:45 p.m. (CT). On Saturday, March 7, the Mavericks will face Valparaiso at 10 a.m. (CT) and Colorado State at 2:30 p.m. (CT). Omaha will square-off against Drake at 10 a.m. (CT) and Valparaiso at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, March 8.
Around the Diamond
- Omaha's offense is driven by lead-off hitter Allie Mathewson. Mathewson leads the Mavs with a .366 batting average with five home runs and 11 RBI. She owns a .805 slugging percentage and has stolen six bases.
- Freshman Kelly Pattison has a .304 average this spring with a pair of homeruns and nine RBI.
- Campbell Ditto hit a grand slam last weekend against Georgetown.
- Ditto and Tonya Peterson have combined for six home runs and 16 RBI this season.
- 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.
- Hinrichs was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 16. This was the first award of her career.
Scouting Valparaiso
Valparaiso carries an overall record of 3-6 into this weekend's tournament. Valpo had a week off since the Woo Pig Classic in Fayetteville, Ark. was cancelled due to weather. The Crusaders went 1-3 at the Samford Invitational in Birmingham, Ala. two weeks ago. Valparaiso defeated Alabama State, but lost to Houston Baptist and twice to Samford. Last season, the Crusaders were the runner-ups in the Horizon League Championship tournament, falling to Green Bay.
Currently, the Crusaders have three players batting over .400 on the season. Jenna Stauffenberg leads the team with a .467 average with four runs scored and two RBI. Jorgi Stauffenberg is hitting at a .455 clip with four doubles and a home run. Mollie Linderman is the leader in the circle for Valpo. Linderman is 2-2 on the season in six appearances with a 4.53 ERA.
Valparaiso head coach, Kate Stake is in her first season as head coach and previously served eight season as an assistant coach at Hofstra.
Previewing Colorado State
The Colorado State Rams are 8-12 overall this season. Last weekend, the Rams competed in the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. where they went 2-3. CSU beat Texas-Arlington and Bryant, but lost to Arizona, UTEP, and Riverside.
Danielle Wikre provides the Rams with power. This season Wikre has hit six homers and leads the team with 18 RBI. She also has a .286 batting average. Haley David leads the team with a .324 batting average and eight stolen bases. Holly Reinke is the ace of the CSU staff. Reinke has a 4-8 record with a 5.51 ERA in 13 appearances. She also has struck out 39 batters.
Jen Fisher is in her fifth year at Colorado State and has posted a record of 94-106 at CSU and has a career coaching record of 219-142 after three years at Metro State.
Looking at Drake
Drake carries a 7-7 record into the Colorado State Classic this weekend. The Bulldogs went 1-2 at the Cowgirl Classic in St. Charles, La. last weekend with a win over Texas Tech and losses to McNeese State and Memphis.
Rebekah Schmidt leads Drake with a .350 average and six RBI. Drake's power comes from Hayley Nybo who has four home runs with 13 RBI with a .610slugging percentage. Nicole Newman owns a 4-2 record with a 2.68 ERA with 22 walks and 41 strikeouts. Rebekah Schmidt has a 3-5 record this season with 44 strikeouts and a 3.25 ERA.
Head coach Rich Calvert is in his 13th season and has a 330-322 record with the Bulldogs.
On Deck
Next weekend, the Mavericks travel to Lawrence, Kan. to partake in the Jayhawk Invitational. Omaha will play four games in three days. Included on the schedule are Idaho State, Saint Louis, Kansas City, and #25 Kansas.
