Leading Off
The 10-6 Omaha softball team heads back to Arizona to compete in the ASU Invitational. The Mavericks are slated for five games in a three-day stretch from March 1 through March 3. 

Weekend Schedule
Friday
vs. North Florida at 10 a.m.
vs. James Madison at 3 p.m.

Saturday
vs. James Madison at 3 a.m.
vs. Arizona State at 8 p.m.

Sunday
vs. UC San Diego at 11:30 a.m.

Quick Hits
    -  The Mavericks went 4-1 last weened at the Lion Invitational, bringing their overall record to 10-6 on the 2024 campaign. 
    - Sydney Ross was tabbed as the Summit League Peak Performer after her standout performance last weekend. Ross batted a .692, scoring six runs and recording eight RBIs. On the field, she maintains a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage after making 27 putouts with zero errors. 
    - Ross leads the team in batting average (.417), runs scored (13), RBIs (18), and doubles (5). 
    - Maggie O'Brien leads the team with 18 hits and two stolen bases.
    - On the mound, Kamryn Meyer has a team-high 51 strikeouts.
    - In the national rankings, as a team, Omaha ranks 32nd for double plays per game, averaging 0.50. The Maverick's .971 fielding percentage ranks them 61st in the nation and the four shutouts rank them 20th nationally among 131 other D1 programs. 
    - With 22 doubles and 0.31 triples per game, the Mavericks rank 47 and 46th respectively nationally. 
    - In the circle, Meyer's 51 strikeouts ranks her 18th among all D1 pitchers. 
    - Ross who has caught a runner stealing five times, ranks 13 among 70 ranked. And her .511 RBIs per game ranks her 27th nationally. 
    
• The Omaha softball team enters the 2024 season as the defending Summit League Tournament Champions. In the Summit League Championship the Mavericks best SDSU 1-0. With the program's first-ever D1 Championship title, they earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. In the Baton Rouge Regionals, they beat Prairie View A&M, marking the school's first-ever win in an NCAA game by a female program.

• The Mavericks were tabbed second in the 2024 Summit League Preseason Poll with three first-place votes. Omaha finished 33-17 overall last season and 15-5 in conference play.

• Meyer returns to the circle for Omaha and was named a Preseason Athlete to Watch. Meyer was named to last season's All-Summit League First Team, All-Tournament Team and Summit League Tournament MVP leading the league in ERA (1.26) and strikeouts (283). Last season she became the Mavericks' all-time leader in strikeouts and is currently at 778. In the circle she made 35 appearances and 26 starts, pitching 18 complete games with five shutouts. Meyer finished the season with an 18-8 ledger in 189.1 innings of work.

• Tucker joins Meyer on the Preseason Athlete to Watch list for the second straight year. Tucker was named to the All-Summit League First Team and All-Tournament Team after starting in all 50 games at second base where she hit .364 with 60 hits, including eight doubles. Last season she tallied a team-high 60 hits with 20 RBI a .430 slugging percentage and was 14-for-15 on stolen bases. Tucker notched a .844 OPS in 165 at-bats with an on-base percentage of .414.

• On the mound last season, Meyer has pitched a statistical masterpiece of a season. Her 1.21 earned run average and 242 strikeouts led the Summit League. Meyer was the winning pitcher in 14 of the Mavericks 29 regular season victories. The Senior ace also became the Mavericks all-time strikeout leader this season surpassing Cheris Kuster's 698 K's. A record that stood for 16 years. Meyer was a 2023 three-time Softball Peak Pitcher of the week. 

• Omaha will play in five non-conference tournaments to start the year. The tournament action concludes in Omaha as the Mavericks host the Connie Claussen Classic at the beginning of March. 

• The Omaha softball team returns 16 letter winners, including seven starters. Key starters returning include Kamryn Meyer, Sydney Ross, Lynsey Tucker, Sydney Nuismer, Maggie O'Brien, Marra Cramer, Emma Durr, and Ava Rongisch.

• Head coach Mike Heard enters his third season at the helm. He compiled a 65-31 overall record in his first two year. Over his eight-year head coaching career, Heard sits at 217-127.

SCOUTING North Florida Osprey
Head Coach: Jeff Conrad

North Florida enters the weekend with a 9-5 overall record. Last weekend the Osprey went 3-0 at the UNF-JU Classic, where they had a notable 15-0 win against Manhattan. 

OSPREY TO WATCH
• Hadlee Reichert leads the team with a .324 batting average. In 34 at-bats, Reichert had recorded nine runs, 11 hits, one double, and three RBIs. On the field, she had made 28 putouts and notched 11 assists. 

• On the mound, Allison Bennings has recorded 53 strikeouts while allowing 36 hits, 14 runs and giving up 17 walks. 

SCOUTING James Madison
Head Coach: Loren LaPorte

James Madison has had a hot start to the season, having gone 10-4 in the opening weeks. Last weekend they went 2-3 at the Gamecock Invitational, picking up wins against UMass and South Alabama. 

JMU PLAYERS TO WATCH
• Kate Carrie leads the team with a .429 batting average. In 21 at-bats, Carrier has recorded three runs, nine hits, one home run, and six RBIs. On the field, she has made six putouts. 

• Alison Humphrey leads JMU with 33 strikeouts in the 31.1 innings pitched. She has allowed just 17 hits, and six runs while only making six errors and allowed five walks. 


SCOUTING THE Arizona State Sun Devils
Head Coach: Megan Bartlett

The Sun Devils open the 2024 season with an 11-6 overall record. Last weekend, they hosted the Sun Devil Classic where they went 4-2, including a 12-10 win over Ohio State in 10 innings. 

SUN DEVILS TO WATCH
• Kelsey Hall holds the team-high .426 batting average. In 47 at-bats, Hall has recorded 13 runs, 20 hits, six doubles, one triple, and seven RBIs.  On the field, Hall has recorded 13 putouts. 

• Mac Osborne has pitched 41 innings for the Sun Devils, where she has made 40 strikeouts. Osborne has allowed 46 hits, and 30 runs while making 20 errors while allowing 13 walks. 

SCOUTING THE UC San Diego Tritons 
Head Coach: Pattie Gerckens

The Tritons have had a slow start to the season, having gone 3-10. Despite the low winning percentage, they had a tough lineup at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge facing #7 Clemson, #21 South Carolina, and #16 Utah. 

TRITONS TO WATCH
• Lexi O'Gorman leads the team with a .405 batting average. In 42 at-bats, O'Gorman has recorded three runs, 17 hits, one double, one triple, and eight RBIs. On the field, she has made 14 putouts. 

• On the mound, India Caldwell has pitched 40.2 innings, where she has made 25 strikeouts while allowing 38 hits 28 runs, and 16 walks.