What's on tap
On Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 the North Dakota softball team will face the Roadrunners of CSU Bakersfield for a pair of 2/4 p.m. doubleheaders at the Roadrunner Softball Complex in Bakersfield, California. These are the first of 12 games to be played in the Golden State for the Fighting Sioux.
On Monday, the Sioux will make their way to San Diego for a pair of games with Point Loma Nazarene.
Media information
Live stats will be available for all four games on www.fightingsioux.com.
No live audio or video will be provided. Check the Fighting Sioux website for scores and game recaps.
TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket prices for the CSUB Softball Complex are:
Home Plate Chairback
Adult: $7
Under 17: $7
Bleachers
Adult: $5
Under 17: $3
Last SIOUX ACTION
03/07 Sioux fall 9-1 to Cornhuskers in first game of Wichita State Tournament: The Nebraska Cornhuskers used an early homerun and an explosive five-run fifth inning on its way to a 9-1 win over North Dakota today in the first game of the Wichita State Tournament today at Wilkins Stadium in Wichita, Kan.
03/07 Sioux downed by Wichita State 13-5 at Shocker Invite: With six runs in the third inning, Wichita State lifted itself high above North Dakota and onto a 13-5 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Shocker Invitational played at the Wilkins Stadium.
03/08 Defensive struggles lead to 9-1 loss: The University of North Dakota softball team had an improved offensive effort against Nebraska today in its third game of the Shocker Invitational at Wilkins Stadium, but it was a defensive struggle for the Sioux that led to another 9-1 loss to the Cornhuskers.
03/08 Sioux drop Shocker Invitational finale 11-1: The University of North Dakota softball team wrapped up action in the Shocker Invitational with an 11-1 loss to host Wichita State this afternoon at Wilkins Stadium.
NOTING THE SIOUX
North Dakota is coming off of a four-game losing streak after dropping a pair of games to Nebraska (9-1, 9-1) and Wichita State (13-5, 11-1) at the WSU Shocker Invitational in Kansas.
The Fighting Sioux won their first and only game of the season on Saturday, February 28 when they defeated Missouri-Kansas City, 5-4, to take the Blues City Classic championship in Memphis, Tenn.
QUICK HITS: Sophomore Hannah-Rose Peters (Santa Monica, Calif.) is leading the Sioux at the plate with a .419 (10-for-24) batting average. She has tallied a team-high two doubles and has recorded five RBI ... Freshman Erica Younan (Chico, Calif.) is the team's home run leader with two. She also holds a squad-best 11 total bases and seven RBI ... As a team, the Sioux are batting .234 (48-for-205) with 74 total bases, 48 hits, 31 runs, 28 RBI, eight doubles, six home runs.
FROM THE CIRCLE: Peters (0-3) holds a 7.88 ERA after five appearances and two starts. In her 16.0 innings at the rubber, she has totaled seven strikeouts ... Younan (1-2) has collected a team-high 21 strikeouts ... As a team, the Sioux pitching staff holds a 9.50 ERA. In 52.1 innings, they have accumulated 32 strikeouts and have yet to give up a triple.
IN HER MITS: Three players - three freshman in fact - have remained error-free through nine games. Younan, Kindra Bennett (Tustin, Calif.) and Sarah Sesselman (Mt. City, Mont.) are blank in the error category. Junior Abby Rehberger (Brainerd, Minn.) has put in a team-high 20 assists ... As a team, the Sioux are fielding at 93.1 percent with 157 putouts and 73 assists.
ALL-TIME VS. CSU BAKERSFIELD
This weekend's games will mark the first meeting between the Fighting Sioux and the Roadrunners.
NOTING THE ROADRUNNERS
Hailing from California's Country Music Capital, the Roadrunners are listed as an Independent school with plans to move into the Pacific Coast Softball Conference in 2010. CSUB brought back five starters and four pitchers from last season's 22-25 squad. Head coach Kathy Welter is in her 24th season with Bakersfield and is looking to improve on her 923-392-3 record at the school.
The CSUB softball team got lots of offense--along with healthy doses of pitching and defense--to sweep visiting Temple University 4-3 and 11-1 Wednesday afternoon at the Roadrunner Softball Complex ... Sophomore pitcher Brittany Johnson (6-5) allowed just six hits and one earned run to keep CSUB in the first game. Her offense scored single runs in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings as the Roadrunners came from behind twice to win ... In the nightcap, junior pitcher Shawna Truan impressed with her third consecutive strong outing, allowing just one hit over the final 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball to improve to 4-1 on the season. Her offense kicked into overdrive, scoring in all four of its at bats, including a five-run first inning that provided all the support she would need ... Arhculeta continued to break out of her early season slump in a big way. Her three-run home run capped the five-run first in the nightcap. She paced the CSUB attack by going 4-for-6 with four runs, four RBI and her third home run of the season.
Justine Maeva, Kelli Baily, Danielle Lyman, and Jill McClelland lead the 13-10 squad with plus-.300 batting averages. Maeva is hitting .395 (30-for-76) with 21 RBI, 46 total bases, seven doubles and three home runs, Baily is averaging .393 (33-for-84) with 46 total bases , 18 runs and seven doubles, and Lyman is hitting .377 (26-for-69) with 13 RBI. Rounding out the top of the lineup is McClelland with a .322 batting average (19-for-59) with 21 runs scored.
Brittney Johnons (6-5) leads the Roadrunners in the circle with a 3.28 ERA and nine complete games. In her 79.0 innings pitched, she has retired 29 batters. Shawna Truan (4-1) is second on the team with a 3.37 ERA.
I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE MAN
Like the majority of the Sioux sports this year, the North Dakota softball team will be logging loads of miles both in the air and on the ground this season. Thus far, the head coach Sami Strinz and her squad has logged 4,509 miles with visits to Iowa, Tennessee, and Kansas.
Yet to be crossed off of the schedule ... California, Wisconsin, Utah, South Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado.
CALIFORNICATION
While the cold winds blow in Grand Forks, the North Dakota softball team will be hard at work in the sun and the shine of California. The Spring Break trip will take the Fighting Sioux from Los Angeles on Friday to Bakersfield on Saturday and Sunday to San Diego on Monday to Riverside on Wednesday back to San Diego on Thursday and will come full circle with a final game back in L.A. on Saturday.
