Softball Opens MAC Play At Miami

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan softball team opens Mid-American Conference play this weekend with a three-game series in Oxford, Ohio, against Miami (Ohio).

Game one is set for Friday (3 p.m.) with a doubleheader slated for Saturday (1 p.m.).

WHERE THEY STAND

The Chippewas are 9-14 after going 5-8 during their Spring Break trip to Florida. Miami is 13-10 and has won three consecutive games.

CMU finished seventh in the MAC preseason coaches poll, while Miami was sixth.

AT THE PLATE

Knapp leads the Chippewas in hitting, and ranks eighth in the MAC, with a .375 batting average, while Allison Curtis is hitting .301.

Freshman Shannon Stein leads the Chippewas in both home runs (6) and RBI (16). Sophomore Tala Dean is second on the team in both round-trippers (4) and RBI (9).

IN THE CIRCLE

Freshman Katilyn Bean leads a young CMU pitching staff with a 3.89 earned run average and 28 strikeouts against 14 walks. Sophomores Samantha Howell (3-3) and Cloe Mallory (2-2) are both .500.

SCOUTING

Sophomore Ashton Slone leads Miami with a .379 batting average and a .493 on-base percentage. She ranks second on the team with 16 RBI and has smacked three home runs. Jenny Vazquez, who is hitting .327, leads the RedHawks with six home runs and 18 RBI.

NEXT

The Chippewas are scheduled to play No. 25 Michigan in their home opener on Tuesday, March 26, at Margo Jonker Stadium.