Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, April 19
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
3 p.m.
Central Michigan University
vs
Northern Illinois
Softball Welcomes NIU For MAC Series
4/18/2019 8:06:00 PM | Softball
Chippewas squarely in the hunt in the MAC
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan softball team will entertain Northern Illinois in a three-game Mid-American Conference series this weekend at Margo Jonker Stadium.
The Chippewas are 17-21-1, 7-4-1 MAC. They are in third place, one-half game behind Miami (Ohio) and Kent State, who share first place at 8-4.
LEADERS
CMU's Shaidan Knapp ranks in the top 10 in the MAC in several offensive categories. The sophomore outfielder from Vicksburg is third in triples (3), eighth in on-base percentage (.455), and ninth in both runs (26) and walks (20).
Seniors Sara Hansen and Erika Underwood, who bat second and third, respectively, in the Chippewa lineup, are also among the league leaders with the bat.
Underwood is ninth with seven home runs and 10th with 25 RBI, while Hansen is second in triples (4), and among a group tied for sixth with five sacrifice bunts. Teammate Kayla Noch is also among that group.
Underwood leads CMU with a .342 batting average, ranking just outside the top 10 in the conference, while Knapp is hitting .317.
Underwood has produced multi-hit games in five of her last 12 starts. She is hitting .428 with three home runs and 11 RBI over that span.
Chippewa freshman Shannon Stein is tied for the team lead with Underwood with seven homers.
IN THE CIRCLE
Freshman Kaitlyn Bean leads a young CMU pitching staff with a 6-4 record and 3.90 earned run average. Sophomore Samantha Howell leads the staff with five complete games and two saves.
SCOUTING
Northern Illinois is 22-21, 7-7. The Huskies swept a nonconference doubleheader on Wednesday from Loyola-Chicago and last weekend took two of three from Toledo in a MAC series. NIU has won six of its last eight starts.
Freshman outfielder Katie Keller leads the MAC with a .423 batting average and ranks fifth in the conference with a .721 slugging percentage. Senior Jenny Van Geertry leads NIU with eight home runs.
Mackenzie Bryan and Alex Frenz have done the majority of the pitching for the Huskies this season. Bryan is 12-10 with a 3.19 ERA, while Frenz is 8-8 with a 3.97.
NEXT
The Chippewas play host to Ball State in a three-game MAC series on Friday and Saturday, April 26-27. It marks CMU's final home appearance of the season.
The Chippewas are 17-21-1, 7-4-1 MAC. They are in third place, one-half game behind Miami (Ohio) and Kent State, who share first place at 8-4.
LEADERS
CMU's Shaidan Knapp ranks in the top 10 in the MAC in several offensive categories. The sophomore outfielder from Vicksburg is third in triples (3), eighth in on-base percentage (.455), and ninth in both runs (26) and walks (20).
Seniors Sara Hansen and Erika Underwood, who bat second and third, respectively, in the Chippewa lineup, are also among the league leaders with the bat.
Underwood is ninth with seven home runs and 10th with 25 RBI, while Hansen is second in triples (4), and among a group tied for sixth with five sacrifice bunts. Teammate Kayla Noch is also among that group.
Underwood leads CMU with a .342 batting average, ranking just outside the top 10 in the conference, while Knapp is hitting .317.
Underwood has produced multi-hit games in five of her last 12 starts. She is hitting .428 with three home runs and 11 RBI over that span.
Chippewa freshman Shannon Stein is tied for the team lead with Underwood with seven homers.
IN THE CIRCLE
Freshman Kaitlyn Bean leads a young CMU pitching staff with a 6-4 record and 3.90 earned run average. Sophomore Samantha Howell leads the staff with five complete games and two saves.
SCOUTING
Northern Illinois is 22-21, 7-7. The Huskies swept a nonconference doubleheader on Wednesday from Loyola-Chicago and last weekend took two of three from Toledo in a MAC series. NIU has won six of its last eight starts.
Freshman outfielder Katie Keller leads the MAC with a .423 batting average and ranks fifth in the conference with a .721 slugging percentage. Senior Jenny Van Geertry leads NIU with eight home runs.
Mackenzie Bryan and Alex Frenz have done the majority of the pitching for the Huskies this season. Bryan is 12-10 with a 3.19 ERA, while Frenz is 8-8 with a 3.97.
NEXT
The Chippewas play host to Ball State in a three-game MAC series on Friday and Saturday, April 26-27. It marks CMU's final home appearance of the season.
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
IF/C
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
1B
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