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UMKC'S GOODWIN, GRAND CANYON'S NOWLIN NAMED WAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Missouri-Kansas City's Kelsey Goodwin and Grand Canyon's Taylor Nowlin have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for April 18-24. This is the first-ever honor for Goodwin and the third of the season and fifth of her career for Nowlin.
Goodwin, a sophomore infielder from Broken Arrow, Okla., hit .500 with four hits, all of which were extra-base hits (three doubles and a home run), four RBIs and one walk in a road sweep at Seattle U. She posted a 1.250 slugging percentage and .556 on-base percentage over the three games. Goodwin tied a season high with two RBIs on Friday, driving in two runs in both games of the doubleheader. In game one of the series, she tied a season high with six total bases with a double and a home run, each driving in a run in the 14-5 win. Goodwin entered the week hitting .269 with seven doubles and two home runs on the entire season.
Nowlin, a junior from Peoria, Ariz., went 2-0 with a save in three appearances last week. She finished the weekend with a 1.00 ERA, allowing two earned runs on 11 hits with 12 strikeouts in 14.0 innings of work. In the first game of the series, she threw a complete-game shutout, scattering five hits while striking out nine. In game two, Nowlin came in relief and clinched the team's comeback by rendering the Wolverines scoreless over the final two innings to earn her fourth save of the year. In the series finale, she held Utah Valley to no hits and no runs for five straight innings before retiring.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Chris Hipa hit .375 with four RBIs over three games ... Briielle Breland of Grand Canyon hit .625 with two doubles and three RBIs ... NM State's Corrin Green hit .545 with a double a triple and four RBIs over four games ... Brittney Vansway of Utah Valley hit .462 with two doubles and two RBIs last week.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: NM State's Makayla McAdams went 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA and seven strikeouts over 8.1 innings last week.
NM STATE'S HORTON NAMED TO NFCA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR TOP 25
NM State's Kelsey Horton has been selected to the 2016 Schutt Sport/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 list. Horton, who has started every game at first base for the Aggies this season, ranks in the top 50 nationally in home runs. The list will be narrowed to 10 finalists on Thursday, May 12, and the top three finalists will be announced on Wednesday, May 25. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 31.
AGGIE COACH RODOLPH PICKS UP 400TH WIN AT NM STATE
With a win in the first game against CSU Bakersfield on April 23, NM State head coach Kathy Rodolph notched her 400th victory at the helm of the program. In her 13th season at the school and 15th overall, Rodolph has a 104-339 (.542) school record and a 470-373 (.558) overall mark.
UMKC HAS WON 13 OF ITS LAST 15 GAMES
Missouri-Kansas City has won four-straight games, and 13 of its last 15. The second-place ‘Roos host WAC-leader NM State this weekend. A series win would earn UMKC a share of the WAC regular-season title, while a sweep would give them the title outright, which would be the second all-time at UMKC (Summit League champions in 2011).
NM STATE'S ADAMS BREAKS PROGRAM DOUBLES RECORD
NM State senior Emma Adams tied the program record for career doubles with her 42nd at UTEP on April 19. She then broke the record in game two of the series against CSU Bakersfield on April 23, passing Kristi Randall (2006-09).
CSUB HURLER MILLS APPROACHING 300 INNINGS PITCHED, 100 STRIKEOUTS
CSU Bakersfield senior Amber Mills pitched 9.1 innings last week, bringing her career total to 296.1. She should reach the 300-inning plateau this week against Grand Canyon, making her just the sixth ‘Runner to reach that milestone in CSUB's Division I era (since 2008). Mills is currently sixth and needs just 18.1 innings pitched to be third. She is also sitting on 99 career strikeouts.
UMKC'S KELLEY TIES PROGRAM DOUBLES RECORD
With 10 doubles this season, Missouri-Kansas City senior Katie Kelley has a career total of 47, tied with Amanda Rice (1999-2002) for the UMKC record. Kelley also ranks third with 201 hits, one shy of second place and 23 away from the all-time record of 223 (Kaelene Curry, 2009-12).
GRAND CANYON POSTS 10 OR MORE HITS IN SIX OF NINE WAC GAMES
The Lopes have tallied 10 or more hits in six of their nine WAC games this season, including 14 in the series finale at Utah Valley. GCU has posted double-digit hits in four straight contests twice this season.
NM STATE APPROACHING PROGRAM STOLEN BASES RECORD
NM State currently leads the WAC with 91 stolen bases, more than twice the number of Missouri-Kansas City (42) in second place, and just five shy of the all-time program record of 96. With a minimum of six games remaining this season, the Aggies are on pace to finish with 102 stolen bases, three shy of the all-time WAC record of 105.
CSUB'S SIMMONS TIES SEASON STEALS RECORD
With a steal in the first game of the series against Seattle U on April 15, CSU Bakersfield senior Alex Simmons set the program record for steals in a season and now has 14. In just two seasons with the Roadrunners, the shortstop ranks second in CSUB Division I career history with 24, nine shy of the record. Fellow senior Sydney Raeber is close behind in third with 21.
UMKC'S SMITH NEAL PICKS UP 200TH CAREER WIN
With her team's 9-6 win over Utah Valley on April 16, Missouri-Kansas City head coach Meredith Smith Neal notched her 200th career victory. In her 10th season at the helm, Smith Neal has a 203-293 (.409) record.
CSU BAKERSFIELD EARNS FIRST-EVER WAC SERIES SWEEP
In its April 15-16 series against Seattle U, CSU Bakersfield earned its first-ever WAC series sweep since joining the conference in 2014. The ‘Runners earned a 7-2 victory in game one, walked off on an illegal pitch in the ninth inning of game two and walked off again in game three to clinch the sweep over Seattle U.
UVU'S ROTH BECOMES PROGRAM LEADER IN HIT BY PITCH
After getting hit by a pitch against Idaho State on April 12, Utah Valley outfielder Breezy Roth became Utah Valley's all-time leader in getting hit by the pitch and has now been plunked 14 times on her career. Roth, who is just a sophomore, broke Meghan Yocom's (2008-2011) previous record of 12.
CSUB'S CARDOZA BECOMES PROGRAM LEADER IN SACRIFICE HITS
In the first game of the series against Seattle U on April 15, CSU Bakersfield redshirt senior Adrianna Cardoza became CSUB's Division I career leader in sacrifice hits with 23.
UVU'S MOORE BECOMES UVU DIVISION I LEADER IN APPEARANCES
With an appearance in the circle against in-state foe Weber State on April 5, Utah Valley junior right-handed pitcher Bailey Moore became the all-time program leader in career appearance with 108. Moore has now logged 117 appearances in the circle for UVU, passing Wolverine great Josi Summers' previous record of 107.
GRAND CANYON'S OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
Through 47 games this season, Grand Canyon is outscoring its opponents 298 to 192. The Lopes' largest margin of victory is 18 runs, with one 10-run victory, one nine-run win and eight victories by eight runs. Grand Canyon has also posted nine shutouts and 11 run-rule victories.
CSUB'S RAEBER LEAVING MARK IN RECORD BOOKS
CSU Bakersfield senior Sydney Raeber ranks in the Top 5 in several program Division I records. Raeber is first in saves (7), second in doubles (31), third in games started (191), hits (161) and stolen bases (21), tied for third in games played (191), fourth in at-bats (546), sacrifice hits (20) and hit by pitch (14), and fifth in RBIs (68) and total bases (199).
UMKC SCORES ITS MOST RUNS EVER AGAINST OKLAHOMA
On March 26, Missouri-Kansas City scored the most runs in a game against Oklahoma in the history of the series, plating four runs in the series finale at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City. All three senior captains - Alexandra Friloux, Katie Kelley and Brooke Parker - drove in a run in the 8-4 loss, with Friloux driving in two in her first appearance in nearly a month.
CSUB HAS EIGHT-RUN INNING FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2012
CSU Bakersfield scored a season-high 10 runs against Santa Clara on March 20, with the bulk its runs coming in an eight-run third inning. It was the most runs in an inning for CSUB since the team scored eight in an inning on Maine in 2012.
UVU'S SMITH SETS PROGRAM STEALS RECORD
With her fourth stolen base of the season in the third inning of the Mary Nutter Classic finale against Binghamton on Feb. 21, Utah Valley senior Morgan Smith became the program's all-time leader in stolen bases with 41. Smith, who also holds the school record for all-time triples with 11, passed Meghan Yocom's (2008-2011) previous UVU record of 40. Smith is now 53-for-59 for her career in stolen bases.
FIFTEEN OF NM STATE'S 26 VICTORIES BY RUN RULE
Of NM State's 32 victories this season, 17 have come by run rule. The Aggies' largest margin of victory is 12 runs in the WAC opener against Seattle U and at UTEP on April 19. NM State has also won one game by 11 runs, seven games by 10 runs, three games by nine runs and seven games by eight runs, and has posted nine shutouts this season.
GCU'S NOWLIN HAS TWO NO-HITTERS, COMBINES FOR THIRD
Grand Canyon's Taylor Nowlin pitched her second no-hitter of the season on Feb. 19 against Utah State, only allowing only one base runner via a walk and striking out five. The junior also threw a no-hitter in a five-inning win over Loyola Marymount on Feb. 14 and combined with Bailey Bergman to no-hit UMBC in the season opener on Feb. 12.
NM State's Finau Named NFCA Player of the Week
NM State's Fiana Finau garnered Louisville/Slugger National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Player of the Week honors for March 7-13. Finau hit .579 (11-for-19) with three doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs over a six-game stretch last week. The Chula Vista, Calif., native slugged 1.211, registered a .600 on-base percentage and scored five runs.
CSUB'S RAEBER TIES PROGRAM DIVISION I STRIKEOUT RECORD
CSU Bakersfield senior Sydney Raeber recorded a program Division I single-game-tying 10 strikeouts in a complete-game victory over UC Davis on Valentine's Day. She only walked two batters.
NMSU'S HORTON HITS THREE HOMERS IN FIRST FOUR AT BATS
NM State freshman Kelsey Horton opened her career as an Aggie with three home runs in her first four at-bats. Her first at-bat was a grand slam in the bottom of a nine-run first inning for the Aggies on Feb. 12.
NM STATE PICKED TO WIN 2016 WAC TITLE
In a preseason vote of the six WAC softball coaches, who could not vote for their own team, NM State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the title. The Aggies took the top spot in the preseason poll with 25 points and five first-place votes. Grand Canyon was picked second with 20 points and the other first-place vote, edging out CSU Bakersfield in third place with 18 points. UMKC was fourth with 11 points, followed by Seattle U and Utah Valley with nine and seven points, respectively.
SEATTLE U TO HOST 2016 WAC TOURNAMENT
Seattle U will host the 2016 WAC Softball Tournament. The five eligible teams will advance to the double-elimination tournament, which will be held at Logan Field May 12-14. This is the second time in the last three years the Redhawks have hosted the event, as they did so in 2014.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
NM State senior utility player Fiana Finau was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year and Missouri-Kansas City's Katie Kelley was selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in a vote of the league's six head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
Joining Finau and Kelley on the Preseason All-WAC Team are Aggies Emma Adams, Karysta Donisthorpe, Brennalyn Nakamura, Haley Nakamura and Rachel Rodriguez; Grand Canyon's Brittany Medina, Taylor Nowlin and Camree Wartman; CSU Bakersfield's Adrianna Cardoza; and Seattle U's Paige Bouska and Isabella Geronimo.