SFA To Host Southeastern
3/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 28, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team opens a pivotal three-game Southland Conference series at home against Southeastern Louisiana Saturday. Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader is set for a 1 p.m. start from Hoya Field with the series finale scheduled for noon Sunday.
The three-game set is crucial to the Ladyjacks' SLC title hopes in a couple of ways. First, the series gives SFA the chance to put some distance between itself and the Lions, who enter the weekend a game-and-a-half behind the Ladyjacks in the league standings. SFA is currently second in SLC play with a 9-3 conference record, while Southeastern stands fourth with a 9-6 league mark.
The three-game set also provides the Ladyjacks the opportunity to make up some ground on league-leading Texas State. The Bobcats lead SFA by a slim margin with their 13-2 SLC record, but they host a non-conference series against New Mexico this weekend.
SFA enters the weekend as one of the hottest teams in the SLC. SFA is 22-13 on the season and has won seven of its last eight Southland Conference games. The Ladyjacks are coming off a 3-2 series win at UT-Arlington last weekend.
Paced by freshman ace Monika Covington, the Ladyjacks have the top pitching staff in the SLC. SFA's 2.11 team ERA is tops in the conference, as are the Ladyjacks' 197 strikeouts. SFA posted 24 strikeouts in last weekend's series with the Mavericks, 17 of those recorded by Covington, who leads the league with 114 punch-outs. Covington's 1.34 ERA and 12 wins are also SLC-highs.
SFA's bats have been nearly as dominant as its arms this season. The Ladyjacks are second in the league with a team batting average of .281 and lead the conference in both home runs (32) and triples (12). Three Ladyjacks are hitting above .300, led by sophomore Kendal Harper's .411 average, which ranks fifth in the SLC. Harper leads the league in runs scored with 30.
As a team, SFA is second in the conference in four major offensive categories, besides batting average. The league leader in all five statistical areas is this weekend's foe, Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions are 21-10 overall, joining SFA and Texas State as the only teams in the conference with at least 20 wins this season.
Southeastern has split in its last six league contests. The Lions were swept in three games at UTSA, then rallied for a sweep of their own in last weekend's home stand against Northwestern State. Southeastern followed that up with a 10-1 win at Grambling, but the Lions are coming off a 4-3 loss at Centenary on Wednesday.
Southeastern's .299 batting average leads the SLC, as do the Lions' .463 slugging percentage, .361 on-base percentage, 178 runs scored, 256 hits and 161 RBI. Heather Sherrill and Katie Duhe bat .414 and .413, respectively, giving Southeastern two players in the league's top four individual batting averages.
-- SFA --
