Friday, April 26
Nacogdoches, TX
1:00 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
vs
Grand Canyon University
Lumberjacks Lock Horns with Lopes in Pivotal Weekend Series
4/25/2024 7:31:00 PM | Softball
Stephen F. Austin vs. Grand Canyon University
Date: Friday, April 26th Doubleheader & Saturday, April 27th
Times: Friday: 1:00 & 3:30 p.m. CST, Saturday: 12:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN+
Stadium: SFA Softball Field
Series: GCU Leads 3-1
NACOGDOCHES, Texas. - The Stephen F. Austin's Softball Team (15-34, 8-12) closes out their regular season home schedule as they host the Grand Canyon University Lopes (39-10, 7-3) in a three-game weekend series at SFA Softball Field. The Lumberjacks will honor their seven graduating seniors on senior day following the conclusion of Saturday's game.
Last Time Out at a Glance for SFA:
The Lumberjacks took a short trip to Monroe, Louisiana to play a midweek game against the ULM Warhawks with the Warhawks claiming a 10-0 win over SFA. Kayla Palomino made her first collegiate start in the loss and pitched three innings.
These 'Jacks Can Bat:
Ellie Vance continues to end her season on a strong note as she has now recorded a hit in six of her last seven games including a pair of multi-hit efforts against Utah Valley and Abilene Christian. Mallory Webb and Chloe Reneau have both been equally effective in their last four games as both have recorded a hit in three of their last four games. Webb has recorded a pair of multi-hit efforts against ULM and Utah Valley, while Reneau recorded a three-hit effort in the series opener against Utah Valley and left Utah with her first double and second triple this season. Amiah Galcatcher has been finding her groove at the plate recently as well as she has recorded a hit in consecutive games and has three hits over her last two contests.
Walk O'Clock:
The Lumberjack batting order has shown incredible patience and discipline at the plate this season as they have tallied 121 walks as a team this season, which is good for third-most in the WAC this season. On the year, SFA tallies close to 2.5 walks/game as a team which sits them third in the WAC in that category as well. More impressively is the fact that every Lumberjack batter to record a walk this season has recorded multiple walks this season as each batter has at least two walks this season. Lexi Benson spearheads the free pass department for SFA this season as she has drawn 18 walks on the year to lead all Lumberjacks. Mikaelah Burkland and Mallory Webb have been equally patient in the box this season as both have 11 walks on the year, while Chloe Reneau is the fourth Lumberjack to record double-digit walks this season as she has drawn 10 on the year.
Wheeling and Dealing:
The Piney Woods boasts one of the best rotations in the WAC this season as the 'Jacks extremely talented pitching staff has recorded a 3.81 era as a team which is good for third best in the WAC this season. Brooke Gainous leads the pitching effort for SFA as she owns a sparkling 3.09 era on the year as she has pitched two complete game shutouts on the season. Gainous has been pesky issuing free passes this season as she has issued just 11 walks in 79.1 innings pitched. Alexis Telford and Aydenne Brown have formed a workhorse 1-2 punch for SFA this season as both have thrown over 100 innings on the season. Telford has thrown a team-high eight complete games this season while striking out 64 batters in 102.1 innings and has now struck out at least five batters in each of her last three starts, while allowing three or less earned runs in seven of her last eight starts. Aydenne Brown has been just as tough on opposing offenses as she has showcased her wipeout pitches all season long with 84 strikeouts in 102.2 innings while limiting hitters to just a .242 batting average against.
Gainous is Gaining Momentum:
Brooke Gainous has been nearly unhittable lately in the circle for SFA as she has now pitched back-to-back complete game shutouts and has now pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings. The recent dominance from Gainous has gained her recognition both at SFA and outside of SFA as she was named WAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday for the first time this season. Gainous has only allowed nine hits between her last two starts with all nine hits being singles while issuing just one walk over her last 14 innings as she has kept trouble off the basepaths.
Benson's Bat:
Lexi Benson has been the source of power for the Lumberjacks hitting in the middle of the order for SFA as she leads the team in ops (.770) and slugging percentage (.400) this season. Benson has gone triple crazy this season as she leads the team in triples with six on the year. Benson's six triples have her tied for second most in the nation this season while her 0.14 triples per game average ranks her inside the top-10 in the nation as well at number nine.
Sneaky Sources of Stolen Bases:
Speed is the name of the game with the SFA lineup as nine different Lumberjacks have swiped at least one base this season. Madison Nguyen continues to be a catcher's worst nightmare on the basepaths as she is a perfect 10-10 on stolen bases this season while Ellie Vance and Mallory Webb have been partners in crime on the basepaths this season as both have seven stolen bases this season. Chloe Reneau should not be overlooked in the SFA lineup as she has swiped four bags of her own, while Lexi Benson and Kaylee Paul have formed a dynamic duo of their own as they each have three stolen bases on the campaign. Meanwhile, Brittany Coe, Kylie Bishop, and Ja'Aira Fletcher have formed a fearsome trio of their own as they each have a stolen base this season as well.
There's No Place Like Home:
SFA Softball Field has offered the Lumberjacks some nice home-field advantage this season as SFA has tallied eight wins at home this season. In 19 home games this season, SFA has recorded five or more hits in 14 of the 19 games, while recording at least one walk in 18 of 19 home games and multiple walks in 13 of the 18 games. The SFA pitching staff has enjoyed being at home just as much as the offense has as the 'Jacks have allowed two or less runs in 13 home games this year and only allowed one run in eight of those 13 games.
Track the WAC Stats:
Ellie Vance, Madison Nguyen, and Chloe Reneau have been the model of consistency for SFA in conference play this season as all three have started in 19 of 20 conference games this season and rank one, two, and three in hits in conference play on the team respectively. Vance has recorded a team-high 22 hits so far in conference play, while Nguyen follows closely behind ranking second with 17 hits of her own, and Reneau ranking just a hair behind with her 16 hits in conference play. Lexi Benson and Mikaelah Burkland have both recorded three extra-base hits so far in conference, while Hope Lusk, Mikaelah Burkland, Lexi Benson, Alexis Telford, and Ellie Vance all have driven in five runs in conference play. To top it all off, all three Lumberjack starting pitchers have pitched to the tune of an era under three so far in conference play.
Keeping Up with the 'Jacks: Season Stats Edition:
Ellie Vance continues to torment opposing pitchers as she leads the team in batting average with her impressive .315 mark this season as she has recorded 40 hits on the year good for second most on the team. Madison Nguyen continues her strong senior season from the leadoff spot as she leads the team with 43 hits on the year, and tying Vance for the team lead in total bases with 45. Lexi Benson has knocked 10 extra-base hits this season as she has four doubles and six triples on the year. Benson's extra-base hits have given her plenty of opportunities for RBIs as she leads the team with 14 runs driven in this season. Meanwhile, Nguyen has been just as effective as a fielder for SFA as she has recorded 87 putouts on the season and sports a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, while Alex Dubose continues her fantastic defensive season as she leads the team with 136 putouts on the year.
Lopes at a Glance:
The GCU Lopes will make the weekend trip to Nacogdoches boasting the best conference and overall record in the WAC while not surprisingly leading the WAC in nearly every major statistical category for both pitching and hitting while owning the third-best fielding percentage as a team in the WAC. The Lopes will come into this series off a loss in their most recent game in an 8-7 loss to Southern Utah in the series finale against the Thunderbirds that snapped the Lopes six-game winning streak as they have gone 14-2 in their last 16 games. GCU is led by Head Coach Shanon Hays who is in his second season at the helm of the Lopes softball program and is coming off a WAC Championship Tournament Title in his first season with GCU.
The GCU offense offers potent hitters from the top to the bottom of the lineup as seven hitters for the Lopes currently have an average over .300 for the season. Ashley Trierweiler sports the fourth-highest batting average in the country as she holds a .469 batting average on the season to lead all GCU hitters. Ramsay Lopez and Kristin Fifield have been the power-hitting duo this season for GCU as both have over 10 homeruns on the season and each has driven in over 50 runs on the year.
Meghan Golden leads an equally talented GCU pitching staff as she sports a 2.17 era on the year as she has struck out 74 hitters in 74.1 innings. Hailey Hudson is just a hair short of the century mark in innings pitched as she has tossed a team-high 99.2 innings striking out 86 hitters and winning a team-high 12 games on the year. Ariel Thompson rounds out the Lopes pitching staff as she sports a 7-1 record on the season pitching in 62 innings and punching out 31 hitters.
There's a First Time for Everything:
This weekend's series will feature the first time since SFA joined the WAC that GCU softball will make the trip to the Piney Woods. These two schools have met four previous times prior to this weekend with GCU winning three of the first four matchups. In their last meeting, GCU defeated SFA 14-3 at home in SFA's third game of the WAC tournament last season.
Date: Friday, April 26th Doubleheader & Saturday, April 27th
Times: Friday: 1:00 & 3:30 p.m. CST, Saturday: 12:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN+
Stadium: SFA Softball Field
Series: GCU Leads 3-1
NACOGDOCHES, Texas. - The Stephen F. Austin's Softball Team (15-34, 8-12) closes out their regular season home schedule as they host the Grand Canyon University Lopes (39-10, 7-3) in a three-game weekend series at SFA Softball Field. The Lumberjacks will honor their seven graduating seniors on senior day following the conclusion of Saturday's game.
Last Time Out at a Glance for SFA:
The Lumberjacks took a short trip to Monroe, Louisiana to play a midweek game against the ULM Warhawks with the Warhawks claiming a 10-0 win over SFA. Kayla Palomino made her first collegiate start in the loss and pitched three innings.
These 'Jacks Can Bat:
Ellie Vance continues to end her season on a strong note as she has now recorded a hit in six of her last seven games including a pair of multi-hit efforts against Utah Valley and Abilene Christian. Mallory Webb and Chloe Reneau have both been equally effective in their last four games as both have recorded a hit in three of their last four games. Webb has recorded a pair of multi-hit efforts against ULM and Utah Valley, while Reneau recorded a three-hit effort in the series opener against Utah Valley and left Utah with her first double and second triple this season. Amiah Galcatcher has been finding her groove at the plate recently as well as she has recorded a hit in consecutive games and has three hits over her last two contests.
Walk O'Clock:
The Lumberjack batting order has shown incredible patience and discipline at the plate this season as they have tallied 121 walks as a team this season, which is good for third-most in the WAC this season. On the year, SFA tallies close to 2.5 walks/game as a team which sits them third in the WAC in that category as well. More impressively is the fact that every Lumberjack batter to record a walk this season has recorded multiple walks this season as each batter has at least two walks this season. Lexi Benson spearheads the free pass department for SFA this season as she has drawn 18 walks on the year to lead all Lumberjacks. Mikaelah Burkland and Mallory Webb have been equally patient in the box this season as both have 11 walks on the year, while Chloe Reneau is the fourth Lumberjack to record double-digit walks this season as she has drawn 10 on the year.
Wheeling and Dealing:
The Piney Woods boasts one of the best rotations in the WAC this season as the 'Jacks extremely talented pitching staff has recorded a 3.81 era as a team which is good for third best in the WAC this season. Brooke Gainous leads the pitching effort for SFA as she owns a sparkling 3.09 era on the year as she has pitched two complete game shutouts on the season. Gainous has been pesky issuing free passes this season as she has issued just 11 walks in 79.1 innings pitched. Alexis Telford and Aydenne Brown have formed a workhorse 1-2 punch for SFA this season as both have thrown over 100 innings on the season. Telford has thrown a team-high eight complete games this season while striking out 64 batters in 102.1 innings and has now struck out at least five batters in each of her last three starts, while allowing three or less earned runs in seven of her last eight starts. Aydenne Brown has been just as tough on opposing offenses as she has showcased her wipeout pitches all season long with 84 strikeouts in 102.2 innings while limiting hitters to just a .242 batting average against.
Gainous is Gaining Momentum:
Brooke Gainous has been nearly unhittable lately in the circle for SFA as she has now pitched back-to-back complete game shutouts and has now pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings. The recent dominance from Gainous has gained her recognition both at SFA and outside of SFA as she was named WAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday for the first time this season. Gainous has only allowed nine hits between her last two starts with all nine hits being singles while issuing just one walk over her last 14 innings as she has kept trouble off the basepaths.
Benson's Bat:
Lexi Benson has been the source of power for the Lumberjacks hitting in the middle of the order for SFA as she leads the team in ops (.770) and slugging percentage (.400) this season. Benson has gone triple crazy this season as she leads the team in triples with six on the year. Benson's six triples have her tied for second most in the nation this season while her 0.14 triples per game average ranks her inside the top-10 in the nation as well at number nine.
Sneaky Sources of Stolen Bases:
Speed is the name of the game with the SFA lineup as nine different Lumberjacks have swiped at least one base this season. Madison Nguyen continues to be a catcher's worst nightmare on the basepaths as she is a perfect 10-10 on stolen bases this season while Ellie Vance and Mallory Webb have been partners in crime on the basepaths this season as both have seven stolen bases this season. Chloe Reneau should not be overlooked in the SFA lineup as she has swiped four bags of her own, while Lexi Benson and Kaylee Paul have formed a dynamic duo of their own as they each have three stolen bases on the campaign. Meanwhile, Brittany Coe, Kylie Bishop, and Ja'Aira Fletcher have formed a fearsome trio of their own as they each have a stolen base this season as well.
There's No Place Like Home:
SFA Softball Field has offered the Lumberjacks some nice home-field advantage this season as SFA has tallied eight wins at home this season. In 19 home games this season, SFA has recorded five or more hits in 14 of the 19 games, while recording at least one walk in 18 of 19 home games and multiple walks in 13 of the 18 games. The SFA pitching staff has enjoyed being at home just as much as the offense has as the 'Jacks have allowed two or less runs in 13 home games this year and only allowed one run in eight of those 13 games.
Track the WAC Stats:
Ellie Vance, Madison Nguyen, and Chloe Reneau have been the model of consistency for SFA in conference play this season as all three have started in 19 of 20 conference games this season and rank one, two, and three in hits in conference play on the team respectively. Vance has recorded a team-high 22 hits so far in conference play, while Nguyen follows closely behind ranking second with 17 hits of her own, and Reneau ranking just a hair behind with her 16 hits in conference play. Lexi Benson and Mikaelah Burkland have both recorded three extra-base hits so far in conference, while Hope Lusk, Mikaelah Burkland, Lexi Benson, Alexis Telford, and Ellie Vance all have driven in five runs in conference play. To top it all off, all three Lumberjack starting pitchers have pitched to the tune of an era under three so far in conference play.
Keeping Up with the 'Jacks: Season Stats Edition:
Ellie Vance continues to torment opposing pitchers as she leads the team in batting average with her impressive .315 mark this season as she has recorded 40 hits on the year good for second most on the team. Madison Nguyen continues her strong senior season from the leadoff spot as she leads the team with 43 hits on the year, and tying Vance for the team lead in total bases with 45. Lexi Benson has knocked 10 extra-base hits this season as she has four doubles and six triples on the year. Benson's extra-base hits have given her plenty of opportunities for RBIs as she leads the team with 14 runs driven in this season. Meanwhile, Nguyen has been just as effective as a fielder for SFA as she has recorded 87 putouts on the season and sports a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, while Alex Dubose continues her fantastic defensive season as she leads the team with 136 putouts on the year.
Lopes at a Glance:
The GCU Lopes will make the weekend trip to Nacogdoches boasting the best conference and overall record in the WAC while not surprisingly leading the WAC in nearly every major statistical category for both pitching and hitting while owning the third-best fielding percentage as a team in the WAC. The Lopes will come into this series off a loss in their most recent game in an 8-7 loss to Southern Utah in the series finale against the Thunderbirds that snapped the Lopes six-game winning streak as they have gone 14-2 in their last 16 games. GCU is led by Head Coach Shanon Hays who is in his second season at the helm of the Lopes softball program and is coming off a WAC Championship Tournament Title in his first season with GCU.
The GCU offense offers potent hitters from the top to the bottom of the lineup as seven hitters for the Lopes currently have an average over .300 for the season. Ashley Trierweiler sports the fourth-highest batting average in the country as she holds a .469 batting average on the season to lead all GCU hitters. Ramsay Lopez and Kristin Fifield have been the power-hitting duo this season for GCU as both have over 10 homeruns on the season and each has driven in over 50 runs on the year.
Meghan Golden leads an equally talented GCU pitching staff as she sports a 2.17 era on the year as she has struck out 74 hitters in 74.1 innings. Hailey Hudson is just a hair short of the century mark in innings pitched as she has tossed a team-high 99.2 innings striking out 86 hitters and winning a team-high 12 games on the year. Ariel Thompson rounds out the Lopes pitching staff as she sports a 7-1 record on the season pitching in 62 innings and punching out 31 hitters.
There's a First Time for Everything:
This weekend's series will feature the first time since SFA joined the WAC that GCU softball will make the trip to the Piney Woods. These two schools have met four previous times prior to this weekend with GCU winning three of the first four matchups. In their last meeting, GCU defeated SFA 14-3 at home in SFA's third game of the WAC tournament last season.
Players Mentioned
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C
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C/IF
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OF
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P/UTL
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/ Softball2.1.24 | Axe 'Em Insider Ep. 24 x Softball
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