CHADRON, Neb. -- February 9, 2017 -- The Chadron State College softball team picks up again with five difficult non-conference opponents in Canyon, Texas, this weekend, at the West Texas Invitational tournament. The tournament schedule has been altered from its original format to accomodate all games within a two-day window, on account of potential weather. The new schedule is available at ChadronEagles.com.
CSC went 1-5 to open the season last weekend in Florida against some of the nation's top pitchers. They also got a first look at their own pitching staff in live action.
True freshman
Jessica Jarecki saw the most extensive time in the circle, pitching two complete games and one and a third innings of relief. She allowed opponents to bat .295 while offering up nine strikeouts in 15 and one third innings. She also recorded the only win of the weekend.
Senior
Kinsley Mason led the four starting pitchers with a 2.69 earned runs average, pitching two complete games of her own and striking out six.
Freshman
Megan Horn and Sophomore
Dallas Magnusson each also received one start apiece.
Aside from the pitchers, all fifteen other players received at least one at-bat and appeared in at least two games.
Aspen Eubanks, recovering from injury, led the team with a .429 batting average (6-for-14) and produced a go-ahead RBI against Tampa.
Of the true freshmen,
Sheyann Ludwig had arguably the best weekend. The newcomer from Longmont, Colorado, hit one of the team's two doubles, scored a run on Eubanks' RBI single, reached base on a hit-by-pitch, and successfully stole a base.
The Eagles expect to get a much different look from their competition this week trading the defensive-minded opponents they faced last weekend for more offense-oriented ones. Last season at the WT Invite, with the Eagles' No. 1 pitcher
Tayler Hall limited by injury rehab, the Lone Star Conference teams scored seven runs per game on Chadron State. CSC allowed an average of 3.6 runs per game over the course of their other 43 contests.
The tournament schedule differs however, from last year, as three MIAA teams - Fort Hays State, Missouri Southern, and Washburn - have been added to the slate. All three finished with a sub-.500 overall record last season. The latter two finished in the bottom half of the league, while FHSU finished seventh out of 14 teams. Headed into the weekend, MSSU and Washburn are a combined 1-11, while the Tigers will open their season against CSC.
On the other hand, the Eagles faced both Cameron and WTAMU, the two Lone Star opponents, last season in Canyon. CSC lost 12-0 in five innings to the hometown Lady Buffs, while Cameron edged Chadron State 8-4.
Both teams finished in the top half of the Lone Star standings in 2016, with West Texas taking the league title and advancing in the NCAA Championships to become one of the final six teams alive.
The Cameron Aggies began the season 5-3, without traveling outside of their home state of Oklahoma. West Texas A&M is 5-0 and ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II.
WTAMU returns six All-LSC honorees, including the conference Pitcher of the Year and All-America Kilee Halbert.
