CHADRON, Neb. -- April 27, 2017 -- The Chadron State College softball team will try to put a bow on the 2017 regular season this week as they travel to northeastern New Mexico for four games against Fort Lewis College of Durango, Colorado.

The Skyhawks have been displaced from their home field on the FLC campus all season, due to ongoing renovations to the softball complex. The alternate site, Tiger Sports Complex at Aztec High School, is located approximately 35 miles south of Durango, across the New Mexico state line in Aztec, New Mexico.

Chadron State enters the weekend at 25-23 overall, 21-14 RMAC, after clinching a conference tournament spot last weekend at home. If the Eagles can win at least three games against FLC, they will clinch the fourth seed in the RMAC Tournament, which begins Thursday, May 4, in Grand Junction, Colorado. CSC is one and one-half games in front of Regis University, and two and one-half in front of Colorado Christian University, but the Eagles cannot fall below sixth in the standings.

Several Eagles currently hold, or are close to seizing, season and career records.

Pitcher Jessica Jarecki, with an earned run average of 2.62, is only thousandths of a run behind Tayler Hall, last year's senior ace, for the second-best season ERA in school history. She is also chasing the all-time record of 2.46 set by Casey Williams in 2009. Jarecki is two away from tying Williams and Hall for the lead in complete games pitched, with 19 on the year. She needs one more shutout on the season to match the four posted by Williams in 2009 and Kylee Polsley in 2014.

The Eagles' other starting pitcher, Kinsley Mason, is walking the fewest batters per seven innings, by a large margin, of any CSC pitcher in a single season.

Senior Lindsey Karlin's season on-base percentage of .483 is the best of the modern CSC softball era, but she is still chasing two players from the 1982 season, Patti Buettner (.519) and Joyce Munsinger (.500), for the all-time lead. In addition with a career batting average of .364, Karlin is just 0.4 percent away from being the all-time batting leader. Buettner also holds that title, with an average of .368. Her career on-base percentage of .461 is on track to finish on top of the all-time list.

Senior shortstop Courtney Lecher's career records are many - notably most hits, most runs, and most stolen bases all-time. However she and fellow senior Taylor Bauer at third base are battling for another career record, in fielding assists. Lecher sits third all-time with 342 at shortstop, while Bauer's 350 playing the hot corner are No. 1. Former third baseman Allison Hendricksen (2007-10) stands between them at 348.

Chadron State's opponent, Fort Lewis, has struggled this season after losing their top pitcher, Victoria Johnson, to graduation in 2016. She is back as a coaching assistant, however this year's rotation hasn't quite been able to replace the 128 strikeouts nor replicate her .287 opposing batting average. Opponents bat nearly .400 and earn more than nine runs per game against Skyhawk pitchers this season.

The few bright spots for the Skyhawks this season have come in the batter's box.

Sophomore catcher Angelique Elemen is second in the league in runs batted in (58) and homeruns (15). She leads the team in batting average (.412), hits (54), total bases (100), and slugging percentage (.806).
 
Senior shortstop Adriana Rosthenhausler, batting second-best for the Skyhawks at .375, leads the team in walks (18), doubles (16), on-base percentage (.463), and fielding assists (94).

Senior Tehenia Telliano and junior Tristen Gilbert are both having good seasons at the plate, batting .345 and .326, respectively.

Fort Lewis is 6-39 overall (5-31 RMAC), and for the Skyhawk seniors, this will be the last appearance in their school's uniform. 

Due to Fort Lewis's graduation, the start time for Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m., while Sunday's first pitch is set for 11 a.m.