G5/G7: at SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA  STATE BULLDOGS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 • 1:00 PM
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 • 11:00 AM
G6/G8: vs OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN EAGLES
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 • 3:00 PM
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 • 1:00 PM
WEATHERFORD, OK • SWOSU SOFTBALL FIELD

WEATHERFORD, Okla. -- The SBU Bearcats make their first trip to Oklahoma in the early season, as they play a pair of games against the Oklahoma Christian Eagles as well as the host Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs. The Bearcats are searching for the first win of the year after dropping a pair of games last weekend to Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State, two of which were one-run heartbreakers.

Freshman shortstop Latasha Baderdeen made a big impact in her collegiate debut last weekend, going 6-for-11 in four games, including a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored in the first game against Ouachita. Krysta Baderdeen, Latasha's older sister, was last year's SBU offensive leader, hitting .425 with eight home runs.

Junior pitcher Karly Bitters has had a strong start in her first weekend as a Bearcat, making two starts and holding batters to a .241 average. Bitters also was the 'Cats designated hitter in three games, hitting .250 while bringing in one RBI.

Josie Rose returns after a stellar sophomore season to start two of the four games last weekend. Rose struck out 18 over 12 innings, and recorded her first complete game of the year, a narrow 6-5 loss to Ouachita.
   
Center fielder Katrina Munoz has gotten her senior season off to a solid start, battting .300 against Ouachita and Henderson State, including a pair of RBI. Munoz, along with Latasha Baderdeen, carry three-game hitting streaks into this weekends matchups.
 
ABOUT THE COACHES
Christy Capner returned to her alma mater before the 2007 season as she was named head coach of the Bearcats. Capner has seen six All-MIAA awards given out to her players over the last three seasons, and has seen steady improvement, going from eight wins in 2007, to 23 last year.

Tom Heath has been the only head coach since the Oklahoma Christian softball program began in 1995. Thirteen of Heath's players have earned All-American honors, and the Eagles have made two NAIA national tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003, and won the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament in 2005.

Tami Loy has been head coach for Southwestern Oklahoma State for 11 seasons now, where she has taken the Bulldogs from struggling young program to one that has made regular appearances in the Lone Star Conference tournament. Under Loy, SWOSU made one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation in 2001, recording a 28-17 record after earning just five wins the year before.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
SWOSU has gotten off to a solid start, sweeping double-headers against Oklahoma Panhandle, Hillsdale Bible, and Langston, winning by an average of 16 runs. The Bulldogs are led offensively by a pair of .700 hitters in freshman Tory Joyner and junior Fallon Bradshaw. Starting pitcher Kristina Davis had recorded two complete game shutouts in the early season. The Oklahoma Christian Eagles have yet to start their 2010 campaign, but went 33-19 last season, including 15-9 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Eagles had three hitters above .350 last season in Chrstin Dobbs (.390), Amy Urbanovsky (.378), and Ashley Noles (.367). Ubranovsky led the team in home runs, with five, while she tied with Dobbs in stolen bases, each swiping eight bags last year. As a team in 2009, the Eagles recorded a 2.64 ERA, and three of the four pitchers on the staff recorded two complete game shutouts each.