GAMES 11/12: SBU BEARCATS (4-4) vs
OUACHITA BAPTIST LADY TIGERS (11-1)
MONDAY, MARCH 1 • 1:00 PM/3:00 PM
SBU SOFTBALL FIELD • BOLIVAR, MO

GAMES 13-16: SBU at EAST CENTRAL LADY TIGERS (9-3)
FRIDAY, MARCH 5 • 2:00 PM/4:00 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 6 • 11:00 AM/1:00 PM
LADY TIGER FIELD • ADA, OKLAHOMA

SBU NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Fresh off Saturday's sweep of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the SBU Bearcats are right back in action as they host Ouachita Baptist Monday to start the month of March. The Bearcats and OBU Lady Tigers have already played twice this season, with OBU winning a pair of one-run contests in Arkadelphia. SBU will visit East Central for a four-game series this weekend.

Catcher Stephanie Luciani has gotten off to a hot start, batting .529 over the first eight games of the season. Luciani went 3-for-5 in both games over the weekend against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and is tied for the team lead in runs batted in (5) with Katrina Munoz and Krysta Baderdeen. The older Baderdeen went 4-for-7 against UAPB, and carries a five-game hitting streak into the doubleheader against Ouachita.

Freshman shortstop Latasha Baderdeen made a big impact in her collegiate debut at OBU, going 6-for-11 in four games, including a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored in the first game against Ouachita. She now stands at 11-for-24 (.458) on the year and leads the team with 14 total bases.

Junior pitchers Karly Bitters and Josie Rose have each started out 2-2 in their first four starts this season. Bitters has a 3.48 ERA over 20.2 innings pitched, while Rose has struck out 31 batters in 24 innings pitched.

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.

Mike McGhee is head coach for Ouachita Baptist. McGhee led the Lady Tigers to a Gulf South Conference Tournament berth, where they fell before almost upsetting Valdosta State is the opening game.

Destini Anderson is her fourth season leading East Central. She improved their win total in her first two seasons with ECU. Her 2008 team was 21-34-1 before dipping to 12-23 last season.

SCOUTING BOTH OF THE LADY TIGERS
OBU is led in hitting by Sarah Bell (.500), Haley Chambers (.471) and Megan Askew (.419), each of whom have started every game. Chambers leads with 16 RBI and is tied with Bell with three homers each. Kristen Rigsbee (5-1, 1.26 ERA) and Kayci Wilson (4-0, 2.13 ERA) lead the OBU pitching staff.

East Central has won seven of their last eight, the only loss coming against Nebraska-Omaha. Wanda Malone and Randee Crockett make a powerful 1-2 punch in the East Central rotation, going a combined 7-1 so far this year. Malone has posted a 0.97 ERA with two complete game shutouts, while Crockett is 4-0 and has rung up 33 batters in 28.2 innings pitched. Desiree' Nordie leads ECU with a .531 average and her 13 RBI is tied with Kasey Barber for the team lead.