(LAST WEEK) No. 2 Midwestern State swept past Southwestern Oklahoma by scores of 7-2, 7-0 and 10-2 to improve to 8-1 in LSC North Division play. The Mustangs then split at Texas Woman's dropping Game 1 by a score of 3-2 before rallying to claim the nightcap 7-4 Tuesday night in Denton.
(NEXT WEEK) Midwestern State continues LSC North Division play against East Central with a three-game set in Ada, Okla. The Mustangs and Tigers play a single game on Thursday at 3 p.m. before wrapping the three-game set with a doubleheader Friday at 1 and 3 p.m.
(NO. 2) Midwestern State has owned its highest ranking in school history in each of the last two weeks at No. 2 in the National Fast-pitch Coaches' Association Top 25. The Mustangs have carried a national ranking for each of the last 21 reporting periods dating back to the beginning of last season spending 16 of those weeks in the Top 10.
(MUSTANGS TOP REGION) Midwestern State has carried top billing in the NCAA Division II South Central Region rankings each of the last two weeks and leads heavy dose of six Lone Star Conference squads in the rankings. The Mustangs are followed by Angelo State, Emporia State, Nebraska-Omaha, West Texas A&M, St. Mary's (Texas), Southeastern Oklahoma, Incarnate Word, Central Oklahoma and Missouri Western. The top eight teams advance to the South Central Region beginning at two campus sites on the weekend of May 13-15.
(SHUTTING THEM DOWN) Midwestern State's Brittney Tanner and Kristina Gutierrez are tied for the national lead with 10 shutouts each and combined to lead NCAA Division II with 20. The mark easily stands as a school record, but the duo is creeping up on a pair of Lone Star Conference marks. Southeastern Oklahoma set the team record with 22 blankings in 2000, while SOSU's Starla Payne (2000) and Christina Cearley (2003) share the individual mark with 14 shutouts.
(Ks 'R US) Midwestern State duo Brittney Tanner and Kristina Gutierrez have combined for 415 strikeouts to lead NCAA Division II and is on pace to take over the program record set in 2010 when the Tanner and Gutierrez combined with Katie Petersen to fan 535 batters.
(3 MEGAN CHARTIER) The reigning Lone Star Conference North Division Hitter of the Week had her season best six-game hitting streak snapped by going 0-for-3 in Game 2 Tuesday night at Texas Woman's University. The sophomore from Gatesville was 15-for-23 (.652) during the streak with a double while scoring seven runs and stealing seven bases.
(4 McKENZIE SICKLER) Sickler snapped out of a 2-for-16 slump with a vengeance over the past three games. The senior shortstop from Troy is 5-for-8 with four RBIs during the three-game streak to raise her season average to .286.
(5 NICKI DUFF) Duff has collected a hit in eight of her last nine games while hitting .387 (12-for-31) with a double, two triples and six RBIs to raise her season average to .265.
(6 ELENA BENNETT) Bennett continues to lead the Lone Star Conference with a .469 batting average and has reached base in 39 of her 43 games. The sophomore Carrollton has already eclipsed her own single season record with 33 stolen bases and needs 11 hits to pass Cheyenne Paschall (78 in 2007) for another school record.
(7 KALLIE NOBLE) Noble has appeared in four of the last five games as a pinch runner. The freshman from Albany has seen action - primarily as a pinch runner - in 29 games this season.
(9 ALYSON REYNOLDS) Reynolds tallied her 15th multiple-hit game of the season by going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI Tuesday's Game 2 win at Texas Woman's. The senior from Keller is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with two doubles and two homers with six RBIs in MSU's five games since the Lone Star Conference Crossover.
(10 MALLORY MOONEY) Mooney is hitting .412 (14-of-34) with six doubles and 10 RBIs over the Mustangs' last 11 games dating back to the beginning of the LSC Crossover two weeks ago in San Angelo. The junior third baseman has committed an error in her last 16 games and has handled her last 41 chances flawlessly.
(12 CAREY CAMPBELL) Campbell appeared in two games as a pinch runner while regaining health. The Albuquerque native has been productive at the plate this season hitting .259 with three doubles and three homers with 14 RBIs. Campbell has drawn 19 walks for a .394 on-base percentage.
(14 COURTNEY BINGHAM) Bingham returned from a 19-game injury absence to lace her seventh double of the season while making her first start Tuesday night at Texas Woman's University since March 6. The sophomore from Arlington ranks second in the nation with five triples and is enjoying a stellar campaign hitting .449 with seven doubles, five triples and two homers while driving in 32 runs.
(15 AMANDA POTYSMAN) Potysman drove in runs in each of Midwestern's wins last weekend at Southwestern Oklahoma. The versatile senior has started the last five games at second base and has also made starts at first base (2), shortstop (18), left field (6) and right field (7). Potysman crushed her sixth homer of the season as the second of back-to-back homers with Alyson Reynolds in Saturday's second game against the Bulldogs.
(16 KIM JERRICK) Jerrick drew three walks and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field in Game 2 Tuesday night at Texas Woman's University. The frosh from Belle Plaine, Kan. became the first catcher this season to throw out national stolen base leader Bailey Vrazel Tuesday night as she was caught stealing for the first time in 56 attempts.
(17 KRISTINA GUTIERREZ) Gutierrez has been untouchable in LSC North play with a 3-0 mark with a 0.35 ERA while allowing one run on 10 hits in 20 innings during divisional play with 33 strikeouts and one walk. The Pearland native notched her 10th shutout of the season delivering a three-hit shutout of Southwestern Oklahoma Saturday afternoon. Gutierrez has allowed three hits or less in 10 of her 20 starts this season.
(24 COURTNEY FORD) Ford saw her first game action since Feb. 13 when she pinch-ran and scored a run in MSU 11-1 win over Texas Woman's April 3 in the LSC Crossover in San Angelo. The freshman from Graham has now appeared in eight games while hitting .429 with a pair of RBIs.
(25 BRITTNEY TANNER) Tanner suffered her fourth loss of the season Tuesday night at Texas Woman's University, but still leads the Lone Star Conference with 23 wins and a 1.18 ERA. She stands second in the league with 236 strikeouts. The senior from Burkburnett also extended her hitting streak to a career best eight games. Tanner is hitting .520 (13-for-25) with a double and a homer while driving three during the stretch to raise her season average to .333.
