MIDWESTERN STATE SCHEDULE AT NSU SOFTBALL FESTIVAL
Saturday, Feb. 20
Midwestern State vs. Rogers State (Okla.) – 9 a.m. (Tahlequah HS) | Live Stats
Midwestern State vs. Lindenwood (Mo.) – 4:30 p.m. (Tahlequah HS) | Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 21
Midwestern State vs. Wisconsin-Parkside – 9 a.m. (RiverHawks Park) | Live Stats
Midwestern State vs. William Jewell (Mo.) – 2 p.m. (Tahlequah HS) | Live Stats
 
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – After closing out the WT Invitational on a four-game win streak last week in Canyon, Midwestern State looks to carry that momentum into its final regular season tournament this weekend at the fourth annual NSU Softball Festival in Tahlequah, Okla., hosted by Northeastern State at RiverHawks Park and Tahlequah High School.

The Mustangs begin play Saturday in the Sooner State against Rogers State (Okla.) at 9 a.m. before facing Lindenwood (Mo.) in a 4:30 p.m. matchup at Tahlequah High School. MSU concludes the tournament Sunday against Wisconsin-Parkside at 9 a.m. at RiverHawks Park before returning to Tahlequah High School for the tourney finale versus William Jewell (Mo.) at 2 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
– After being run-ruled 9-0 in the WT Invitational opener Friday against No. 12 St. Mary's, the Mustangs came back swinging in their final four games of the weekend to outscore opponents 44-14 and out-hit the opposition .456-.258
– Midwestern began its win streak with a 9-7 comeback win over Chadron State (Neb.), scoring six runs in the final two innings to counter a six-run fourth by the Eagles
– The Mustangs wrapped up the second day of play with an 8-5 win over Metro State (Colo.) after plating six runs in the first two innings
– MSU collected a pair of five-inning run-rule victories Sunday with a 10-0 win over Adams State (Colo.) and a 17-2 drubbing of Colorado State-Pueblo
– Junior pitcher/first baseman Erin Knox led the Mustangs on the weekend with a .615 batting average, registering two doubles among her eight hits while driving in five runs for MSU
– Senior center fielder Haley Howerton also shined offensively for the Mustangs with a .563 average while going a perfect 6-of-6 on the base paths, extending her hitting and on base streaks to eight games
– After a strong performance against Chadron State, senior infielder Chelsey Wall returned to the starting lineup for the Mustangs to hit .538 on the weekend
– Sophomore catcher/first baseman Amanda Thomas continued her offensive surge with a .438 average with two doubles and a home run while pushing her hitting and reached base streaks to eight games
– Senior third baseman was the fifth Mustang to hit over .400 with at least 10 at bats on the week with a .412 average and a team-high 1.059 slugging percentage
– Among her seven hits, Vinson recorded three home runs and two doubles while driving in a team-best 10 RBI
 
VINSON RECORDS HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE AGAINST THUNDERWOLVES
– With two home runs in the fourth inning against CSU-Pueblo Sunday, Katelyn Vinson climbed to the top of the MSU record books by matching Kim Jerrick's career home run record of 56 set in 2014
– Vinson tallied her ninth multiple home run game of her career, a school record, while becoming just the second Mustang to hit two home runs in an inning after Mallory Mooney also accomplished the feat in the third inning of a 13-0 win over Missouri Southern on Feb. 20, 2011
– Being at the top of the record books is nothing new for Vinson as the Southlake native is currently the career leader in batting average (.423) and slugging percentage (.837) while ranking second in on base percentage (.489), RBI (186) and total bases (406)
 
A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
– Midwestern State moved to 9-7 on the season following its 4-1 slate at the WT Invitational
– Vinson leads the Mustangs with a .512 batting average this season, recording seven extra base hits among her 22 with four doubles and three home runs (3rd in the LSC)
– Howerton (.417) and Knox (.412) are also producing offense for the Mustangs in the early going
– Howerton leads the LSC with 25 hits and is fourth with nine stolen bases while pacing the Mustangs with 15 runs scored
– Knox has tallied a team-best 15 RBI for fifth in the league
– In the circle, junior Tayler Jerrick has a team-best 2.51 ERA for a 1-1 record in 22.1 innings of work
– Redshirt freshman Peyton Helton has seen the most action for the Mustangs with 11 appearances and seven starts to compile a 4.96 ERA and 3-5 mark in 48.0 innings
– Helton has tossed four complete games to date while also leading the Mustangs with two saves to tie for the conference lead
– Knox has also seen success in the circle for MSU, currently holding a 3-0 mark with a 5.48 ERA in 23.0 innings
 
SCOUTING THE HILLCATS
– Rogers State enters the third weekend of the season with a record of 3-6, claiming wins in three of its last four games at home
– The Hillcats are led at the plate by freshman outfielder Katelyn Gamble, who is batting .440 with a team-high 10 runs and 4-of-4 in stolen bases
– Junior infielder Morgen Blanchard is hitting .400 for the Hillcats while leading the team with 12 hits, nine RBI, five doubles and a .667 slugging percentage
– Senior Jessica Christian sports a team-best 4.54 ERA with a 2-2 mark in seven appearances and 24.2 innings of work
– Christian has thrown one complete game in three starts and also has one save to her stat line
– Andrea Vaughan is serving as the interim head coach for Rogers State in 2016
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
– Lindenwood joined Midwestern State at the Gulf Coast Invitational in Alabama to open the season two weeks ago, compiling a 2-3 record during the three-day tournament
– The Lions were set to play four games at the North Georgia Loyal Blue Classic last weekend but weather cancelled the event
– Sophomore utility Maria Tippit and junior second baseman Madeline Bohr each batted .500 during the Lions opening weekend of play with Tippit leading the squad with five hits and Bohr recording five walks
– Junior outfielder Madison Huot also saw success at the plate with a pair of home runs for a team-high five RBI and four runs
– Sophomore Bethany Fountain totaled a 5.07 ERA in four appearances and 9.2 innings to lead Lindenwood in the circle
– Don Loberg enters his 11th season leading the Lions softball program with a 255-259 (.496) career record
 
SCOUTING THE RANGERS
– Wisconsin-Parkside is 0-4 after dropping doubleheaders to Sioux Falls (S.D.) and St. Cloud State (Minn.) last weekend to open the season
– Freshman outfielder Paige Schmittling hit .500 last week to lead the Rangers with six hits and a pair of runs while going 2-for-3 in stolen bases
– Junior Carly Dundee finished with a 3.87 ERA and 0-2 record in two starts for UW-Parkside, allowing 16 hits and seven runs while striking out six in 12.2 innings
– Head coach Scott Wachholz is in his second season with the Rangers after a 7-36 season in 2015
 
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
– William Jewell carries a 2-2 record into the NSU Softball Festival after beginning the season last weekend at the Arkansas-Monticello 8-State Classic
– Senior utility Nona Pauline and sophomore infielder Brooke Bernard each batted .462 during opening weekend with six hits apiece
– Senior outfielder Morgan Olson led the Cardinals with seven RBI after two home runs and a double for a .417 average and 1.000 slugging percentage
– Freshman Anna Biondo threw 7.2 innings in the circle for the Cardinals, fanning 13 batters while allowing 12 hits and four earned runs for a 3.65 ERA and 1-1 record with one complete game
– Head coach Dustin Combs has led William Jewell to nine-straight winning seasons for a career mark of 262-201-2 (.566)
 
THE TIGERT ERA
– Since starting the program 12 years ago, head coach Brady Tigert has led Midwestern State softball to nine NCAA Tournament appearances while compiling a 465-235 (.664) record in his time at MSU
– After a three-year stint at LSC foe Texas A&M-Kingsville, Tigert guided MSU to a 31-16 record in its inaugural season in 2004 where the squad captured the LSC North title and punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament
– Under Tigert, the Mustangs have claimed two South Central Region Championships (2010, 2011) and advanced all the way to the national semifinals in 2011 before falling to Alabama-Huntsville
– During that two-year span, the Mustangs led all of collegiate softball with 108 wins with back-to-back 54-win campaigns to set a new LSC single-season wins record
– Tigert holds three regional coaching staff of the year honors (2006, 2010-11) and is a five-time LSC Coach of the Year awardee (2004, 2006-07, 2010-11), capturing conference titles in 2006 and 2007
 
MUSTANGS PICKED SEVENTH IN LSC PRESEASON POLL
– Midwestern State was chosen to finish seventh in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives
– The Mustangs totaled 87 points in the poll behind West Texas A&M (211), Angelo State (173), Tarleton State (161), Texas Woman's (159), Cameron (142) and Texas A&M-Commerce (101). Texas A&M-Kingsville (54) and Eastern New Mexico (37) rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth, respectively
 
LOOKING AHEAD
– Midwestern State will open up Lone Star Conference play on the road next weekend with a four-game series Friday and Saturday against Eastern New Mexico at the ENMU Softball Field in Portales