Midwestern State vs. UT Permian Basin
Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 | 4/6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017 | 1 p.m.
Mustangs Park | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (6-6, 0-0 LSC); UT Permian Basin (1-9, 0-0 LSC)
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Video: Mustangs Digital Network (Friday games only)

THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State continues its homestand this weekend as the Mustangs play host to UT Permian Basin in their Lone Star Conference opening series Friday and Saturday at Mustangs Park.
 
The series gets underway Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. while a single game is slated for a 1 p.m. start Saturday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
- Midwestern State posted a 3-1 record at the MSU Round Robin last weekend at Mustangs Park with MSU earning wins over Colorado Mines, Newman (Kan.) and Southwest Baptist (Mo.) while falling to Southwestern Oklahoma
- The Mustangs tallied a pair of shutouts with a 5-0 victory over Mines and an 8-0 run-rule victory in five innings over Newman to push their season total to three
- Sophomore second baseman Misty Muniz led the Mustangs at the plate with a .571 average with four RBI, two walks and a pair of runs
- Sophomore designated hitter Taylor Mordecai finished with a team-high five RBI with two doubles among her five hits for a .500 clip
- The Mustangs batted .352 with 12 extra-base hits while outscoring the opposition 25-6 on the weekend
- In the circle, senior Erin Knox did not allow a run in 5.0 innings during the shutout against Colorado Mines 
- Senior Tayler Jerrick led the Mustangs with six strikeouts in 10.0 innings while allowing just one earned run for a 0.70 ERA
- In the win over Newman, sophomore Peyton Helton tossed a one-hitter in 5.0 innings while finishing with a 1.27 ERA in three appearances and two starts for MSU last weekend
 
A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
- Midwestern State enters Lone Star Conference play with a 6-6 record on the season, having won five of its last six games
- Sophomore right fielder Carli Woolsey leads the Mustangs with a .447 batting average in all 12 starts this season with a team-high 17 hits, 12 RBI and four home runs
- The Enid, Okla. native is tied for first in the league in home runs, ranks third in hits and is sixth in RBI
- Knox carries a .370 average into the weekend with a team-best eight walks in addition to 10 hits, seven runs and six RBI in 10 appearances
- Following a strong weekend at home, Mordecai climbed to a .333 average with 10 hits, seven RBI and six runs scored on the year
- Freshman center fielder Lauren Lindgren has also shined for the MSU offense with a .316 batting clip with 12 hits, a team-high 10 runs, eight RBI and four stolen bases in all 12 starts
- Helton carries a team-best 2.85 ERA and 2-2 record in 27.0 innings and five starts for the Mustangs this season
- The Electra product has fanned 14 batters and has one shutout and a pair of one-hit outings on the year
- Knox holds a 3.50 ERA in 26.0 innings in the circle for the Maroon and Gold with a complete game two-hit shutout against Oklahoma Panhandle State while combining for a shutout with Tayler Jerrick against Colorado Mines
 
THE RYAL ERA BEGINS
- After serving as an assistant coach for Midwestern State softball during the 2016 season, former major leaguer Mark Ryal was tabbed the second head coach in program history last August
- Ryal replaces Brady Tigert, who coached the Mustangs to nine NCAA Tournament appearances in 13 seasons with a 486-256 (.655) career record since starting the program in 2004
- Ryal arrives in Wichita Falls following one season as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State in 2015 while serving in the same capacity at South Alabama in 2014
- The Dewar, Okla. native coached at Prague (Okla.) High School following five seasons as the hitting coach at Auburn, coaching current MSU assistant coach Caitlin Schultze during his stint with the Tigers
- The East Central alum also served as the head coach for Carl Albert State College (Okla.) following four seasons at Inola (Okla.) High School while also serving as the hitting coach for the Oklahoma baseball team during their College World Series run in 1995
- Ryal made his Major League Baseball debut in 1982 with the Kansas City Royals after being drafted in the third round of the 1978 MLB Draft
- He also spent time with the Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates during his professional career
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
- UT Permian Basin enters conference play with a 1-9 record through the first two weeks of the season
- The Falcons lone win of the year came Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Oklahoma Christian at the North Texas Softball Bash in Grand Prairie
- Junior infielder Adrianna Berzoza leads the Falcons with a .259 batting average and seven hits in 10 starts this season
- Senior outfielder Melissa Zuniga is hitting .250 with seven hits and three RBI
- In the circle, junior Chelsae Faries sports a team-best 5.65 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 14.1 innings of work
- Tiala Tagaloa is in her third season leading the UTPB softball program
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Midwestern State is a perfect 6-0 in the all-time series against UT Permian Basin
- The teams met six times from 2012-15 with MSU posting run-rule wins in the last four meetings
- The Mustangs are 2-0 against the Falcons in Wichita Falls, earning a doubleheader sweep back on Apr. 9, 2013
 
UP NEXT
- Midwestern State closes out its homestand Tuesday with a doubleheader against Oklahoma Christian at Mustangs Park. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.