Midwestern State (9-10, 4-8 LSC) vs. Cameron (16-7, 8-4 LSC)
Lone Star Conference Series
Friday & Saturday, March 16-17, 2018 | 2 p.m. / 1 p.m. / 3 p.m.
McMahon Field | Lawton, Okla.
MSU leads the all-time series 32-23 | 11-12 vs. the Aggies on the road | MSU won the season series last year, 2-1
Game 1 Live Stats: CameronAggies.com | Game 2 Live Stats: CameronAggies.com | Game 3 Live Stats: CameronAggies.com | Live Video: Oklahoma Sports Network
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
 
LEADING OFF: The MSU Texas softball team travels to Lawton for its Red River Rivalry series with Cameron (16-7, 8-4). Midwestern State (9-10, 4-8 LSC) looks to build off taking one-of-three against 11^th-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce last weekend.
 
CHICKS DIG THE LONG BALL: MSU ranks 10^th-nationally and is second in the Lone Star Conference with 1.26 home runs per game, clubbing 24 long balls in 19 games. 10 different players have gone yard, led by junior second baseman Samantha Loos with six. The Maroon and Gold were kept in the park last weekend against the Lions. The three-game stretch is the longest homerless drought of the season.
 
THOMAS PICKING UP STEAM: Senior catcher Amanda Thomas found her rhythm in the finale against ENMU, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs and a double. In her last 12 games, the backstop is hitting at a .361 clip with nine RBI, six runs and two taters. The Marble Falls product is tied for the team lead with four multi-RBI games, including three games with three RBI.
 
BOGLE NOT GETTING BOGGED DOWN: Senior pitcher Gracie Bogle has stymied the opposition in her last two starts, allowing just one earned run in 13.2 innings in the circle, good for a 0.51 ERA. The Tulsa native scattered 12 hits for four runs (one earned) with 10 strikeouts.
 
GETTING CARRIED AWAY: Junior Tucker Caraway has reached safely in 12-straight games, going 13-for-35 (.371) with 10 runs scored. The South Alabama transfer has hit safely in 10 of the last 12 while making four starts in the circle.
 
EROPKIN HITTING ROPES: After being held hitless in the first two games of the season, sophomore outfielder Kelsey Eropkin has been on a tear, hitting safely in 15 of the last 17 games. During that span, the Tulsa transfer is hitting .339 with 13 runs, four doubles, four homers and six RBI.
 
SAMI SOFTBALL: Junior second baseman Samantha Loos leads the team in runs (16), homers (6), RBI (14), slugging (.647), walks (12), HBP (4) and on-base percentage (.433). The Udall, Kansas native has reached safely in 16-straight games.
 
ENTER SANDMAN: Junior pitcher Abbie Lancaster leads the conference and ranks fourth-nationally with four saves. On Friday, the Idabell, Okla., native entered in the top of the seventh with runners on second and third and no outs in a 5-3 game. The right-hander worked out of the jam to earn the save by inducing a popup, groundout and strikeout to secure the win. Lancaster is holding opponents to a .219 average and leads MSU with 30 strikeouts in 42.2 innings pitched.
 
ANOTHER HIGH-POWERED FOE ON DECK: Cameron fell out of the top-25 this week after climbing to No. 21 before losing two-of-three to Tarleton on the road. As a team, the Aggies hit .264, led by Kaitlyn Alvarado with a .353 average. Catcher Callie Busby has provided some pop in the lineup, leading the team with six homers and 13 RBI. In the circle, Rylee Willmon (8-4, 2.22 ERA, 78.2 IP) and Bethany Hines (7-3, 3.10 ERA, 67.2 IP) have gotten the majority of the workload, starting 22 of 23 games for Cameron.