MIDWESTERN STATE (5-22, 4-8 LSC)
at #23 Oklahoma Christian (19-8, 8-4 LSC)

Friday, March 25 -- 3 and 5 p.m.
Tom Heath Field at Lawson Plaza (Oklahoma City)
All-Time Series | OC leads 8-4

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Midwestern State faces its third consecutive ranked opponent in a Lone Star Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon at Oklahoma Christian. First pitches from Tom Heath Field at Lawson Plaza are set for 3 and 5 p.m.

The games are set for broadcast on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network at MSUMustangs.com/streaming.

All video streams on the LSC Digital Network are also available on Over-The-Top (OTT) apps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku by searching "LSC Digital Network."

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS

Midwestern State is 10th in the Lone Star Conference standings with a 4-8 league record... The Mustangs dropped to 1-8 in one-run games after falling to No. 20-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce 1-0 in nine innings last week... MSU is 0-10 when facing teams ranked in the NFCA Division II  Top 25 this season and has lost 16 straight against ranked opponents dating back to a 7-5 win over No. 2-ranked UT Tyler on March 8, 2020 in its last game before the remainder of the 2020 campaign was called due to the coronavirus pandemic... The Mustangs rank 14th in the LSC in hitting (.251 team batting average), 14th in pitching (6.42 team ERA) and 13th in fielding (.948 fielding percentage)... During Lone Star Conference play, MSU ranks 10th in the league in hitting (.288), 12th in pitching (5.74) and fifth in fielding (.957)... MSU ranks eighth in the LSC and 45th in NCAA Division II averaging 0.89 home runs per game... The Mustangs blasted 22 home runs over their last 17 games after hitting just two homers in their first 10 games of the season... Midwestern State has hit at least one homer in 10 of its last 14 games including a run of seven straight games from March 4-14... Sophomore Hanna Hetherington is second in the LSC lead and ranks seventh in NCAA Division II with 10 home runs... Hetherington hit nine of her 10 home runs over her past 12 games including two-homer games against Western New Mexico (3/6), St. Mary's (3/12) and St. Edward's (3/14)... Junior Bailey Brenek leads the team hitting .377 and is 11th in the LSC and 88th in NCAA Division II with eight doubles to go along with a triple and a homer while driving in 14 runs... Brenek leads the Mustangs with 12 multiple-hit games this season... Brenek has reached base in each of her last 14 games... Brenek has thrown out three would-be base stealers and picked off two others since moving into the starting catcher role six games ago... Senior Ashley Turner is fourth in the LSC and 46th in NCAA Division II with nine doubles... Turner is second on the team hitting .374 with nine doubles, six homers and 19 RBIs... Freshman Peyton Lee is hitting .435 (10-for-34) with two doubles and has multiple three times over the last eight games... Lee notched a save on March 14 against St. Edward's in her first pitching appearance of the season allowing one hit and one walk in 1 1/3 innings, then pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief against No. 1 UT Tyler on March 20... Freshman Mikey Dominguez hit .387 (12-for-31) with a double, a triple, four homers and 10 RBIs during a 10-game stretch from March 4-18... Dominguez posted five two-hit games during the stretch and accounted for each of her home runs this season... Freshman Sabrina Graf hit .556 (10-for-18) with two doubles and five RBIs during a six-game hitting streak from March 4-14... 

HEAD COACH BRITTANIE TALLEY is in her first season at the helm of the Midwestern State program. Talley amassed a 129-75 record (.632) over the past five seasons at Vernon College including a 42-12 run while leading Chaps to the 2021 NJCAA regional tournament. That came on the heels of a 21-1 start in 2020 before the season was cut short by the pandemic. Prior to Vernon College, Talley played a role in a successful three-year run at Alabama State helping the Lady Hornets to a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title and a trip to the NCAA Division I regionals in 2016. She competed professionally for the Skovde Saints winning the Swedish championship as the league's pitcher of the year in 2011. She enjoyed a standout collegiate career at Jackson State where she earned second-team All-SWAC honors earning 27 career wins while posting seven shutouts. She also hit .320 in 172 career at bats.

ABOUT THE EAGLES

Oklahoma Christian has won five straight and seven of its last eight to move into the National Fast-pitch Coaches' Association poll at No. 23... The Eagles rank sixth in the LSC in hitting (.336 team batting average), fourth in pitching (2.32 team ERA) and 10th in fielding (.955 fielding percentage)... During Lone Star Conference play, OC ranks fourth in the league in hitting (.331), second in pitching (2.51) and 13th in fielding (.948)... Oklahoma Christian leads the LSC and ranks second in NCAA Division II with 20 triples... The Eagles also lead the league and rank seventh nationally turning 14 double plays... OC boasts seven hitters with a .300-or-higher batting average with at least 46 at bats... Sophomore Whitney Walde leads the Eagles hitting .388 with eight doubles, a triple and 14 RBIs... Sophomore Kylie Janzen hits .311 with team highs with six homers and 24 RBIs... Hanna Pate (12 stolen bases), Rian Gamble (12 stolen bases) and Tristyn Hamilton (11 stolen bases) have combined for 35 stolen bases on 37 attempts... Two-sport standout Brooklin Bain is hitting .400 with five doubles, three triples and 15 RBIs in 55 at bats over 15 games... Junior Kali Crandall is 9-6 in the circle posting a 2.12 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 19 appearances and 12 starts in 85 2/3 innings... Senior Lindsey Stoeckel is 3-0 posting a 1.75 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 10 appearances and four starts in 24 innings... Freshman Grace Anderson is 7-2 with four saves posting a 2.79 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 17 appearances and 11 starts in 70 1/3 innings...

ABOUT THE SERIES

Midwestern State and Oklahoma Christian meet for the 13th and 14th times on the diamond Friday afternoon at Tom Heath Field. The Eagles own an 8-4 lead in the series which dates back to the 2014 season. Oklahoma Christian has won the last three meetings between the programs. Hannah Springs and Lauren Lindgren keyed a three-run sixth inning to lift the Mustangs to their last victory in the series in a 3-2 win in Game 2 on Feb. 21, 2017 in Wichita Falls. Midwestern State and Oklahoma Christian attempted to play three doubleheader at Tom Heath Field over the past seven years. Only one game was played -- a 7-2 win by OC on April 7, 2015. The second game of that doubleheader was called due to a turf tear in the pitcher's circle. The Mustangs and Eagles were rained out in 2017, then were scheduled to play the Friday after the 2020 season was called due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Midwestern State is 2-2 in neutral site games at Heath Field competing in the Edmond Regional Classic in 2020 and 2022.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State and Cameron resume the Red River Rivalry in a Lone Star Conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at McMahon Field in Lawton. First pitches are slated for 1 and 3 p.m.