Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern softball team is set to play a home-and-home series against cross-state rival Pittsburg State beginning with two games inside the Pat Lipira Softball Complex acting as the designated MIAA contests tomorrow afternoon before heading to PSU for a pair of non-conference games on Saturday.
 
MSSU hosted its Teri Mathis-Zenner tournament in a one-day event last Friday, splitting its pair of games with a 9-2 victory over William Jewell and then a 9-6 loss to Rockhurst to close it out. Senior Lexi Ferrari crushed a three-run home run to cap off the scoring for the Southern in the first game and then fellow senior Angel Badalamenti recorded four singles and drove in two runs on a perfect 4-of-4 stand at the plate in game two.
 
The Lions schedule continues to get interesting down the line as MIAA play begins and the final in-season tournament in St. Joseph, Missouri taking place in two weeks where the Lions battle six teams from the Northern Sun Conference, including No. 24 Wayne State and Sioux Falls for the second time this season and the likes of Minnesota State - Mankato, St. Cloud, Northern State, and Winona State to round out the HY-VEE Classic. 
 
The Rundown
Friday (in Joplin)

• 2:00 pm
• 4:00 pm

Saturday (at Pittsburg)

• 12:00 pm
• 2:00 pm

Video:

• Friday - https://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/
• Saturday - TBA

Radio: None
Stats:

• Friday - https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary/
• Saturday https://pittstategorillas.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary

 
Leading The Hunt (Current stats)
Batting Average: Josie Tofpi (.417)
Hits: Josie Tofpi (15)
Doubles: Ashley Caldarella (4)
Triples: Sidnie Hurst, Emilee Meyer, and Tori Frazier (1)
Home Runs: Erika Lutgen and Lexi Ferrari (2)
RBIs: Erika Lutgen (8)
Stolen Bases: Elizabeth Windsor (4)
ERA: Mikaela Cox (1.19)
Wins: Abby Atkin (4)
Strikeouts: Abby Atkin (27)
Fewest Walks Allowed: Abby Atkin (0)
Opponent Batting Avg: Taurean Guzman and Abby Atkin (.230)
 
Touching All the Bases (Three Facets That Opponents Bring to the Diamond!)
Pittsburg State (7-8)

• Picked 9th in the MIAA preseason poll
• Return five total players including one of two All-MIAA players in junior catcher Kala Holder (1^st) who has knocked in 10 RBIs on 16 hits (3 doubles/3 home runs) and scored 12 runs in 46 at bats while head coach Ashley Balazas brings in nine junior college transfers into the fold as she enters her second year at the helm
• The Gorillas are coming off their first losing season at 22-33 since 2011 (13-35) and searching for the first MIAA title in school history going back to the first champion in 1982

 
NFCA Coaches Poll (Mar. 3)

Rank	School	Points	Record	Previous
1	Southern Arkansas (16)	17-3	400	3
2	West Florida	21-1	365	10
3	Concordia Irvine	11-1	358	5
4	North Georgia	17-5	350	7
5	Valdosta State	13-3	320	4
6	Chico State	14-3	315	8
7	Carson-Newman	13-0	292	11
8	Central Oklahoma	16-1	283	15
9	West Texas A&M	15-4	261	21
10	Florida Tech	16-4	239	9
11	Grand Valley State	5-1	229	14
12	Colorado Mesa	14-4	220	17
	Saint Anselm	7-3	220	1
14	UC San Diego	15-3	199	13
15	Texas A&M-Kingsville	19-2	166	NR
16	UAH	15-6	162	16
17	Indianapolis	11-3	147	19
18	Texas A&M-Commerce	17-6	133	2
19	Cal State San Bernadino	9-2	97	20
20	Angelo State	16-7	95	6
21	Wingate	16-2	79	NR
22	Augustana (S.D.)	5-3	65	24
23	Southern New Hampshire	5-1	51	23
24	Wayne State (Mich.)	7-2	42	NR
25	Newberry	15-3	41	NR

 
Receiving Votes:  Mississippi College (19), Rogers State (19), Winona State (16), Lenoir-Rhyne (7), Gannon (4), Young Harris (4), Dixie State (2).
 
MIAA Teams and 2019 opponents in Bold; Central Region Teams Italicized.
 
Next Stretch
Softball goes on the road for its first pair of MIAA doubleheaders away from home against Fort Hays State on Friday, Mar. 15 at 2:00 pm followed by a matchup with Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, Mar. 16 at noon before returning home for Bark at the Park as the Central Missouri Jennies come to Joplin.