OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU softball team will officially open its 2023 campaign on its home turf as the Evangels will host Kansas Wesleyan on Saturday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The Evangels will be looking to go on one last postseason ride with their skipper Robert Wakefield as the legendary head coach announced earlier this spring that his 12^th season with the Evangels and his 36^th season as a softball coach will be his last.
 
MACU SEASON PREVIEW

• 2022 Record: 35-23
• Last Game: Lost vs. SW Assemblies of God (Texas) – 5-2 – May 18, 2022 – Kansas City, Mo. (NCCAA World Series – Semifinal)
• Top Returners (Position)
  • Janessa Larman – SR – 3B
    • .327 BA (53-162), 11 2B, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 18 R, 7 BB, 5 HBP, .371 OBP, .543 SLG%
  • Mikaylee Allen – SR – SS
    • .327 BA (54-165), 7 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 45 R, 17 BB, 2 HBP, 45 SB, .397 OBP, .455 SLG%
  • Olivia Roberts – SR – 1B
    • .325 BA (50-154), 10 2B, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 14 R, 12 BB, 1 HBP, .377 OBP, .409 SLG%
  • Rachel Humburg – SR – OF
    • .320 BA (49-153), 18 2B, 1 3B, 29 RBI, 27 R, 8 BB, 4 HBP, 4 SB, .365 OBP, .451 SLG%
  • Cailey Parsells – SR – OF
    • .278 BA (42-151), 3 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 30 RBI, 52 R, 22 BB, 14 HBP, 54 SB, .415 OBP, .411 SLG%
• Top Returners (Pitching)
  • Rachel Eggleston – R-SO – RHP
    • 17-11 W-L, 3.03 ERA, 33 APP, 27 GS, 152.2 IP, 11 CG, 1 SHO, 1 SV, 168 H, 91 R, 66 ER, 27 BB, 118 SO
  • Avery Schneringer – JR – RHP
    • 16-1 W-L, 3.38 ERA, 33 APP, 29 GS, 157.1 IP, 14 CG, 4 SHO, 171 H, 87 R, 76 ER, 46 BB, 75 SO
• Top Newcomers
  • Morgan Fowble – JR – 3B/SS – NOC-Tonkawa
    • .302 BA (39-129), 8 2B, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 27 R, 4 BB, 3 SB, .362 OBP, .411 SLG% in 2022
  • Macy Stockton – JR – OF – NOC-Enid
    • .321 BA (51-159), 9 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 38 R, 16 BB, 26 SB, .394 OBP, .503 SLG% in 2021
  • Aubrey Meyers – JR – OF – NOC-Tonkawa
    • .300 BA (36-120), 6 2B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 26 R, 6 BB, .336 OBP, .400 SLG%
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off yet another great postseason showing. After the Evangels stunned NAIA National Champion Oklahoma City in the SAC Tournament before dropping a pair to the Stars, the Evangels made a strong push through the NCCAA World Series field.
  • In the NCCAA tourney, MACU was the only team to go unscathed through pool play, defeating Trinity Baptist (Fla.) 9-4, Oakland City (Ind.) 13-3 and Southwestern Christian (Okla.) 5-0. However, the Evangels saw their chance at repeating as NCCAA National Champion come to an unfortunate end as a first inning grand slam propelled the champion Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) to a 5-2 victory.
  • The Evangels return a large core of their lineup from last season's squad, including 76 percent of their runs scored, 79 percent of their hits and 78 percent of their RBIs with Kassi Martin and Camenda Osborn being the only starters to graduate from the program.
  • MACU also added some depth to the lineup with three strong JUCO transfers in Morgan Fowble, Aubrey Meyers and Macy Stockton. Fowble and Meyers were two productive players for NOC-Tonkawa the past two seasons while Macy Stockton will be looking to have a bounce-back year after having a very productive 2021 season at NOC-Enid.
  • The Evangels have also added eight solid freshmen to the squad that will be looking to produce in their first season at MACU.
  • On-top of returning a large portion of its hitting, the Evangels bring back even more production from the pitching position as MACU returns its two starting pitchers in NCCAA Central Region Player of the Year Rachel Eggleston and Avery Schneringer while also bringing back one of its best bullpen options in Harley Beesley.
  • Overall, MACU is coming off a 35-23 season with a 17-15 mark in Sooner Athletic Conference play, but the Evangels were a team that went through some early season growing pains. Mid-America Christian was red-hot through the second half of the season by winning 17 of its final 22 games, including 10 of its last 12 SAC contests.

SCOUTING REPORT
Kansas Wesleyan

• 2022 Record: 22-22
• Last Game: Lost vs. Avila (Mo.) – May 7, 2022 – Great Bend, Kan. (KCAC Tournament)
• Series vs. MACU (2011-): KWU leads 14-2
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 7-4 – Feb. 11, 2022
• Players to Watch:
  • Mia Hernandez – SO – C
    • .407 BA (46-113), 5 2B, 10 HR, 30 RBI, 22 R, 15 BB, .477 OBP, .717 SLG%
  • Samantha Herrera – SO – INF
    • .299 BA (29-97), 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 9 R, 11 BB, .364 OBP, .443 SLG%
  • Jewell Henry – SR – LHP
    • 5-6 W-L, 4.16 ERA, 20 APP, 8 GS, 70.2 IP, 88 H, 62 R, 42 ER, 31 BB, 38 SO
• Team Notes:
  • Kansas Wesleyan comes into the 2023 campaign under new leadership with first-year head coach Ryan Cooper taking the reins of the program. Cooper is making the transition to coaching softball after serving as an assistant coach for the KWU baseball program last season.
  • The Coyotes return one of the best players from the KCAC in Mia Hernandez. As just a freshman catcher, Hernandez was named the KCAC Player of the Year after batting .407 with 10 dingers and 30 RBIs while also getting on-base .477 percent of the time with a .717 slugging percentage.
  • Overall, KWU comes into the season with a young lineup with just two seniors on the squad.
  • While the Coyotes are replacing their workhorse in the circle in Carmen Angulo, who started 26 of KWU's 44 games last season and posted a 3.09 ERA, senior lefty Jewell Henry will provide some leadership in the circle, seeing action in 20 games last season and turning in a 4.16 ERA over 70.2 innings of work.
  • Even though Kansas Wesleyan won the first 14 meetings between the two programs, Mid-America Christian will be looking to stay hot against the Coyotes after taking both of their matchups last season. Exactly a year ago on Feb. 11, 2022, the Evangels opened the doubleheader with a 4-1 victory by not giving up a single run until the seventh inning while the bats came alive in game two, scoring six first-inning runs before holding off KWU for the 7-4 win.