OKLAHOMA CITY – After coming off a home split against Kansas Wesleyan on Saturday in its season-opener, the MACU softball team will be at Allen Field once again on Wednesday to take on Southwestern (Kan.) before the Evangels will take on Missouri Baptist at two different sites over the weekend. MACU will face the Spartans at 1 p.m. on Friday inside Ann Lacy Stadium at Oklahoma City University before challenging MBU again on Saturday inside Bill Smith Ballpark at Science & Arts on Saturday.
 
MACU SEASON REPORT

• Record: 1-1
• Last Game: Lost vs. Kansas Wesleyan – 7-2 – Feb. 11, 2023 – Allen Field
• Top Performers (Hitting):
  • Aurelia Holguin – JR – C
    • .400 BA (2-5), 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, .500 OBP, .800 SLG%
  • Rachel Humburg – SR – OF
    • .400 BA (2-5), 1 BB, 1 SB, .500 OBP, .400 SLG%
  • Mikaylee Allen – SR – SS
    • .250 BA (1-4), 2 2B, 1 R, 1 HBP, 2 SB, .400 OBP, .500 SLG%
• Top Performers (Pitching):
  • Rachel Eggleston – R-SO – RHP
    • 1-0 W-L, 1.00 ERA, 1 APP, 1 GS, 1 CG, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
  • Harley Beesley – SO – RHP
    • 0.00 ERA, 1 APP, 0.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 SO
• Team Notes:
  • The Evangels hosted their season-opener last Saturday and came away with a doubleheader split against Kansas Wesleyan, winning a 2-1 thriller in game one before a rough seventh inning doomed MACU to a 7-2 defeat in game two.
  • In the first game, Aurelia Holguin gave MACU the early momentum with a two-out RBI single to left that glanced off the glove of the shortstop in the first inning before Janessa Larman cranked a solo home run to left in the third to make it a 2-0 game. KWU got a run back on a Samantha Herrera solo homer in the top of the sixth, but Rachel Eggelston shut the door on the Coyotes in the seventh after tossing a 1-2-3 inning to seal the win.
  • Game two proved to be a back-and-forth battle through the first five innings as two teams battled to a 2-2 tie heading into the top of the seventh. However, the Evangels ran into a disastrous frame as KWU scored five runs on seven hits in the final inning to run away with a 7-2 victory to salvage a split.
  • After putting together a strong performance in her season debut, the 2022 NCCAA Central Region Player of the Year in Rachel Eggleston was awarded with the first NCCAA Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week honor of the 2023 season.

SCOUTING REPORT
Southwestern (Kan.)

• Record: 0-5
• Last Game: Lost at Arlington Baptist (Texas) – 11-3 (5 Inn) – Feb. 11, 2023 – Fort Worth, Texas
• Series vs MACU (2004-): MACU leads 18-11
• Last Game vs MACU: MACU won 12-4 (5 Inn) – Feb. 16, 2023 – Winfield, Kan.
• Players to Watch:
  • Isabel Lytle – SO – INF
    • .300 BA (3-10), 1 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 4 BB, .500 OBP, .400 SLG%
  • Rayven Favors – JR – C/INF
    • .600 BA (3-5), 2 2B, 2 RBI, .600 OBP, 1.000 SLG%
  • Alexus Johnson – SO – P
    • 0-2 W-L, 8.27 ERA, 2 APP, 2 GS, 1 CG, 11.0 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO
• Team Notes:
  • Southwestern College is coming off a tough start to their season, dropping a home doubleheader to Southwestern Christian (Okla.) back on Feb. 4 before falling in a three-game series at Arlington Baptist (Texas) over the past weekend.
  • The Moundbuilders have struggled defensively and in their pitching, allowing 8.2 runs per game while SWC while pushing across just three runs per contest this season.
  • Sophomore infielder Isabel Lyle has been the best run producer of the Moundbuilders bats thus far, tallying four of SWC's 11 RBIs while registering a .300 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage with four walks. Overall, the pitching between Alexus Johnson and Ryleigh Branstetter has been struggling as two hurlers are notching just an 8.27 and 8.53 ERA.
  • While MACU holds an 18-11 record all-time against Southwestern, the Evangels have been especially dominant in the series since 2010. In that time frame, Mid-America Christian has won 16 of their last 20 meetings with the Moundbuilders. Last season, the two only met in a doubleheader in Winfield, Kan. on Feb. 15 and after suffering a 4-3 loss to SWC in game one, the Evangels bounced back with a dominating 12-4 victory in game two.

Missouri Baptist

• Record: 5-1
• Last Game: Won vs. No. 25 Saint Xavier (Ill.) – 1-0 – Feb. 11, 2023 – Edwardsville, Ill.
• Series vs MACU: First Meeting
• Last Game vs MACU: N/A
• Players to Watch:
  • Madalyn Bone – GR – 2B/SS
    • .429 BA (9-21), 1 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, .429 OBP, .476 SLG%
  • Shelby Sievers – SR – P/UTL
    • .412 BA (7-17), 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SB, .524 OBP, .824 SLG%
  • Alexandria Cafolla – GR – P
    • 3-0 W-L, 0.33 ERA, 3 APP, 3 GS, 3 CG, 2 SHO, 21 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 20 SO
• Team Notes:
  • Missouri Baptist is off to a strong start to begin the 2023 season as the Spartans took three of four games at the Louisiana Christian Tournament from Feb. 3-4 before tallying a pair of big wins over No. 25 Saint Xavier (Ill.) 4-2 and 1-0 in Edwardsville, Illinois on Feb. 11.
  • MBU has been particularly strong with its pitching to start off the year, allowing just 1.67 runs per game while four of the 10 runs the Spartans did give up came in their lone 4-3 defeat to Louisiana Christian on Feb. 4.
  • The ace of the Spartans squad is Alexandria Carolla, who has allowed just a 0.33 ERA in three starts while tossing three complete games and two shutouts. The back-to-back American Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week is striking out nearly a batter per inning with 20 punchouts over 21 innings of work.
  • A bulk of MBU's batting production comes from senior utility player and pitcher Shelby Sievers, who has driven in five RBIs and scored seven runs while sophomore third baseman and catcher Natalie Archer has driven in a team-high six RBIs on a .353 batting average.
  • Mid-America Christian and Missouri Baptist will be facing each other for the first time in the two programs' respective histories.