OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU softball team will be looking to get back on the winning track in its return home as the Evangels host Oklahoma Panhandle State for a four-game slate this weekend at Allen Field. MACU will open the series with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Friday before wrapping it up with a twin-ball slated for a noon first pitch on Saturday.
 
SEASON REPORT

• Record: 10-9 (3-5 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost at No. 5 Oklahoma City – 9-1 (6 Inn) – Mar. 11, 2024 – Oklahoma City (Ann Lacy Stadium)
• Top Performers (Hitting):
  • Kisbel Vizcaya – JR – INF
    • .388 BA (19-49), 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 11 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SB, .436 OB%, .592 SLG%
  • Hallie Wilson – JR – OF
    • .347 BA (17-49), 3 2B, 3 3B, 15 RBI, 9 R, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 4 SB, .404 OB%, .531 SLG%
  • Brooklyn Wilson – JR – OF
    • .327 BA (18-55), 7 2B, 1 3B, 16 RBI, 13 R, 8 BB, 1 HBP, 6 SB, .403 OB%, .491 SLG%
• Top Performers (Pitching):
  • Rachel Eggleston – R-JR – RHP
    • 4-4 W-L, 2.59 ERA, 11 APP, 8 GS, 4 CG, 48.2 IP, 48 H, 20 R, 18 ER, 10 BB, 41 SO, .264 OBA
  • Chana Wolfe – SO – RHP
    • 3-2 W-L, 3.76 ERA, 7 APP, 4 GS, 1 SV, 22.1 IP, 24 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 7 BB, 11 SO, .261 OBA
  • Avery Schneringer – SR – RHP
    • 2-2 W-L, 4.34 ERA, 8 APP, 4 GS, 1 CG, 29.0 IP, 38 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 12 BB, 21 SO, .302 OBA
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian will be looking to bounce back from its most challenging road series of the season as the Evangels were swept in a four-game series at No. 5 Oklahoma City this past weekend.
  • The Evangels will be looking to try to get back on-track in both the hitting and pitching departments after the Stars held MACU to just a .208 team batting average while the Evangels gave up an 8.78 team ERA on a .411 opponent batting average.
  • Despite MACU's struggles, one bright spot for the MACU in the lineup was the play of junior outfielder Hallie Wilson, who slashed .364 by going 4-for-11 with a double and a run scored.
  • MACU will be looking forward to its return home to Allen Field as the Evangels hold a 5-1 record on its home turf this season while going just 5-8 on the road or at neutral sites.

SCOUTING REPORT
Oklahoma Panhandle State

• Record: 7-13 (4-4 SAC)
• Last Game: Won vs. Langston (Okla.) – 16-11 – Mar. 11, 2024 – Goodwell, Okla.
• Series vs MACU (2014-): MACU leads 13-11
• Last Game vs MACU: OPSU won 6-5 (8 Inn) – Mar. 18, 2023 – Allen Field
• Series Streak: OPSU won 1
• Players to Watch (Hitting):
  • Chloe Browning – JR – OF
    • .361 BA (13-36), 4 2B, 8 RBI, 7 R, .378 OB%, .472 SLG%
  • Meagan Bellar – SR – UTL
    • .352 BA (19-54), 7 2B, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 14 R, 3 BB, 7 HBP, 3 SB, .453 OB%, .704 SLG%
  • Nicole Peralta – SR – OF
    • .352 BA (19-54), 7 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBI, 9 R, 3 BB, 3 SB, .379 OB%, .556 SLG%
• Players to Watch (Pitching):
  • Kaycee Torres – SR – P
    • 4-3 W-L, 3.36 ERA, 12 APP, 5 GS, 3 CG, 50.0 IP, 60 H, 35 R, 24 ER, 12 BB, 23 SO, .286 OBA
  • Kenley Yocom – SR – P
    • 0-5 W-L, 7.66 ERA, 10 APP, 10 GS, 32.0 IP, 57 H, 46 R, 35 ER, 11 BB, 19 SO, .385 OBA
• Team Notes:
  • Despite a tough start to the season, Oklahoma Panhandle State is coming off a tightly-contested four-game sweep over Langston at home this past weekend, opening the slate with a pair of 7-4, 8-3 victories on Mar. 10 before closing out with 14-13, 16-11 wins in a high-scoring finale on Mar. 11.
  • The Aggies have been a bit challenged with the bats so far in 2024 as the team ranks just eighth in the SAC in team batting average (.273) and on-base percentage (.330), but are posting the league's fifth-best slugging percentage (.403). Pitching has also posed a problem for Panhandle this year as the team also ranks eighth in earned run average (5.60).
  • Despite OPSU's hitting troubles, the Evangels will need to be wary of the big bats of senior utility player Meagan Bellar and senior outfielder Nicole Peralta. Bellar is hitting for a team-best 1.157 OPS while slugging four homers for 16 RBIs and 14 runs while Peralta is also posting a .556 slugging percentage with seven doubles and two triples.
  • Panhandle State's biggest challenges in the circle has been trying to find wins when its ace Kaycee Torres doesn't pitch. While Torres owns a 4-3 record with a 3.36 ERA, the rest of the team has only been able to muster a 3-10 record on a 7.09 ERA.
  • In last season's series at Allen Field, the Evangels narrowly missed coming away with a huge series sweep. MACU picked up 1-0, 7-1 and 9-2 victories in the first three games, MACU had to rally from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings. However, OPSU pushed across the winning run in the top of the eighth and the Evangels came up empty as the Aggies salvaged a 6-5 win over MACU in the series finale on Mar. 18, 2023.