Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Charlotte
Softball Hosts Charlotte Saturday and Sunday
3/23/2018 11:00:00 AM | Softball
Date: Saturday, March 24 – Sunday, March 25
Teams: Middle Tennessee vs. Chalotte
Location: Blue Raider Softball Field – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Live Stats – Live Video: ESPN3 & C-USA TV
MURFREESBORO, Tenn - Coming off a big conference series win over WKU last weekend, the Middle Tennessee softball team looks to carry that momentum into a three game series with Charlotte. The Blue Raiders clash with the 49ers in a doubleheader on Saturday at 12pm and a single game on Sunday at 12pm.
With the potential for inclement weather this weekend stay tuned to goblueraiders.com or @MT_Softball on twitter for game related updates.
Last season the two sides met in the final week of conference play in Charlotte. The 49ers swept the Blue Raiders on two one-run games (6-7, 2-3). The other contest was a 6-8 game in favor of Charlotte.
Morgan Harris, Kirstyn Cuccia and Lexi Cushing all hit home runs in the series for MT while Becca Shipper had one for the 49ers. Haley Wiseman and Alison Green got the wins and saves in the circle for the 49ers.
Scouting the Blue Raiders (20-9, 3-3)
MT is coming off a big come from behind extra inning victory over C-USA foe WKU last weekend. The Blue Raiders battled back from two one-run deficits to defeat the Hilltoppers, 5-2, in eight innings last Sunday. Morgan Harris was 3-for-5 in the win with a double, a home run and two RBI. Cori Jennings pitched the complete game win, allowing just four hits and striking out four.
The win sealed the Blue Raiders first conference series win of the year and MT's 20th win of the year, already more than the whole 2017 season.
The Blue Raiders continue to top the conference and national charts in many statistical categories. Middle ranks first in C-USA and 18th nationally in batting average (.325). MT also leads C-USA in hits (248), sacrifice bunts (34), ERA (2.31), and wins (20). Individually, Burgess ranks first in C-USA in batting average (.443), while Cushing is third (.418). Burgess is also second in the conference and 14th in the nation in hits (43) while being first in C-USA in on base percentage (.509). Jennings is second in C-USA with a 1.93 ERA.
Amongst the Blue Raiders, Cushing has a team-leading 22 RBI, eight doubles and six homers as she is slugging .806 on the year, good for second in the conference and 44th in the nation.
Scouting Charlotte (9-16, 3-3)
The 49ers were picked to finish 4th in this season's C-USA preseason poll. Charlotte also had three players land on the preseason all-conference team, pitcher Wiseman, and infielders Grace Beatty and Haley Pace.
Charlotte enters the weekend after losing their series to FAU last weekend, two games to one. However, the 49ers bested North Texas to open C-USA play to sit at the same 3-3 record as MT.
The 49ers were shutout twice by FAU after winning the opening game of the series, 4-3. Wiseman got the win in the circle, pitching the complete game and striking out ten. Offensively, Charlotte had four doubles and took advantage of an Owl error for the one-run victory.
Pace is currently leading the 49ers at the plate with a .380 average, eighth-highest in the conference. She has hit three doubles and a team-leading three home runs, 17 RBI, and six stolen bases on the year. Freshman Jude McGough is batting .308 and she has five doubles and two home runs. Shipper leads the 49ers in walks with 17 and has a .441 on base percentage.
In the circle, Wiseman has just under 100 innings of work on the year. She is 6-9 with a 2.61 ERA and two complete game shutouts. She has struck out 105, good for second-most in C-USA. Green, who the Blue Raiders saw last season is 0-3 with a 5.25 ERA and seven strikeouts in 17.1 innings in the circle.
