Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
FAU
Raiders Host C-USA Foe Florida Atlantic
4/20/2018 4:00:00 PM | Softball
Date: Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22
Teams: Middle Tennessee vs. Florida Atlantic
Location: Blue Raider Softball Field – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball team hosts its second to last conference series this weekend when Florida Atlantic comes to town. The Raiders and Owls face off in a three game series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 21 at 2pm and concluding on Sunday with a single game at noon.
Saturday's game is alumni day where all past Blue Raiders are welcome to attend for a pregame tailgate beginning at noon and then join the team on the field prior to game one of the doubleheader. Saturday is also the annual Play-4-Tay game.
The Owls hold the all-time series record with a 29-6 mark over the Raiders. It was MT who won the last meeting however. Down in Boca Raton last year, the Raiders came out on top in the third game of the series, 2-1, in nine innings. The Owls won the first two games of the weekend to win the series though.
In the win, FAU and MT each scored a run in regulation play to force extras. Madisyn Palmer scored the Owls run and Summer Burgess scored on a Precious Birdsong triple. Burgess came up as the hero in the ninth inning for Middle. With the bases loaded she delivered a single to left field to score Lexi Cushing.
Scouting the Blue Raiders (29-17, 7-8)
MT comes into the conference series on a two game win streak, besting FIU 5-3 and outlasting Belmont 9-8. In those two wins, the Raiders have hit four home runs, two in each game. Two of those homers have come off the hot bat of Danielle Munoz. Cushing and Kristin Uselton hit the other two shots.
Munoz is 6-for-9 (.667) in the last five games. The redshirt-junior has scored twice, hit two doubles and knocked out two home runs for five RBI in the stretch. That gives her a monstrous 1.556 slugging percentage with 14 total bases dating back to the Austin Peay win on April 11.
Cushing's most recent home run was also a momentous one. Her 11th homer of the season tied her for a program single season record with Muriel Ledbetter (2006). She is also now second in a number of categories in C-USA including slugging percentage (.723), RBI (36) and home runs (11).
Morgan Harris also hit a home run last week and is having her best season in her senior year. The catcher is batting .373 with seven doubles and 28 RBI. She picked up one of those RBI in MT's midweek win over Belmont. The RBI served as Harris's 100th in her career as she is second all-time in the category.
Cori Jennings picked up the complete game extra innings win over FAU last year. This season she enters the weekend with a team-low 2.34 ERA and is in search of her 15th win in the circle. The senior has 75 strikeouts on the year in 125.2 innings of action. She also picked up her second career save in the midweek battle with Belmont.
Scouting Florida Atlantic (22-22, 9-6)
FAU enters the weekend coming off a midweek loss to UCF, 2-1. However, the Owls enter with preseason C-USA Player of the Year, Emily Lochten. Lochten is a power hitting senior shortstop for FAU.
Lochten is hitting .316 on the year with 38 runs scored and a conference-leading 17 doubles and eight home runs. She has 23 RBI on the year and has been walked 35 times. However, Lochten also leads the conference in strikeouts with 34.
A number of other Owls top the strikeouts list with six other teammates with 20 strikeouts or more.
Palmer comes in with 31 strikeouts but also leads the team at the plate with a .420 batting average. That mark leads the conference while her 60 hits are also in the top three in C-USA. Palmer is also a huge threat on the base path with a conference-leading 41 stolen bases on the year.
Tatum Buckley, the Owl who can do it all, leads FAU in RBI with 26 on the year. Buckley also leads the team with a 2.07 ERA in the circle. She has a 10-9 record in 132 inning of work and 82 strikeouts.
Mia Olson has also seen over 100 inning in the circle for the Owls. She posts a 2.47 ERA and 8-6 record with 61 strikeouts.
