Nicholls visits for Southland weekend series
3/12/2015 12:30:00 PM | Softball
The Sam Houston softball team faces another challenge Friday and Saturday as they host Nicholls in the Kats' first home Southland series at the Softball Complex.
Action begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a single game between the Bearkats and the Colonels. The series concludes Saturday with a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
Picked to finish last in the 2015 Southland softball preseason head coaches' poll, Nicholls has been the surprise of the league so far this year. The Colonels bring a 14-7 overall record and took two of three from Stephen F. Austin last weekend in both team's Southland opening series. The Lumberjacks were predicted by the coaches to finish fourth in the league.
The Colonels boast the league's top batting average with a team mark of .315. That includes 26 doubles, eight triples and five home runs. Infielders Haley Stevenson and Alexis Huss rank among the top four hitters in the league with batting averages of .452 and .429 respectively.
Nicholls has had strong performances in the circle so far this year as well. The Colonels own a team earned run average of 2.74. Hannah Haydel owns a 7-3 won-loss record this year, accounting for half of the squad's victories. Haydel sports a 1.72 ERA and has held opponents to a .173 batting average.
Facing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the Southland, Sam Houston has compiled a 7-15 record. The Kats have shown they can hit the ball as well with 27 doubles, a triple and 24 home runs.
Third baseman Peyton Webb (.393), second baseman Dani Allen (.333), shortstop Sarah Allison (.309) and outfielder Jennie Kieval (.309) are the Kats top hitters.
Allison leads the 2015 team with six home runs and stands No. 2 all-time at SHSU in homers with a career total of 28.
Designated player Hillary Adams is the Kats' all-time leader with 35 home runs including four this season. Adams also is the Bearkats' all-time leader in RBIs with 120.
Catcher Tiffany Castillo has blasted 21 home runs in her career to stand tied for fourth all-time Shelbi Tucker. Castillo, Allen and Kieval all have hit two home runs this season.
Haley Baros, Meme Quinn and Tayler Atkinson have combined to handle the majority of time in the circle for Sam Houston. Each of the three have seen more than 35 innings of play in the circle.
Following Friday and Saturday's action, Sam Houston will play host to Texas A&M in a non-conference contest at 6:30 p.m. at the Softball Complex on Wednesday, March 18.
