{Switzy is driving the highways and byways of America this week, so I will be all alone this week...just talking to myself. Also, feel free to use this as the game-thread for today's game against Iowa}
Lots to review and preview for the Tigers, who had a tremendously offensive week at the plate on the way to five straight wins. Without the witty banter Switzy and I have become known for, let's gets right into the action.
Western Illinois:
Can I be honest for a moment? At around 4:00 in the afternoon at this time last week, I was pretty nervous. The Tigers had given up a three-spot to WIU in the bottom of the first, and while they got one run back in the top of the third, they gave it right back in the bottom of the next. Down 4-1, moving to the FIFTH inning, yeah...not looking great. But the offense would explode for six runs in the 5th, two more in the 6th and six more in the top of the last on our way to a 15-4 win. Natalie Fleming hit HR #2 on the season and while Gadbois and Crane combined to go only 1-7 (though with four runs scored between them), the group of Fagan, Sanchez, Genovese, Mack, Randazzo and the aforementioned Fleming went 14-25 with 10 runs scored, all 14 RBI's, 1 HR, 2 doubles and a triple. Finucane did settle down, walking none and K'ing six over five innings and Baxter had two quiet innings to complete it.
In the night cap, the Tigers flipped the script and got out early on WIU, scoring four in the first on their way to a 8-1 win, which was shortened to five innings due to darkness. Gadbois went 2-4 with two runs scored (amazing how that happens when she gets on base) and the Tigers also got good efforts from Fagan (theme) and Roth. Lowary delivered four solid innings with only one BB to three K's and Baxter pitched another quiet inning.
Arkansas
Some numbers of note from the weekend series for Mizzou:
- 16 innings pitched
- 12 hits surrendered
- 3 walks
- 6 errors
- 24 strikeouts
- 1 run (and it was earned)
- 30 runs (26 earned)
- 35 hits
- 5 HR's
- 7 other XBH's
- 9 SB's
- 6-10 with 4 runs, 4 SB's (and 2 RBI's) for Gadbois
- 6-10 with 5 runs and 7 RBI's for Fagan
Iowa
What was once a double-header for this afternoon is now down to just one game at 5pm. A quick look at the Hawkeyes shows me...um...not a whole lot. Iowa is 16-33 on the season, with a 7-10 record in the Big 10 and is 99th in the current RPI poll (where the Tigers are 11th). According to stats through April 12th, they have only three hitters above .300, though Megan Blank is quite the talent, hitting .433 with 7 HR's, leading the team in pretty much everything. However, five of eight normal starters bat below .258 and the team has just about twice as many K's (250) as they do walks (127). Not much speed either, though the defense is OK. In the circle, I would expect Iowa to throw Shayla Starkenburg. Sitting 12-17 on the year with an ERA over 5, the Tigers SHOULD find their way on to the basepaths early and often. Through 176.2 innings. Starkenburg has given up 204 hits (148 runs/128 earned) with another 120 walks (148 Ks). 26 HR's have been hit off of her, as opponents are hitting .283 against her.
So that takes care of today, but what about tomorrow?
SMS
The Tigers will travel down to Springfield tomorrow for a single game against the Bears, who are sitting 26-18 on the season with a current RPI of 114. In looking at the schedules, SMS has actually defeated Iowa twice, so I guess they have that going for them, which...you know...is nice. Beyond that, their stats actually do look better than Iowa's, though I assume their strength of schedule is what has them below in the RPI. As a team, they are batting .270 on the season with 33 HR's but decent speed (44-54). Rebecca McPherson leads or is towards the top of most categories, hitting .316 (third) with 8 HR's and 28 RBI's, though Chelsea Thomas does lead them in HR's with 9 (no, not THAT Chelsea Thomas). The defense is sitting decent at .965 (Tigers are .957). In the circle, Chelsea Jones and Erin Struemph have really split the work, with each working just about 120 innings each. Jones (13-6) has the better numbers (2.22 to 3.27) and is more of a control pitcher (117 hits/38 BBs and 73 K's in 120 innings) than Struemph (124 hits/54 BB's and 119 K's in 124 innings). Teams are hitting .268 against the Bear staff, so this could be a pretty decent matchup against what I would think would be a pretty jacked-up Bear team against a Tiger team in between home games and on the cusp of....
LSU
....oh good lord. LSU is REALLY good. (#2 RPI/#3 poll)
On Offense:
- hitting .352 as a team
- 332 runs scored in 47 games (more than 7 per game)
- 7 regulars at or over .300
- 2 regulars over .450
- 56-68 in stolen bases
- 3 with 10 HR's or more
- Team ERA of 1.70
- No pitcher with more than 95 innings on their arm
- 229 hits and 90 BB's in 296 innings
- 332 K's in those innings
- .205 team average against
- Their power is not as dominant as other teams we have seen (though still solid)
- Their fielding is not off-the-charts amazing (though still solid)
- Their pitching is not mowing you down with strikeouts (though still solid at just over 1 per inning)
- While they are 30-1 at home (THIRTY ONE GAMES PLAYED AT HOME ALREADY), they are 6-5 in true road games
- They have lost games to three teams ranked below us (9-4 vs. Miss St, 3-1 and 5-2 vs. Kentucky and 5-2 vs. aTm)