PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Winona State University softball team travels to Pittsburg, Kansas for a pair of doubleheaders in the final Warrior action before opening NSIC play later this month. In Kansas, Winona State will play a doubleheader against host Pittsburg State on Friday, March 17, and another doubleheader on March 19 against Missouri Southern State. Both sets of games will begin at 1 p.m.
In addition, Pittsburg State and the Warriors may meet for a third contest Saturday, weather permitting. Those details will be announced Friday evening.
Winona State (15-6, 0-0 NSIC) will be facing Pittsburg State for the eighth time since 2013; WSU and PSU split a doubleheader last year in Kansas with the Warriors shutting out the Gorilla's 9-0 in game one but falling 13-1 in five innings in the nightcap. Winona State and MSSU have played seven times since 2013. The two teams also split in 2022, as Winona State beat the Lions 7-1 and then fell 8-0 in mid-March last year.
WSU went 8-2 on the annual spring break trip last week, putting together a six-game win streak during that time.
GAME & FAN INFORMATION
Live stream and live stats are available on the Winona State Softball schedule page.
Both doubleheaders will take place at the Gene Bicknell Sports Complex.
WINONA STATE STORYLINES, entering the weekend...
The Warriors are 15-6 overall, 0-0 NSIC
WSU went 8-2 on their spring trip in Florida. The only two losses were to No. 1 Rogers State (3-0) and Embry Riddle (4-3)
Abbie Hlas leads the Warriors in batting average (.378), doubles (9), and hits (28).
Carly Engelhardt leads Winona State in slugging percentage (.576), triples (2), and home runs (3).
Logan Anderson and Corinna Loshek both are 1-1 in stolen base attempts this season.
Engelhardt has the most Warrior RBI on the year with 19; both Hlas and Marissa Mullen have collected 13 RBI so far.
In the circle, Abby Smith and Abbie Hlas have identical 7-2 records.
Smith has earned a 1.42 ERA on the year while Hlas checks in at 1.96.
Skyler Calmes and Morgan Smetana have combined for 21 1/3 innings pitched this year.
The Warrior staff has 15 complete games among their 21 starts.
In Florida, Greg Jones surpassed the 900-win mark at Winona State. Jones currently sits at 906 victories.
Weekend opponent storylines
Pittsburg State is 16-8 overall and has a 2-2 league mark.
- The Gorillas are 8-0 at home on the year.
- PSU is on a two-game winning streak.
- Taylor Lambert leads PSU in batting average (.468) and walks (12)
- Hannah Harrison is 7-3 in the circle and Gorilla teammate Lilli Weir is 8-4 overall.
- Lambert and Heather Arnett are both 12-of-13 on stolen base attempts.
Missouri Southern is 17-6 overall and has a 3-1 league mark.
- The Lions are 6-4 in neutral site games on the year.
- MSSU has gone 3-1 over their last four games.
- Leighton Wiethers leads MSSU in batting average (.465) and total bases (64)
- Avery Tallman is 10-2 in the circle and the only Lion pitcher with over 60 innings pitched (62 1/3)
- Yazmin Vargas is 15-of-16 in stolen base attempts for MSSU.
WARRIOR NOTABLES
Winona State standout
Abbie Hlas was named the 2023 NSIC Preseason Player-of-the-Year by coaches around the league.
Head coach
Greg Jones entered the 2023 NCAA Division II season 13th among active coaches in victories (891) and seventh in winning percentage (.747).
Winona State has made 15 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances as a program, all with Jones at the helm.
For the most up-to-date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit
www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and
@WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words:
Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
