Preview compliments of Michigan State Athletics:
Michigan State softball is set to hit the road for the third consecutive weekend, heading to Tampa, Fla. for the USF Invitational hosted by University of South Florida. The Spartans are fresh off a 2-2 weekend at the Elon Phoenix Invitational in which they defeated Elon and Fordham, while dropping games against 2022 Northeast Conference champion Saint Francis and James Madison.
The opponents don't get easier for the Spartans as MSU will take on #5 Clemson twice as well as #9 Tennessee, in addition to UIC and USF, in Tampa this weekend.
Friday, February 24
vs. Illinois Chicago – 10:00 a.m. EST
vs. #9 Tennessee – 3:00 p.m. EST
Saturday, February 25
vs. #5 Clemson – 9:00 a.m. EST
at USF – 2:00 p.m. EST
Sunday, February 26
vs. #5 Clemson – 9:00 a.m. EST
THE OPPONENTS
UIC batters are hitting better than .300, led by Hailey Cowing (.385). Anna Walker is hitting .350 and Jazmyn Casas is hitting .316. Cowing, Casas and Grace Fleming lead the team with two RBIs each. Christina Toniolo is the top pitcher for UIC tossing 24.1 innings to date with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. Opposing hitters are hitting .242 against Toniolo. Carlee Jo Clark and Miranda Gomez have also started games for the Flames this season.
Tennessee is one of the premier hitting teams in the country, hitting .350 as a team (No. 17 nationally) with a .472 OBP (No. 5 nationally). The Vols are scoring 9.14 runs per game which ranks No. 2 in DI.
Mackenzie Donihoo leads the team with a .524 batting average and is No. 2 nationally in doubles with six. Kiki Milloy is tied for the second-most home runs in the country so far with five while hitting .435. Zaida Puni is hitting .348 while leading the team with 12 RBIs. Tennessee's pitching staff owns a 1.43 ERA lead by Payton Gottshall's 0.75 ERA in two starts. Opposing batters are hitting .166 against Tennessee. Volunteer pitchers have 50 strikeouts opposed to just eight walked batters this season.
Clemson is 11-0 and is coming off a pair of convincing wins over Northwestern last weekend at the ACC/B1G Challenge. The Tigers chased 2022 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Danielle Williams in less than an inning on Friday in a 15-2 victory. Clemson ranks No. 2 nationally in batting average (.408), No. 1 in doubles (28), No. 3 in home runs per game (2.00), No. 2 in on-base percentage (.483), No. 4 in scoring (8.55), No. 2 in SLUG (.729) and No. 12 in walks (45). In the circle the Tigers rank No. 6 in ERA (1.10) and No. 13 in K/BB ratio (5.25).
JoJo Hyatt is No. 9 nationally in batting average (.583) while Valerie Cagle is No. 16 at .556. Cagle is No. 8 in DI in doubles (5), No. 3 in hits (20), No. 1 in home runs (6), No. 26 in RBIs (13), No. 7 in SLUG (1.194) and No. 11 in innings pitched (36.1). McKenzie Clark is hitting .500 with five long balls to rank second nationally. Eight of Clemson's regular starters have an OPS above 1.000.
South Florida is 2-7 to start the season, with wins over Michigan and Saint Joseph's. The Bulls will face FGCU on Wednesday night prior to the Spartans' arrival for the weekend.
Gabriella Nori is No. 28 nationally in strikeouts per seven innings averaging 10.5 per despite her 5.83 ERA. Payton Dixon leads the pitching staff with a 2.21 ERA in 19 innings of work. Seven different pitchers have seen the circle for USF this season. In the batter's box, Emilee Hanlon leads the team hitting .462 in 13 at-bats, while Meghan Sheehan is hitting .375 in addition to starting all nine games for USF. Four players are tied for the team-high in RBIs with two.
IN THE RANKINGS
Entering the weekend junior Ashley Miller ranks No. 3 in NCAA DIvision I in innings pitched (38.1), No. 6 in shutouts (2), No. 7 in strikeouts (49) and No. 9 in wins (4). Freshman Mandy Esman ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division I with two triples.
As a team Michigan State ranks No. 49 nationally in on-base percentage (.396) and is No. 23 in walks (40).
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Michigan State softball is set to hit the road for the third consecutive weekend, heading to Tampa, Fla. for the USF Invitational hosted by University of South Florida. The Spartans are fresh off a 2-2 weekend at the Elon Phoenix Invitational in which they defeated Elon and Fordham, while dropping games against 2022 Northeast Conference champion Saint Francis and James Madison.
The opponents don't get easier for the Spartans as MSU will take on #5 Clemson twice as well as #9 Tennessee, in addition to UIC and USF, in Tampa this weekend.
Friday, February 24
vs. Illinois Chicago – 10:00 a.m. EST
vs. #9 Tennessee – 3:00 p.m. EST
Saturday, February 25
vs. #5 Clemson – 9:00 a.m. EST
at USF – 2:00 p.m. EST
Sunday, February 26
vs. #5 Clemson – 9:00 a.m. EST
THE OPPONENTS
UIC batters are hitting better than .300, led by Hailey Cowing (.385). Anna Walker is hitting .350 and Jazmyn Casas is hitting .316. Cowing, Casas and Grace Fleming lead the team with two RBIs each. Christina Toniolo is the top pitcher for UIC tossing 24.1 innings to date with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. Opposing hitters are hitting .242 against Toniolo. Carlee Jo Clark and Miranda Gomez have also started games for the Flames this season.
Tennessee is one of the premier hitting teams in the country, hitting .350 as a team (No. 17 nationally) with a .472 OBP (No. 5 nationally). The Vols are scoring 9.14 runs per game which ranks No. 2 in DI.
Mackenzie Donihoo leads the team with a .524 batting average and is No. 2 nationally in doubles with six. Kiki Milloy is tied for the second-most home runs in the country so far with five while hitting .435. Zaida Puni is hitting .348 while leading the team with 12 RBIs. Tennessee's pitching staff owns a 1.43 ERA lead by Payton Gottshall's 0.75 ERA in two starts. Opposing batters are hitting .166 against Tennessee. Volunteer pitchers have 50 strikeouts opposed to just eight walked batters this season.
Clemson is 11-0 and is coming off a pair of convincing wins over Northwestern last weekend at the ACC/B1G Challenge. The Tigers chased 2022 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Danielle Williams in less than an inning on Friday in a 15-2 victory. Clemson ranks No. 2 nationally in batting average (.408), No. 1 in doubles (28), No. 3 in home runs per game (2.00), No. 2 in on-base percentage (.483), No. 4 in scoring (8.55), No. 2 in SLUG (.729) and No. 12 in walks (45). In the circle the Tigers rank No. 6 in ERA (1.10) and No. 13 in K/BB ratio (5.25).
JoJo Hyatt is No. 9 nationally in batting average (.583) while Valerie Cagle is No. 16 at .556. Cagle is No. 8 in DI in doubles (5), No. 3 in hits (20), No. 1 in home runs (6), No. 26 in RBIs (13), No. 7 in SLUG (1.194) and No. 11 in innings pitched (36.1). McKenzie Clark is hitting .500 with five long balls to rank second nationally. Eight of Clemson's regular starters have an OPS above 1.000.
South Florida is 2-7 to start the season, with wins over Michigan and Saint Joseph's. The Bulls will face FGCU on Wednesday night prior to the Spartans' arrival for the weekend.
Gabriella Nori is No. 28 nationally in strikeouts per seven innings averaging 10.5 per despite her 5.83 ERA. Payton Dixon leads the pitching staff with a 2.21 ERA in 19 innings of work. Seven different pitchers have seen the circle for USF this season. In the batter's box, Emilee Hanlon leads the team hitting .462 in 13 at-bats, while Meghan Sheehan is hitting .375 in addition to starting all nine games for USF. Four players are tied for the team-high in RBIs with two.
IN THE RANKINGS
Entering the weekend junior Ashley Miller ranks No. 3 in NCAA DIvision I in innings pitched (38.1), No. 6 in shutouts (2), No. 7 in strikeouts (49) and No. 9 in wins (4). Freshman Mandy Esman ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division I with two triples.
As a team Michigan State ranks No. 49 nationally in on-base percentage (.396) and is No. 23 in walks (40).
Sunshine State On Deck for Spartan Softball - Michigan State University Athletics
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball is set to hit the road for the third consecutive weekend, heading to Tampa, Fla. for the USF Invitational hosted by
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