May 6, 2008
San Antonio – The 15th-ranked St. Mary’s University softball team will head west to open play at the NCAA South Central Region Tournament, hosted by Angelo State University on Wednesday. The second-seeded Rattlers will open the tournament by playing seventh seed Midwestern State University at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Coming off a sweep through the Heartland Conference Tournament last weekend the Rattlers bring a 53-10 overall record into play this week and have won 17 of their last 18 games. The Rattlers have been getting the job done on the mound, at the plate and in the field this season.
On the mound Malissa Magee (Sr., Katy) is 36-6 overall with a 1.19 ERA, 18 shutouts and 320 strikeouts in 265.2 innings of work. Taryn Munoz (So., Bulverde) is 14-3 with nine complete games and six shutouts and 74 strikeouts in 110.1 innings of work.
At the plate Sade Moore (Jr., Angleton) leads the way with a .434 batting average, five doubles, three triples, 21 RBI, 52 runs scored and 32 stolen bases this season. Lindsay Barnes (Sr., San Antonio) is hitting .391 with eight doubles, six homeruns and 40 RBI. Arlynda Flores (So., Uvalde) is batting .375 with eight doubles, six homeruns, 35 RBI and 40 runs scored. Kelcy Walker (Sr., San Antonio) is hitting .307 with seven doubles, eight homeruns, 32 RBI and 23 runs scored. As a team, the Rattlers are hitting .327 with 76 doubles, 38 homeruns and 361 runs scored this season. In the field the Rattlers have a .961 fielding percentage and have made just 69 errors.
Midwestern State is 35-27 overall this season and qualified as the seventh seed in the tournament, receiving the last at-large berth. Midwestern State scratched its way into its fifth-straight NCAA Division II South Central by winning five of its last nine contest including a 2-2 showing at last weekend’s Lone Star Conference Championship tournament in Durant, Okla.
The Mustangs are led by All-LSC North first-team catcher Lindsey Voigt, who is hitting .350 with 12 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 34 RBI. The leadoff hitter also lifted 21 stolen bases. MSU also placed four players on the second team including senior third baseman Kristen Stonecipher (.356, nine doubles, seven homers, 46 RBI and 13 stolen bases), junior first baseman Jessica Rodriguez (.311, 11 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI), junior outfielder Maranda Bishop (.328, eight doubles, seven triples, one homer and nine stolen bases) and sophomore second baseman Tabitha Yannetti (.260, 12 doubles, one homer and 20 RBI). In the circle, Midwestern State is paced by LSC North Division Pitcher of the Year Katie Petersen, who notched a 25-8 record with a team-record 1.23 ERA.
The Rattlers lead the all-time series between the teams, 3-2, including a 4-0 win earlier this season in San Antonio. The teams have never met previously in a regional tournament or on a neutral site. The Rattlers are 3-1 against the Mustangs at home and 0-1 in Wichita Falls.
All St. Mary’s softball games at the South Central Regional will be carried live via the internet at www.rattlerathletics.com. Broadcasts will start approximately 10 minutes prior to the first pitch.