Thursday, March 7
Auburn, Ala.
7:00 PM ET / 6 PM CT
Michigan State University
at
Auburn
MSU Wraps Spring Break With Five Games at War Eagle Classic
3/6/2019 10:26:00 AM | Softball
Spartans get two games vs. No. 19/20 Auburn
| Dates | March 7-10, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Auburn, Alabama; Jane B. Moore Stadium (2,316) |
| Tickets | Auburn Ticket Office |
| Tournament Schedule (MSU only) | |
| Thursday | vs. Auburn; 6 pm CT/ 7 pm ET Live Stats SECN+ on WatchESPN |
| Friday | vs. Louisvills; 10:30 am CT/ 11:30 am ET Live Stats Webstream (Facebook Live) |
| Saturday | vs. St. Francis (PA); 12 pm ET/ 11 am CT Live Stats Webstream (Facebook Live) |
| vs. Southern Mississippi; 7 pm ET/6 pm CT Live Stats Webstream (Facebook Live) | |
| Sunday | at No. 6 Alabama; 5 pm ET/ 4 pm CT Live Stats SECN+ on WatchESPN |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Auburn | Louisville | Mercer | Radford |
| MSU Softball Social Media | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |
THE WEEK AHEAD
• Michigan State wraps up its Spring Break with the War Eagle Challenge at No. 19/20 Auburn. The Spartans tangle with the host Tigers on both Thursday and Sunday, playing Louisville Friday and taking part in a doubleheader on Saturday against Mercer and Radford.
LOGISTICS
• Links for live statistics can be found on MSUSpartans.com on the Spartan schedule page.
• MSU's games against the host Tigers will have a webstream on the WatchESPN App, while the three neutral-site games will have a webstream via Facebook Live. Links for all five can be found on the softball schedule page of MSUSpartans.com.
• Spartan Sports Network continues its coverage of Spartan softball in 2019, and begins its coverage of MSU at the Miami (Ohio) Tournament March 16-17. SSN will provide a live broadcast from every game, home and away, for the remainder of the season. Matt Tjapkes is back for his fifth season on the call.
THE MATCHUPS
• MSU takes on No. 20/19 Auburn in bookend games to the weekend - the teams first play Thursday evening, then wrap up the tournament on Sunday before the Spartans return to Michigan. The host school is 16-4 overall on the season, including a 3- 1 record last weekend at the Judi Garman Classic before being rained out in its final game. The Tigers own a 10-1 record at home this season, as the Judi Garman was its first tournament away from Jane B. Moore field. MSU owns a 2-1 record all-time against Auburn, but the Tigers earned their victory in the last meeting of the teams in 2012, 4-1, at FAU's Strike Out Cancer Tournament.
• MSU and Louisville will also meet for the first time since 2012 when the teams face off on Friday. The Cardinals and Spartans met in the season opener in Miami that season with Louisville earning a 4-1 victory. The Cardinals have won four straight games, hosting a home tournament last weekend and earning wins over Indiana State (twice), Missouri, and IUPUI. Overall, Louisville owns an 11-6 record.
• Mercer and MSU face off Saturday morning in the first of two games on the day for the Spartans. The Bears have won five straight games to even their record at 10-10 in 2019; Mercer took all four games at Gardner-Webb's tournament last weekend. The Spartans are 1-3 all-time against Mercer, and the teams will be meeting for the fourth time in five seasons. Mercer won the last meeting, a 2-1 decision at the Gamecock Invitational last February. The teams also met twice in the 2015 season at a home tournament for Mercer.
• Radford and MSU meet Saturday evening in the final game of the day. The Highlanders are 6-9 overall on the season, including losing three of four at Coastal Carolina's tournament last weekend. MSU and Radford have not met since the 2007 season, when they played twice at the Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa; the Spartans took both games by scores of 9-7 and 9-2.
TEAM NOTES
• The Spartans entered the 2019 campaign with five returning starters after losing six seniors to graduation at the conclusion of 2018. MSU carries 21 on its roster, including five returning starters: seniors 3B Kaitlyn Eveland and LF Ebonee Echols, junior 2B Melanie Baccay, and sophomores RF Katie Quinlan and SS Caitie Ladd.
• Michigan State went 2-2 last weekend at Alabama's Easton Crimson Classic, downing Saint Francis twice (8-0 (5) and 8-2), dropping a close 2-1 decision to Alabama, and falling to Southern Miss 5-2. The final game of the tournament on Sunday vs. Alabama was cancelled due to weather. MSU hit .263 on the weekend with eight doubles and three home runs, and posted a team ERA of 1.96.
• All 17 field players have had at least one plate appearance this season, 15 have started at least one game, and all four pitchers have seen action.
• The Spartans have drawn a total of 73 walks this season, good for the second-most behind Northwestern (81). MSU also ranks second in the Big Ten in sac flies (6) and fifth in stolen bases (16).
• While MSU's team batting average of .256 ranks 10th in the Big Ten, MSU is sixth in on-base percentage (.375), eighth in doubles (24), fourth in triples (4) and tied for second in sac flies.
• MSU is 20-for-23 on stolen base attempts, and went the first 10 games of the season without a runner being caught stealing.
• MSU's relatively young pitching staff had a bounceback weekend in Tuscaloosa, posting a 1.96 ERA with 13 strikeouts, scattering 25 base hits over 25 innings.
• MSU's 35 walks allowed by its pitching staff this season is the fifth-fewest in the Conference. MSU's five hit batters is also the fewest in the league.
• Michigan State head coach Jacquie Joseph is in her 26th season at the helm of the Spartan softball program, and is the longest-tenured coach in program history, along with being the second-longest-tenured head coach in MSU's athletics department. She owns 699 victories in her 25-plus year career as the Spartan head coach.
• Joseph is the third-longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten Conference, behind Carol Hutchins (Michigan, 35th season) and Rhonda Revelle (Nebraska, 27th.)
• Joseph's staff consists of pitching coach Ben Sorden, hitting coach Corrie Hill, and volunteer Bruce Lenington. Sorden begins his second season with the Spartan pitchers, while Hill and Lenington joined the staff in the fall of 2018.
PLAYER NOTES - PITCHERS
• MSU's returning pitchers threw just 66.1 of 336 innings a year ago. The staff makeup is intriguing, however, as it features junior Jordan Watson, sophomore McKenna Gregory, redshirt freshman Leah Shipp, and JUCO transfer sophomore Alli Walker.
• Gregory earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Crimson Classic as she led the staff with 11.2 innings over three games in Tuscaloosa, including four no-hit innings against No. 5 Alabama. She had a weekend ERA of 1.20, going 1-1 with four strikeouts, one walk, and two earned runs allowed (three overall). Her season ERA is now 2.92 in 26.1 innings pitched.
• All 10 of Gregory's appearances this season have come in relief. She leads the league in relief appearances and is tied for 15th in appearances overall. She has also gunned down three runners trying to steal, which is tied for seventh in the B1G.
• Walker was second on the staff in terms of innings pitched last weekend (9.2) and started three of the four games. She surrendered just seven base hits and struck out eight for a 1.45 ERA. She earned the win in a five-inning shutout win over Saint Francis.
• Walker lowered her season ERA to 4.20, and she owns a 2-3 overall record in a staff-best 38.1 innings. She is tied for eighth in the B1G in appearances (12), 13th in innings pitched, and is tied for eighth with eight starts.
• Jordan Watson made two appearances in the four games at Alabama, throwing a combined 3.2 innings. She took the loss in the start vs. Alabama and also came on in relief in the second game vs. Saint Francis. On the year, she owns a 3.44 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched and a 1-2 record.
• Leah Shipp did not pitch in the weekend at Alabama. She has a 5.70 ERA in 23.1 innings, striking out 10 and walking five.
PLAYER NOTES - FIELD PLAYERS
• While five starters return to the 2019 lineup, the Spartans are still a youthful bunch with just two seniors among those five: LF Ebonee Echols and 3B Kaitlyn Eveland.
• Both Eveland and Ebonee Echols are among MSU's top-10 all-time in several career categories. Eveland ranks fourth with a .342 career batting average, behind school recordholder Patti Raduenz (.372, 1993-96) and 2018 graduate Lea Foerster (.368, 2015-18); Echols ranks 11th (.321). The duo ranks ninth (Echols, 107) and 11th (Eveland, 102) on the all-time RBI list in the Spartan annals.
• Ebonee Echols is MSU's career record holder and shares the Big Ten record with 24 career triples. She also shares the Big Ten single-season record of 11, set in 2017.
• Ebonee Echols has amassed 169 base hits in her career, good for 22th on MSU's all-time list, ranks sixth with 118 career runs scored, tied for eighth in extra-base hits (61) and is eighth with 37 career stolen bases.
• Ebonee Echols earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Crimson Classic after hitting .462 on the weekend with two doubles, four RBI, and three spectacular defensive plays in left field. She and Kaitlyn Eveland shared the No. 4 spot in NCAA Softball Plays of the Week.
• Ebonee Echols owns a .357 batting average on the season, is second on the team and 15th in the B1G in RBI (13) and ranks 14th in the Big Ten rankings in slugging percentage (.655). She also has the most multiple-RBI games (3) of any player on the team in 2019.
• Eveland now ranks eighth all-time at MSU in walks (75). She drew four walks over the weekend at Alabama, and with 13 this season, she ranks in a tie for second in the Big Ten. Overall on the year, she is hitting .298 with a 14 base hits and leading the team with 13 walks. She has five RBI and is a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen bases.
• Eveland has reached base in 14 of 15 games this season, while Charla Echols has reached base in each of the last 14.
• Charla Echols leads the Spartans with a .419 average (sixth, B1G) and is also ranked among league leaders in slugging percentage (.721, seventh), on-base percentage (.545, fourth), doubles (7, fourth), walks (10, 10th), and runners caught stealing (3, seventh).
• At Alabama, Charla Echols shared the team lead with six base hits and a .462 average, smacking a pair of doubles and adding four RBI.
• Center fielder Katie Quinlan hit .444 with a double in Tuscaloosa and on the year is batting .327, good for third on the team. She is second on the squad with 17 base hits, has eight walks and is 7-of-8 on stolen bases; she ranks fourth in the league in steals.
• Sophomore Laney Joyner continues to improve her offensive approach and it led to a .400 average (4-for-10) at the Crimson Classic. The second baseman smacked two doubles and drew two walks, adding three RBI. She has upped her season batting average to .219, and this spring has had her first career doubles, triple, and home run.
• Sophomore shortstop Caitie Ladd has had a slow start to the season but is still a dangerous offensive presence. She has four doubles, a triple, and a home run on the year, and is third on the team in RBI (10) and has added two sac fies and has drawn five walks despite her .200 average.
• Mackenzie Meech is the Spartan team leader in RBI (14). She smacked her first two career home runs last weekend, and also has two doubles to her credit. She is batting .231, and has added three walks. She has seen time both at 1B and in RF.
• Senior Lexi White had a pair of base hits last weekend in the DP spot. Overall, she's batting .290 with a double, a home run, and three RBI.
• Abby Joseph started two of four games at Alabama, earning both starts in right field. She is hitting .188 and has appeared in 14 of 17 games.
• Riley Paxson appeared in three games at Alabama, getting one start at 1B. She is still working her way back after an off-season injury, and so far this season is batting .200 in 13 games with a .407 on-base percentage - she has four base hits, four walks, and three HBP.
• Kelly Zackrison is versatile, able to play in any outfield position and has provided key pinch hits off the bench. She has appeared in 11 games this season (three starts) and has a double in 18 plate appearances.
• Melanie Baccay is a two-year starter in the middle infield and has started 10 games, and has a .160 average with a double.
Players Mentioned
2B
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C/3B
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OF
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3B
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OF
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RHP
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OF
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SS/UTL
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SS/UTL
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1B
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OF
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RHP
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P
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RHP
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DP
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OF
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