Kansas travels to Iowa State for regular-season finale

Games 50-52
 

Date May 5-7, 2017
Location Ames, Iowa
Notes Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
Audio Audio Stream
Stats Live Stats
 LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas softball concludes the 2017 regular season with a three-game road series at Iowa State May 5-7. The Jayhawks head into the final weekend of the season with a 13-game win streak over the Cyclones dating back to the 2012 campaign. All three games will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network, while Friday’s series opener will air on FCS Central.

Leading off for Kansas

  • Kansas and Iowa State meet for the 88th time in program history on the diamond Friday night. KU enters the weekend having won the last 13 games against the Cyclones.
  • With its victory over then-No. 14 Baylor (3/25), Kansas’ streak increased to eight-straight seasons with a win over a nationally-ranked opponent. 
  • After defeating Nevada twice in a three-game series (April 21-23), Kansas won its second series of the 2017 campaign.
  • Kansas has scored first in 23 of its 49 games in 2017. The Jayhawks have a 15-8 record when putting a run on the scoreboard before their opponent. 
  • Junior catcher Harli Ridling is tied for the most home runs hit in the Big 12 Conference this season with 11 to her name. 

About the Jayhawks
Kansas enters its final regular-season series with a 24-25 overall record and a 3-11 mark in Big 12 Conference action. The Jayhawks look to snap their two-game losing skid and extend their winning streak over the Cyclones. KU has won the last 13 meetings with ISU. 

Kansas’ offense is batting .283 in 2017 with 362 hits, the third-most home runs (38) in the Big 12, and 131 walks. Six Jayhawks are hitting above .300 after 49 games. Junior outfielder Erin McGinley is batting .340 to lead KU’s offense, while sophomore outfielder Emily Bermel is second with a .328 clip. McGinley leads the team with 54 hits, including nine doubles and five home runs. She leads the team with 19 stolen bases, which is the fifth-best mark in the Big 12. Junior infielder Jessie Roane leads the squad with 38 RBIs, while junior catcher Harli Ridling has hit the most home runs this season with 11.

The Jayhawks’ pitching staff has posted the fourth-best ERA in the conference with a 3.59 ERA. After a win over No. 14 Baylor (3/25), sophomore Alexis Reid has defeated at least one nationally-ranked opponent in each of her seasons with the Jayhawks. Reid is 14-17 on the season with 111 strikeouts and a 3.25 ERA. She struck out eight batters in the series finale against Oklahoma State (4/1), marking the second time this season to record eight strikeouts. Junior Sarah Miller has made 12 starts in the circle and owns a 4-5 record. She has a 3.94 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 58 and two-thirds innings of work.

Scouting the Cyclones
Iowa State enters the weekend series looking to extend its win streak and end its losing skid to the Jayhawks. The Cyclones have won five of their last seven games. ISU is 20-32 on the season and owns a 3-12 mark in Big 12 Conference action.

Offensively, the Cyclones are batting .262 with 352 hits and 132 walks. Four players on Iowa State’s roster are hitting above .300. Freshman outfielder Megan Schweitzer is hitting a team-high .382 in 44 appearances and 18 starts. Freshman infielder Sami Williams is batting .364 in 52 starts with a team-best 30 RBIs, 19 doubles and eight home runs. Four different Cyclones have recorded 15 or more stolen bases, led by senior outfielder Cathlin Bingham (20).

In the circle, Iowa State has posted a 4.06 ERA with 272 strikeouts compared to 232 walks in 329 innings of work. Opposing batters are hitting .270 against the Cyclones’ pitching staff. Junior Brianna Weilbacher leads ISU’s pitching staff having thrown 123 innings of work. She has posted a 4.27 ERA with 150 strikeouts compared to 111 walks. Weilbacher is 10-14 in the circle and has thrown eight complete games. Sophomore hurler Emma Hylen has posted a team-low 3.68 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 106 and two-thirds innings pitched. Hylen is 5-7 in the circle with two saves.

Series Breakdown
Record
Kansas leads the all-time series, 54-33.

Overview
Kansas and Iowa State meet for the 88th time in program history on the diamond this Friday. The series began in 1980 with a 7-1 KU victory. The Jayhawks have won the last 13 meetings with ISU dating back to 2012. 

Last Time Out
Monique Wesley went the distance, while a trio of seniors accounted for nearly half of Kansas’ runs in an 8-0 run-rule victory over Iowa State in the last meeting of 2016. While Wesley shined in the circle, the rest of the senior class came through at the plate and accounted for three of eight runs in the second game of the doubleheader.

Following Kansas
Listen to every pitch, home and away, all season long as part of the Jayhawk Radio Network, in partnership with KJHK, the University of Kansas’ student radio station, KLWN and KWOD. All of KU’s contests will be carried live, for free, at KUAthletics.com/radio or by clicking the link on the online schedule. Fans can also get in-game updates via twitter by following @KUsoftball.

Best in the Big 12
Kansas’ pitching staff has posted the fourth-best ERA in the Big 12 with a 3.59 ERA. Sophomore Alexis Reid is first in the conference in shutouts (4), tied for fourth in wins (14) and fifth in strikeouts (111). Junior catcher Harli Ridling is tied for first in the Big 12 in home runs hit (11). Junior infielder Jessie Roane is third in the league in doubles hit (14) and eighth in RBIs (38) recorded. Roane’s three home runs and seven RBIs against Savannah State (2/11) are the most homers and RBIs recorded in a single game this season. 

Home Run Fun
In 49 games of the season, nine different Jayhawks have accounted for 38 home runs for Kansas. Three of those Jayhawks hit multiple long balls during the opening weekend of the 2017 season, including senior infielder Taylor Dodson’s four homers. Junior utility Jessie Roane hit three long balls in one game against Savannah State (2/11), including two in one inning. Junior catcher Harli Ridling leads the team with 11 long balls in 2017.

Defensively Sound
While blasting home runs and bringing runners home is fun, Kansas enjoys playing solid defense to accompany its offensive attack. KU has become known as one of the top defensive teams in the Big 12 Conference and the nation. The Jayhawks finished the 2015 season with the 11th-best fielding percentage in the country. The last two seasons, Kansas has ranked second in the league in fielding percentage. Currently, KU has a .973 fielding percentage, the second-best mark in the Big 12, after committing just 39 errors in 49 games. 

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