Pre-Classic Game Notes (PDF)
Appalachian State Mountaineers | Butler Bulldogs
Lipscomb Bison (host) | Live Stats

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The Eastern Illinois softball squad will take a 4-4 overall record to Nashville this weekend, as the Panthers will compete in the four-team Lady Bison Classic being hosted by Lipscomb.

Besides the 5-8 host squad, EIU will also face Appalachian State (5-9) and Butler (1-3).

TOURNAMENT COVERAGE & SCHEDULE ...
Panther fans can follow the Lady Bison Classic via the Lipscomb athletic website (LipscombSports.com), which will include live stat coverage of each contest.

The complete weekend schedule is as follows (all times central), with the designated home team in each game listed last. All games are to be played at Lipscomb's Draper Diamond. 

Due to the potential of inclement weather, the weekend classic schedule will be modified as necessary.

Friday, March 4, 2011
3:30 pm ... Butler at Lipscomb

Saturday, March 5, 2011
10 am ... Appalachian State vs. Butler
12:15 pm ... Butler vs. EASTERN ILLINOIS
2:30 pm ... Appalachian State at Lipscomb
4:45 pm ... EASTERN ILLINOIS at Lipscomb

Sunday, March 6, 2011
11 am ... EASTERN ILLINOIS vs. Appalachian State
*1:15 pm ... First place game (#1 vs. #2)
*3:30 pm ... Third place game (#3 vs. #4)

*-Seeding for the First/Third place games will be determined based on weekend win/loss records. Should there be a tie, it will be broken based on -- 1. Head to head competition; 2. Run differential among tied teams; 3. Run differential among all teams; 4. Number of runs allowed; 5. Number of runs scored; 6. Coin flip.

WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST FOR NASHVILLE ...
According to www.Weather.com, it looks like it might be a hit-and-miss weekend weather-wise in Nashville this weekend, as rain and thunderstorms have been forecast for Saturday, while sunny skies are supposed to return Sunday. Temperatures should be in the upper 50's on Saturday with high 40's projected for Sunday.

QUICK LOOK AT PANTHER STAT LEADERS ...
Freshman Reynae Hutchinson continues to lead the Panther squad in the hitting game, with a .529 batting average (9-of-17) which includes ripping two doubles. The local Mattoon native has 11 total bases off a .647 slug %, having struck out just once while tallying three RBI and touching home plate three times as well.

Fellow newcomers Morgan Biel and Carly Willert lead all players with four RBI apiece, with Willert also having nailed two doubles, while Biel leads with two home runs on the early season. Biel has a .611 slug mark and ties Hutchinson with 11 total bases.

In base running, the Panthers are a combined 10-for-16 in base thefts, led by freshman Jelly Brannick's 3-for-3 mark. Sophomore Melise Brown, who tied the EIU school mark for freshman stolen bases last season, is 2-for-4 and Charleston product Kaylie Pruett is 2-for-3 in extra-base thefts.

Freshman pitcher Stephanie Maday currently leads the Panther bullpen with a 2-1 mark in three starts and one complete game this season. She sports a zero ERA having allowed just three unearned runs, while striking out nine and walking five. Also, the right-hander has held her opposing batters to a low .170 mark at the plate and has yet to throw a wild pitch or tag a batter with a throw.

Senior Amber May sits at 1-2 on the season, leading all Panthers with 29 Ks and just four walks. She has 27 innings of work under her belt this season.

SCOUTING BUTLER ...
The first opponent this weekend will be Butler, which enter with a 1-3 record on the early season.

Erin Falkenberry leads the squad with a .333 batting average with three hits, including nailing one of the team two home runs. She sports a .667 slug % with six total bases, 2 RBI, and four walks.

Lauren McNulty is a threat once on base as she owns the team's top stolen base average going 2-for-2 so far this season.

Jennifer Chasteen's 1-1 overall pitching record and zero ERA leads the Bulldog bullpen, but she has yet to earn a complete game. Jenny Esparza, at 0-2 as starting pitcher, has 13 strikeouts, 10 walks and a 5.79 ERA while opponents are hitting .243 against her.

As a team, the Bulldogs are hitting just .161 on the season, with 15 hits, seven runs, six RBI, and are 5-for-7 in stolen bases.

The Panthers are 12-10 all-time against Butler, but have lost the last three meetings between the two Midwest squads. Including dropping a doubleheader at Butler last spring. EIU last won over the Bulldogs back in 2008, as they blanked Butler, 7-0.

QUICK LOOK AT LADY BISON ...
The host Lipscomb squad enters the weekend at 5-8 overall. They recently participated in the same Magic City Classic that the Panthers competed at last weekend, yet the two squads were not scheduled to play each other.

Leading the Lady Bison is Breanna Thurman with a .281 batting average behind nine hits, including two doubles. She has 11 total bases, three RBI, ten strikeouts, eight walks, and is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases.

Mollie Mitchell leads with 10 RBI with seven hits, including four of extra-base variety. Vanessa Medina's three home runs tops her squad.

Lipscomb has only utilized two pitchers so far this season, with Whitney Kiihnl sporting a fine 5-4 mark with a 0.94 ERA, having already struck out 90 batters this year, walking 18 and allowing eight earned runs. She has also limited the opposing batters to a .145 average.

As a squad, Lipscomb is hitting .209 overall, with 67 total hits, eight home runs, and 30 RBI.

This weekend's meeting between EIU and the Lipscomb will be the second all-time in the series history, with the Panthers having won the previous game, 3-2, in 2002.

SCOUTING ASU ...
The Mountaineers of Appalachian State sit at 5-9 prior to the start of the weekend.

Megan Smith's .459 batting average leads the squad, as she is one of three batters with double-digit hits already this season. She is 17-for-37 at the plate with five extra base hits, 11 RBI, and a .703 slug %. She has only struck out and walked four times each.

Allie Cashion ties Smith with three doubles, while Hannah Dow ties Smith with two home runs apiece.

Sarah Rappe is a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases to lead all Mountainers.

Frannie Seader's 8-2 mark in the circle leads a bullpen of four pitchers for ASU. She has a 2.93 ERA with 25 Ks, six walks and 28.2 innings of work, yet has only one complete game under her belt this season. Plus the opposition is nailing a .275 batting mark when she is pitching.

In team stats, the Mountaineers are hitting a combined .234 with 51 runs, 79 hits, eight home runs, and 19 stolen bases.

The Panthers and Mountaineers have never met on the softball field prior to this weekend's tournament.

PANTHERS FINISH EARLY-SEASON TOURNAMENT PLAY … 
Following this weekend action, the Panthers will head to Kissimmee, Florida to take on eight opponents over four days at the Rebel Spring Games.

Between March 13-16, EIU will battle several Northern schools, including Columbia, Fairleigh Dickinson, Siena, Hartford, Houston Baptist, Manhattan, Akron, and Rider.

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID