Marshall University Athletics
Nonconference Tests for @HerdSB This Week
3/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game Notes | Radio | Live Stats/Video (Use Schedule Page for Appropriate Links)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall softball team will take a bye from Conference USA play this week and take on nonconference teams Northern Kentucky and Furman.
The Thundering Herd will play the NKU Norse in a home double header at Dot Hicks Field starting at 2 p.m. Thursday. The game will be Maniacs Appreciation Day. The first 100 Marshall Maniacs will receive sunglasses.
Marshall will play the Paladins on Saturday in a double header starting at 1 p.m. and then finish the series Sunday at noon.
HAVE YOU HERD?
In the first NCAA RPI of the season, Marshall is ranked 52 out of 295 total teams. The Herd's RPI is ranked fourth in Conference USA.
Marshall is also at the top of stolen bases per game and is near the top of several other categories. The team is No. 1 in stolen bases per game (3.24). The team is also 32nd in batting average (.324) and 41st in ERA (2.49).
Sophomore Morgan Zerkle is third in stolen bases (1.08 per game), fourth in batting average (.560), eighth in runs per game (1.29) and 11th in on-base percentage (.596).
Sophomore pitcher Jordan Dixon is 10th in strikeouts (158) and is tied for fifth with 17 wins. She also is 41st in strikeouts per seven inning games with 8.5.
Junior Kaelynn Greene (31st) and freshman Elicia D'Orazio (46th) are also ranked highly for stolen bases per game.
BRAXTON EARNS C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK, HERD'S 4TH IN 2015
Marshall softball junior Shaelynn Braxton (Woodbridge, Va.) has been named the Conference USA Player of the Week for her performances against Charlotte and Ohio this past weekend, the league office announced today.
Braxton's offensive firepower helped to propel the Thundering Herd this past week. The Woodbridge, Va., native hit .500 on the weekend, going 6-12 with nine RBI and three runs scored. The junior also belted a grand slam against Ohio last Thursday. Against the Bobcats, Braxton went 3-4 with six RBI and two runs scored, plus a stolen base and the grand slam. In the second game of the series against Charlotte, Braxton went 2-3 with three RBI. For the week, she also had a .917 slugging percentage and hit two doubles.
She joins sophomore Morgan Zerkle (twice) and Jordan Dixon as Herd players to receive the award this season.
SCOUTING THE NORSE
The Norse is at 4-16 and is coming off a run of just two wins in five against Butler and Atlantic Sun conference opponent Florida Gulf Coast.
14 of Northern Kentucky's games have been cancelled this season, including a tournament hosted by Western Kentucky.
Dani Devlin leads the Norse with a .392 average and six home runs. She also has 18 RBI. Ashlynn Roberts (2-7) and Alex Caudill (2-4) are the only pitchers on the staff with wins this season.
Marshall is 4-0 all-time against the Norse.
SCOUTING THE PALADINS
The Paladins are 15-12, but have lost five of the last six games. Furman snapped its losing streak in its last game against Samford, winning 11-9.
Furman competes in the Southern Conference and is 1-2 this year in conference. The team has an 8-6 home record.
Sieara Bishop leads the team with a .413 record and a .763 slugging percentage. She also has 18 RBI and seven home runs. Pitcher Lindsey Bert has an 11-5 record and 2.62 ERA this season. She has also thrown 83 strikeouts.
Furman leads the series against Marshall 7-14.
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