Final Regular Season Series Set for @HerdSB

May 1, 2015

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Marshall softball (33-13, 12-7) will honor its two seniors (Kristina Braxton and Emileigh Cooper) in its final regular season series against Conference USA opponent UAB (30-16, 14-5) at Dot Hicks Field this weekend.

Saturday's doubleheader starts at 1 p.m., while Sunday's game will be at 12 p.m.

HONORING SENIORS

Kristina Braxton: OF Woodbridge, Va.

Braxton has 51 hits and 59 runs and has 20 career stolen bases.Â

Braxton has been a leader by example this season for the Thundering Herd and is known for producing hits in clutch moments. Last season against Radford, Braxton was responsible for three of the team's first four RBI against Radford and hit her first collegiate home run. Her 31 career RBIs also demonstrate her clutch hitting ability.

Braxton hit more than three RBI in a game on four separate occasions and had three hits in a game twice.Â She also had 11 doubles and one triple in her Herd career.

Emileigh Cooper: OF Jackson, Ohio

Cooper has played in 209 career games and started 90.

She currently has 79 career hits, 75 runs and 42 stolen bases.

Known for her flair and vocal leadership, Cooper is having a career year, with a .451 average, 51 hits and three home runs, including the walk-off homer against Western Kentucky in March. She has also doubled her RBI total and tripled her extra base hit total from last season to now.

Cooper has driven in two RBIs a total of five times in her career, including twice this season against Western Kentucky.Â Cooper also has a career high 12 stolen bases this season and is a menace on the base paths. She has collected four hits in a game twice this season, against South Florida and North Texas.

STATISTICAL UPDATE

Marshall's .348 team batting average ranks No. 1 in Conference USA and No. 8 in Division I. Marshall is also still No. 1 in stolen bases per game, with 3.24 per contest. Jordan Dixon leads Division I in victories with 31, while Morgan Zerkle is second in stolen bases with one per game. Junior Shaelynn Braxton has also joined Rachel Folden as Herd players with two seasons of 50 RBI or more. Here are a few other categories Marshall leads or is near the top in.

STATISTICÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â PLAYER Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â RANKÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NUMBER

VictoriesÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jordan Dixon Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Runs Per Game Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Morgan Zerkle Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.31

On-base %Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Morgan Zerkle Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .554

Batting Average Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Morgan Zerkle Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .521

Sac. Flies Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Shaelynn Braxton Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7

ShutoutsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jordan Dixon Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 20 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7

Strikeouts Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jordan Dixon Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 283

RPI UPDATE

Marshall is No. 52 in this week's NCAA Division I RPI rating. That is the fourth highest ranking in Conference USA, behind only No. 31 Western Kentucky, No. 36 FAU and No. 48 UAB.

SCOUTING THE BLAZERS

UAB is 30-16 and 14-5 in Conference USA play, which is first in the West division. Like the Thundering Herd, UAB has clinched a spot in next week's Conference USA tournament in Miami. UAB is led offensively by Caitlin Attfield and SaraBeth Williamson, who hit .488 and .422 respectively. The Blazers have two primary pitchers in Cara Goodwin (12-4) and Megan Smith (14-7). UAB leads the all-time series by a slim margin of 12-15. Marla Townsend has been the coach of the Blazers since the program's inception in 1998.

LET'S GET SOCIAL

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Marshall University Athletics

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Kristina Braxton

Shaelynn Braxton

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