NASHVILLE, Tenn-- Belmont Softball is set to host their first Missouri Valley Conference weekend series beginning Friday, March 17 against the Illinois State Redbirds. All games will be played at E.S. Rose Park.
The Bruins are looking to turn their luck after three straight losses against fierce competition. Belmont holds a 13-9 record moving into the weekend.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, March 17 at 5 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Saturday, March 18 at 2 p.m. CT (ESPN3)
Sunday, March 19 at 12 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
What's Bruin
- Belmont fell 10-6 to Big 10 opponent Indiana in the first midweek matchup of the season
- The Bruins rallied in the 7th inning to score 4 runs on three hits and cut the deficit to 4 runs.
- Belmont went 2-2 at the Governors Classic with a successful Saturday and competitive Sunday
- The Bruins posted 31 hits, 18 runs, with 3 doubles on the weekend
- Abi Ledbetter sent out the first triple of the season for Belmont
- Belmont defeated both Dayton (9-4) and Austin Peay (2-0) on Saturday
- Against the Flyers Maya Johnson posted her career high 17 strikeouts for her eighth win of the season
- Maya Johnson was named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the week after her debut on Tuesday, February 14
- The Bruins earned the sixth spot in the preseason poll announced by the Missouri Valley Conference office January 31
- Belmont finished 33-17 last season finding themselves in the Championship matchup against Murray State
Bruin Numbers
- Baie Ensio, Nicole Hughes, and Brenna Blume have started in each of the 22 games for the Bruins this season
- Kristen Green leads the Bruins in batting average (.362), on base percentage (.422), and slugging percentage (.483)
- Ensio has been impactful offensively this season with 23 hits and 16 runs
- The Freshman shortstop, Hughes, leads the team in RBI with 18
- Johnson ranks nineteenth in the country in strikeouts with 96
- Belmont ranks 71 in NCAA standings
- The Bruins rank first in the MVC in shutouts with three
Scouting Report
- Illinois State ranked fifth in the MVC preseason poll one spot above Belmont.
- The Bruins have faced the Redbirds 4 times in program history, their last meeting was in 2007
- The Redbirds hold the 4-0 record over the Bruins
- Illinois State ranks in the top 50 in the NCAA in doubles (36) and doubles per game (1.57)
- Delainey Bryant leads the team in doubles with 8
- The Redbirds are on a 4 game winning streak after defeating Youngstown State and Murray State over the weekend
- Pitcher, Hannah Ross, has pitched 55.1 innings on the season for a 2.67 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
New Era
- Belmont is entering their first year in the MVC after over a decade in the Ohio Valley Conference
- Belmont joins UIC and Murray State as MVC newcomers.
- The Bruins have been voted sixth in the MVC preseason poll, receiving one first place vote and 67 voting points from the league coaches
- Valparaiso was picked as the preseason favorite
- Belmont will compete against Indiana State, Murray State, Southern Illinois, UIC, Illinois State, Missouri State, Valparaiso, Evansville, Drake, and Northern Iowa in the MVC
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