Final non-conference tournament for Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Razorbacks travel to Stillwater, Okla., for their final non-conference competition, the Oklahoma State Mizuno Classic, with play beginning Friday at Cowgirl Softball Stadium. Along with Arkansas, the field features Cleveland State, Drake, Northern Colorado and host Oklahoma State. All Arkansas games will be broadcast on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.Arkansas’ first game will be a 4 p.m. contest with Drake, the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Bulldogs topped Arkansas, 6-5, at the Metrodome Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. On day two, the Razorbacks will open play with a game against Cleveland State. The game is set for a 10 a.m. start. Next, Arkansas and Northern Colorado will face one another at 2:30 p.m. The Cowgirls will be Arkansas’ final opponent of the tournament in a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday. Senior catcher Whitney Cloer continues to lead the club in hitting with a .375 batting average. She is also tied for the Southeastern Conference lead in doubles with seven. Leadoff hitter Jessica Bachkora is hitting .302 on the season and leads the team with three home runs, 12 RBI, 13 runs scored and 29 total bases.In the circle, the Razorbacks are led by Miranda Dixon who is 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA through 53.1 inning pitched. She also leads the team with 41 strikeouts and three saves. Kim Jones is second on the team with a 3.53 ERA and a 2-2 mark in five starts.

Cleveland State (4-5) is hitting .314 as a team and averaging 6.6 runs per game. The Vikings are led at the plate by Mimi Mahon (.423 BA) and Lia Gordon (.417, 3 HR). In the circle, Amanda Macenko has started all nine games for Cleveland State and is 4-4 with a 6.56 ERA. This will be the first meeting between Arkansas and Cleveland State.

Drake (10-5) is led at the plate by Torey Craddock and Elena Leon. The two are hitting .395 and .386, respectively, for the Bulldogs. Leon (4 HR, 10 RBI) homered against Arkansas in the teams’ first meeting. In the circle, Jenna DeLong is 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 48 strikeouts, while Brynne Dordel carries a 5-1 record and 3.21 ERA with 56 strikeouts.

Friday’s game between Arkansas and Drake will be a rematch as the teams played earlier this season at the Metrodome Classic. The Bulldogs came away with a 6-5 victory after rallying in the bottom of the seventh.

Cloer was 3-for-4 with a homer and Miranda Dixon was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Jocelyne Moncrief also collected two hits and drove in a run.

Leon and Erin Mollohan both homered for Drake in the game. Mollohan’s shot tied the game in the bottom of the seventh before the game-winning run scored to give the Bulldogs the victory. Arkansas leads the all-time series with the Bulldogs, 3-2.

Northern Colorado (5-11) features three hitting with a batting average over .300. Erin Geddis leads the team with a .375 batting average, followed by Courtney Maihi (.348) and Jessica McNabb (.327). The Bears have struggled in the circle with an 8.27 team ERA. In the first-ever meetings between the two, the Razorbacks swept a doubleheader with Northern Colorado last season in Fayetteville.

Oklahoma State (11-4) has six players with at least 12 hits and a batting average over .300. That group is led by Megan Castle (.400) and Julie Ward (.324, 4 HR, 14 RBI). The Cowgirls have a team ERA of 1.96 and opponents are hitting just .192 against them. Sarah Odom is 5-1 with a 1.79 ERA and Anna Whiddon is 5-3 with a 2.03 ERA. Arkansas is 5-3 all-time against Oklahoma State, including three wins over the Cowgirls last season.

The Oklahoma State Mizuno Classic will be the final preparation for Southeastern Conference play which begins March 11, a doubleheader with South Carolina at Bogle Park. For continued coverage and more information, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Download: 2009 notes.pdf