FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Having already qualified for the Summit League Tournament, the Jags will aim to close out the season strong as the IUPUI softball team (19-26, 9-5) hopes to cement the best possible tournament seed as the team battles Fort Wayne (11-34, 3-9) this weekend (May 5-6) on the road. The Jags are currently just a half game out of first place.
The entirety of the tournament setup will unfold in the final weekend, as several plausible scenarios could arise from the last round of competition. The Jags are in contention for their first-ever Summit League regular season title, as the top-two teams in the tournament receive byes in the single elimination first-round. The Jags are a half game out of first place due to one of their originally three games scheduled against Omaha being canceled due to weather. Both North Dakota State and Western Illinois are at the top of the pack with 10-5 records.
The Jags defeated North Dakota State in their respective series, taking two out of three games from the Bison. The Leathernecks bested the Jags in their matchup, as IUPUI was only able to claim one of three games. The tournament seeds are determined by winning percentage, as the Jags would be guaranteed first with a sweep of the Mastodons and one loss by both NDSU and WIU.
For the season, the Jags have been paced by their explosive senior offensive quad, as the four fourth-year players have the top-four batting averages on the team.
Taylor Chitwood leads the team and is third in the Summit League with a .345 batting average, while
Maggie Good is the league leader in home runs (11) and RBIs (39).
Roni Patterson is right behind her with a league second-best 35 RBIs and 9 homeruns.
Alyssa Matson is the hits leader in the Summit League, currently holding the top-spot with 55 and has a .331 average. The group has combined to tag 40 doubles, two triples and 25 homeruns.
The Jags rode
Nickole Finch to a pair of victories this past weekend against Omaha, as the junior pitched 12 innings in two complete games, giving up just four earned runs. For the season, she has a 12-10 record with a 4.78 ERA, tossing 16 complete games in 22 starts.
The Mastodons are currently on the outside looking in, as Fort Wayne needs to win the series with IUPUI in hopes of making the tournament. The 'Dons are near the bottom of the league with a team .250 batting average, clubbing a league-low 15 homeruns with 130 RBIs and 94 walks. The team also features the worst ERA at 5.52. Against conference teams, they've seen their average drop to .239, but have improved their ERA with a 4.93. Part of the teams woes have come from a tough non-conference schedule, which includes common opponents with IUPUI such as Butler, Illinois-Chicago, Eastern Illinois, and Miami (Ohio).
Live stats will be available for the game, as well as a pay-per-view video feed, courtesy of Fort Wayne athletics.
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