Mavs Welcome Coyotes in League Opener
Mar 20, 2014 | Softball
The Omaha softball team opens Summit League play this Friday and Saturday with a three-game home series against South Dakota at Westside Field at Westbrook. The Mavericks and Coyotes will play a Friday doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. The series concludes with one game on Saturday at Noon. Live stats will be available at OMavs.com. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. UNO students get in free with their MavCard.
The Mavericks
• The top three home run hitters in the Summit League are all Mavericks. Senior first baseman Amber Lutmer leads the league with 11 homers, while junior center fielder Allie Mathewson and sophomore catcher Campbell Ditto are tied for second with seven home runs each.
• In addition to her league-leading 11 home runs, Lutmer leads the conference with 35 RBI and has a team-best .397 batting average. She holds the school record for career homers (45) and is 25 runs batted in away from tying the school record of 167 career RBI. Lutmer also holds the school record for career walks (97).
• Mathewson hits .383 to go with her seven homers, 25 runs and 20 RBI. She has six doubles and two triples for a team-high 15 extra-base hits. Ditto hits .342 with seven homers, 25 runs and 21 RBI.
• Dana Elsasser has 14 of the Mavs' 17 wins this season. Elsasser has a 1.63 ERA to rank second in the league and has an opponent batting average of .182. Elsasser's career 1.27 ERA ranks seventh-best in school history, and her .195 opponent batting average is second-best. Her 58 career wins rank eighth in school history and her 31 shutouts rank fourth.
• Sydney Hames is enjoying a strong sophomore season. Hames is hitting .326 and has a .968 fielding percentage at third base with just three errors in 95 chances.
• Shortstop Tonya Peterson has been sidelined the last four games with a fractured bone in her face after a grounder bounced up and struck her near the eye against Colorado State on March 9.
• The Mavs lead all Summit League teams in numerous categories, including 31 home runs, 96 walks and a .474 slugging percentage. The Mavs rank second in runs scored (141) and on-base percentage (.387). The Mavs' pitching staff has a 2.86 ERA to rank third in the league.
Scouting South Dakota
The Coyotes enter with a 17-10 overall record and are riding high after going 9-5 on a nine-day trip to Florida from March 7-15. On the Florida trip, the Coyotes won six straight and seven of their last nine. Katie Dinning, the reigning Summit League Player of the Week, leads the team with a .429 average, 22 RBI and 17 runs. Yvon Minogue hits .420 and has 18 RBI and 17 runs. Morgan Hancock is the top power threat with a .357 average, five home runs and 25 RBI. Rachel Cue is 8-5 with a 1.96 ERA. Madison Frain is also 8-5 with a 2.91 ERA.
Series History
UNO owns a 79-11 advantage in the all-time series. The season series last year in Vermillion was cut from three to two games because of inclement weather. The Mavs posted a 1-0 and 6-3 sweep over the Coyotes.
Up Next
UNO hosts No. 15 Nebraska next Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Westside Field at Westbrook.
Last Time Out
OMAHA, Neb. - Amber Lutmer's bases-loaded walkoff single in the bottom of the eighth scored Lia Mancuso for a 5-4 win over Wichita State in the Omaha softball team's home opener at Westside Field at Westbrook on Tuesday. The Mavericks improved to 17-9 overall, while Wichita State fell to 15-10. The Mavs had taken a 4-0 lead after two innings, thanks to a three-run blast by Campbell Ditto. After Nicole Warren singled to left field, Mancuso laid down a sacrifice bunt and her hustle forced an error by the first baseman, allowing Mancuso to reach second and Warren third. Allie Mathewson then hit an RBI fielder's choice to the first baseman, whose throw home did not beat Warren in time. Ditto then stepped in and hit a towering three-run home run just over the left field fence to make it 4-0. Wichita State got on the board in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs to make it 4-2 Mavs. The Shockers then put together a rally in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. But in the bottom of the eighth, Mancuso led off with a hard single to the pitcher. After Tara Trede struck out, Mathewson cranked a double off the wall in center field to put Mancuso on third with one out. Ditto drew a walk, loading the bases for Lutmer. The senior finished off a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a laser past the third baseman's glove to score Mancuso from third for the winning run. Ditto was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run. Mathewson was 2-for-5 with a run and RBI. Mancuso was 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Elsasser (14-4) got the win, throwing the complete game with three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and five walks.
The Mavericks
• The top three home run hitters in the Summit League are all Mavericks. Senior first baseman Amber Lutmer leads the league with 11 homers, while junior center fielder Allie Mathewson and sophomore catcher Campbell Ditto are tied for second with seven home runs each.
• In addition to her league-leading 11 home runs, Lutmer leads the conference with 35 RBI and has a team-best .397 batting average. She holds the school record for career homers (45) and is 25 runs batted in away from tying the school record of 167 career RBI. Lutmer also holds the school record for career walks (97).
• Mathewson hits .383 to go with her seven homers, 25 runs and 20 RBI. She has six doubles and two triples for a team-high 15 extra-base hits. Ditto hits .342 with seven homers, 25 runs and 21 RBI.
• Dana Elsasser has 14 of the Mavs' 17 wins this season. Elsasser has a 1.63 ERA to rank second in the league and has an opponent batting average of .182. Elsasser's career 1.27 ERA ranks seventh-best in school history, and her .195 opponent batting average is second-best. Her 58 career wins rank eighth in school history and her 31 shutouts rank fourth.
• Sydney Hames is enjoying a strong sophomore season. Hames is hitting .326 and has a .968 fielding percentage at third base with just three errors in 95 chances.
• Shortstop Tonya Peterson has been sidelined the last four games with a fractured bone in her face after a grounder bounced up and struck her near the eye against Colorado State on March 9.
• The Mavs lead all Summit League teams in numerous categories, including 31 home runs, 96 walks and a .474 slugging percentage. The Mavs rank second in runs scored (141) and on-base percentage (.387). The Mavs' pitching staff has a 2.86 ERA to rank third in the league.
Scouting South Dakota
The Coyotes enter with a 17-10 overall record and are riding high after going 9-5 on a nine-day trip to Florida from March 7-15. On the Florida trip, the Coyotes won six straight and seven of their last nine. Katie Dinning, the reigning Summit League Player of the Week, leads the team with a .429 average, 22 RBI and 17 runs. Yvon Minogue hits .420 and has 18 RBI and 17 runs. Morgan Hancock is the top power threat with a .357 average, five home runs and 25 RBI. Rachel Cue is 8-5 with a 1.96 ERA. Madison Frain is also 8-5 with a 2.91 ERA.
Series History
UNO owns a 79-11 advantage in the all-time series. The season series last year in Vermillion was cut from three to two games because of inclement weather. The Mavs posted a 1-0 and 6-3 sweep over the Coyotes.
Up Next
UNO hosts No. 15 Nebraska next Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Westside Field at Westbrook.
Last Time Out
OMAHA, Neb. - Amber Lutmer's bases-loaded walkoff single in the bottom of the eighth scored Lia Mancuso for a 5-4 win over Wichita State in the Omaha softball team's home opener at Westside Field at Westbrook on Tuesday. The Mavericks improved to 17-9 overall, while Wichita State fell to 15-10. The Mavs had taken a 4-0 lead after two innings, thanks to a three-run blast by Campbell Ditto. After Nicole Warren singled to left field, Mancuso laid down a sacrifice bunt and her hustle forced an error by the first baseman, allowing Mancuso to reach second and Warren third. Allie Mathewson then hit an RBI fielder's choice to the first baseman, whose throw home did not beat Warren in time. Ditto then stepped in and hit a towering three-run home run just over the left field fence to make it 4-0. Wichita State got on the board in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs to make it 4-2 Mavs. The Shockers then put together a rally in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. But in the bottom of the eighth, Mancuso led off with a hard single to the pitcher. After Tara Trede struck out, Mathewson cranked a double off the wall in center field to put Mancuso on third with one out. Ditto drew a walk, loading the bases for Lutmer. The senior finished off a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a laser past the third baseman's glove to score Mancuso from third for the winning run. Ditto was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run. Mathewson was 2-for-5 with a run and RBI. Mancuso was 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Elsasser (14-4) got the win, throwing the complete game with three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and five walks.
Players Mentioned
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