LIVE COVERAGE: Live Video and Live Stats for the four-game set in Salem can be found on the Corban
Stretch Internet Portal. The games have been moved to Sunday and Monday due to heavy rain expected in the Salem area on Friday and Saturday.
COMPLETE MEDIA GAME NOTES
MCNERNEY NAMED CCC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: College of Idaho pitcher
Hannah McNerney was honored as Red Lion-Cascade Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. McNerney worked a combined 14 innings in a pair of wins over Northwest this past weekend, including throwing a career-high eight innings on Saturday in which she struck out five batters and allowed just two earned runs. In her two starts against the Eagles, McNerney allowed nine hits, five walks and three earned runs while striking out 10 batters. As a result of the strong performances, the right-hander has now lowered her season ERA to 1.85, ranking second in the conference behind Southern Oregon ace Gabby Sandoval's 1.70 ERA. This is the second time this season that McNerney has taken home Pitcher of the Week honors.
CONSISTENT BATS: The Yotes have scored four or more runs in 18 of 20 games so far this season, hitting .294 for the year with a .380 team on-base percentage. C of I is 13-5 when scoring at least four runs and 0-2 when failing to do so. Prior to the weekend series at Corban, six different players on the roster have posted an on-base percentage higher than .400. The Yotes are averaging the third most runs per contest in the conference at just under 5.9 per game.
NEARING A RECORD: C of I has not been shutout in a game since a 3-0 loss at Southern Oregon last April. The streak of 30 consecutive games is inching towards the program record (43) for games without being shutout, which was set back in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
OPPONENT PREVIEW - CORBAN: The No. 24 ranked Warriors reside in second place in the current CCC standings with an 8-1 record in conference play. Corban has jumped all over opponents in the first inning this season, outscoring the opposition 23-8 in the first frame. Three players that have started all 18 games have posted batting averages above .400, including Kaylee Buhrkuhl (.429 BA, 7 2B, 13 RBI, 9 SB), Makiah Johnson (.403 BA, 6 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 4 SB) and Sam Woodley (.400 BA, 6 2B, 2 HR, 16 RBI). Ally Crakes (4-0, 2.70 ERA, 49 K, 7 BB) and Kaylee Brown (4-0, 3.09 ERA, 3 K, 13 BB) have been effective all season on the mound for Corban.
COYOTE PITCHING LEADING CONFERENCE: The C of I pitching staff has been outstanding this year, combining for an impressive 2.35 ERA between the six that have spent time in the circle, which is the lowest number in the CCC and the 28th best mark in the country. Opponents are hitting just .253 against the Yotes and no pitcher has an ERA above 4.00.
CROFTS THE TRIPLE MACHINE: Senior
Trystin Crofts hit a triple in the third inning of the series opener against Northwest, giving her 12 for her career, which is tied with
Ashley Van Horne for the most in program history. Her five triples this season sits at the top of the NAIA individual rankings in 2020.
BIG WEEKEND FOR MILLER: Junior first baseman
Lacie Miller had her best week of the season against Northwest, finishing 4-for-9 with four RBI, three runs, two walks and a stolen base. Miller reached base in all four games.
MENDIOLA BACK IN THE MIX: Outfielder
Aleah Mendiola returned to the lineup for the first time in conference play by going 3-for-11 with five runs, five RBI and a pair of home runs against Northwest.
SMITH AT SECOND IN THE TWO HOLE: Second baseman
Kylie Smith has started every game at the position this season and been a constant in the second spot in the batting order. She is third on the roster with a .379 batting average and has added a team-best 17 RBI.
AGGRESSIVE ON THE BASEPATHS: The Yotes are 42-of-45 on stolen base attempts this season.
Haley Loffer has 13 steals in 15 attempts, which leads the conference.
Micha Fortune is not far behind with a perfect 11 steals in 11 attempts, including seven last weekend.
LOFFER REACHING BASE: Shortstop
Haley Loffer has the longest active reached base streak on the team, having reached base in 12 consecutive games. Loffer has a .395 on-base percentage this season, earning 16 walks and being hit by five pitches.
RECORD IN ONE-RUN GAMES: A year after going 1-11 in games decided by one run, C of I went 8-4 in one-run games in 2019, a huge key in an 18-win improvement in the one year span. The Yotes have played seven one-run contests in 2020 and are 4-3 in those affairs.
HOLDING LATE LEADS: C of I has not lost when leading after six innings, posting a record of 6-0.
WHEN SCORING FIRST: The Yotes are 11-2 when scoring first and 8-1 when scoring at least one run in the first inning.
SIX OR MORE RUNS EQUALS SUCCESS: When the Yotes score six or more runs in a game the team has gone 8-1 this season, with the first loss of the year coming last week in a 9-7 defeat against Northwest.
CLOSE TO HISTORY: Head coach
Al Mendiola is the winningest coach in C of I softball program history with 388 wins. In his 15th season, Mendiola is now just 12 wins away from 400, which would put him in company with his wife
Liz Mendiola - the head volleyball coach - as the only women's sports coaches to eclipse the 400 wins threshold in school history.
LOOKING AHEAD: C of I begins the longest stretch of home games this season next Friday and Saturday by hosting Warner Pacific in a four-game set. The Yotes then take on rival Eastern Oregon in a doubleheader on Mar. 24 as part of six straight games at Symms Field.
RECORD BOOK UPDATE: With 93 runs scored for her career,
Trystin Crofts has moved into seventh on the all-time record list at the C of I. Her 166 hits ranks fifth, 35 doubles is third, 12 triples is tied for first, 17 home runs is sixth, 103 RBI is tied for third and 36 stolen bases is sixth. In just 75 career games,
Haley Loffer has swiped 45 bases, moving her into the fourth spot in the career leaderboard.
