Saturday, April 22
JACKSONVILLE
1 p.m.
Jacksonville State University
vs
SIU-Edwardsville
First Place On The Line As JSU Hosts Big Softball Weekend
4/21/2017 11:50:00 AM | Softball
LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday vs. SIUE
Game 1: LIVE STATS - LIVE AUDIO
Game 2: LIVE STATS - LIVE AUDIO
Sunday vs. EIU
Game 1: LIVE STATS
Game 2: LIVE STATS
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State softball team gears up for a big Ohio Valley Conference weekend at University Field that will pit the first-place Gamecocks against the second- and third-place teams in the league.
The Gamecocks (32-9, 11-1 OVC) will start the weekend with a Saturday doubleheader against SIU-Edwardsville (35-8, 10-2 OVC), who trails the defending champions by just one game in the standings. The twinbill will start at 1 p.m. On Sunday, third-place Eastern Illinois will come calling for a doubleheader on Senior Day, also at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all fans ages 18 and under and for all JSU students.
Saturday will be the first time in OVC history that two teams in the top 50 in the NCAA RPI will meet in a league game. The No. 50 Gamecocks were picked to win the league this season, while the Cougars (No. 40) were picked second. They are the top two of five OVC teams in the top 90 in the latest RPI.
Saturday will mark the 21st and 22nd meetings between the Gamecocks and Cougars on the softball diamond, and the all-time series is knotted at 10-10. JSU has won four of the last five meetings, all of which came last season when the Gamecocks were 4-1 in the series. JSU is 5-3 all-time at University Field against SIUE.
JSU brings the nation's third-longest active winning streak at 13 games, dating back to a loss on the opening week of league play. The Gamecocks have won 41 of their last 42 regular season OVC games, a streak that includes the final four games of 2015 and a 26-0 record in 2016.
The Gamecocks lead the OVC and are 20th in the nation with a 1.77 earned run average, while the Cougars come in with the second-best ERA in the league at 1.82. Whitney Gillespie, the reigning OVC Pitcher of the Year, is 13th nationally with a 1.09 ERA that is also tops in the OVC. SIUE starter Haley Chambers-Book, the 2015 OVC Pitcher of the Year, is second in the league and 20th in the nation with a 1.20 ERA.
JSU leads the OVC in batting average with a .310 clip that is bolstered by a .323 average in league play. Eight JSU starters are batting over .300, with Gillespie being the only one below that mark despite hitting .400 in OVC play. Junior Leila Chambers (.500) and senior Jamie McGuire (.444) lead the Gamecocks in batting in conference games.
This weekend is the final home weekend of the season for JSU, which will honor its seven seniors prior to Sunday's doubleheader. Senior Day festivities will begin at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Saturday vs. SIUE
Game 1: LIVE STATS - LIVE AUDIO
Game 2: LIVE STATS - LIVE AUDIO
Sunday vs. EIU
Game 1: LIVE STATS
Game 2: LIVE STATS
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State softball team gears up for a big Ohio Valley Conference weekend at University Field that will pit the first-place Gamecocks against the second- and third-place teams in the league.
The Gamecocks (32-9, 11-1 OVC) will start the weekend with a Saturday doubleheader against SIU-Edwardsville (35-8, 10-2 OVC), who trails the defending champions by just one game in the standings. The twinbill will start at 1 p.m. On Sunday, third-place Eastern Illinois will come calling for a doubleheader on Senior Day, also at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all fans ages 18 and under and for all JSU students.
Saturday will be the first time in OVC history that two teams in the top 50 in the NCAA RPI will meet in a league game. The No. 50 Gamecocks were picked to win the league this season, while the Cougars (No. 40) were picked second. They are the top two of five OVC teams in the top 90 in the latest RPI.
Saturday will mark the 21st and 22nd meetings between the Gamecocks and Cougars on the softball diamond, and the all-time series is knotted at 10-10. JSU has won four of the last five meetings, all of which came last season when the Gamecocks were 4-1 in the series. JSU is 5-3 all-time at University Field against SIUE.
JSU brings the nation's third-longest active winning streak at 13 games, dating back to a loss on the opening week of league play. The Gamecocks have won 41 of their last 42 regular season OVC games, a streak that includes the final four games of 2015 and a 26-0 record in 2016.
The Gamecocks lead the OVC and are 20th in the nation with a 1.77 earned run average, while the Cougars come in with the second-best ERA in the league at 1.82. Whitney Gillespie, the reigning OVC Pitcher of the Year, is 13th nationally with a 1.09 ERA that is also tops in the OVC. SIUE starter Haley Chambers-Book, the 2015 OVC Pitcher of the Year, is second in the league and 20th in the nation with a 1.20 ERA.
JSU leads the OVC in batting average with a .310 clip that is bolstered by a .323 average in league play. Eight JSU starters are batting over .300, with Gillespie being the only one below that mark despite hitting .400 in OVC play. Junior Leila Chambers (.500) and senior Jamie McGuire (.444) lead the Gamecocks in batting in conference games.
This weekend is the final home weekend of the season for JSU, which will honor its seven seniors prior to Sunday's doubleheader. Senior Day festivities will begin at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Players Mentioned
Saturday, March 14
Saturday, March 14
Wednesday, March 11
Thursday, February 19
