Game Time... Northwestern College is set to play a pair of GPAC doubleheaders, beginning with a Monday afternoon (3/5pm) conference match-up at Briar Cliff in Sioux City. The Red Raiders will then play their long-awaited home opener on Tuesday against Dakota Wesleyan.

Follow Tuesday's home games via the NWC webcast at this link: Watch Now!  Live Stats!

All-Time...The Red Raiders are 42-14-1 all-time against Briar Cliff, 4-1 in the last five games against the Chargers. Last year, Northwestern swept BCU 6-0, 9-6.  

Scouting Reports...

    Briar Cliff Chargers: 3-13 (11th), 8-24 overall            Head Coach: Erin Bly (1st year)

The Chargers are in 11th place in the conference standings with a 3-13 record, 8-24 overall. They snapped their 11-game losing streak last time out with a 7-6 home win over Midland on Sunday afternoon. Prior to that win, BCU had dropped doubleheaders to Doane, College of Saint Mary, Morningside, Dakota Wesleyan and Concordia.

Appointed as the head of the Chargers softball program last June, Bly is in her first season after a long stint as a high school coach in Clearwater, Fla. She inherits a Chargers team that returns four starters and 13 players from a 2018 team that finished 11th in the GPAC at 2-18, 5-32 overall. They were picked to finish 12th in the GPAC Coaches preseason poll. 

    By the Numbers (GPAC rank)
    3 runs / game (12th)            4.7 runs vs (6th)                  
    5.6 hits / game (12th)           7.6 hits vs (6th)
    .218 BA (12th)                      .283 BA vs (5th)
    10 HR (8th)                          13 HR vs
    22/24 stolen bases (6th)      42/47 SB vs
    3.87 ERA (8th)
    122 K's (7th)
    96 BB (8th)
    
    Individual Leaders (GPAC Rank)
    Bailey Nichols - .357 BA, 19 runs, 11 RBIs, 9 2B (T10th)
    Rachele Heaton - .274 BA, 10 runs, 12 RBIs
    Alayna Allen - .250 BA, 10 RBIs; 5-6, 2.97 ERA (10th), 76 IP (10th), 30 BB, 64 K's
    Brooklyn Barnett - .209 BA, 4 runs, 6 RBI
    
Dakota Wesleyan: 6-10 (8th), 11-15            Head Coach: Ed Kieff (8th)

The Tigers lost two against Doane over the weekend, losing game one 10-1 and 3-2 in game two. They fell back to eighth in the GPAC at 6-10, 11-25 overall. DWU had won four straight prior to the losses against Doane, sweeping both Briar Cliff and Hastings in conference doubleheaders.

Kieff is the program's all-time winningest coach in his eight seasons at DWU, owning 117 victories during his tenure. He returns eight starters and nine starters and his top pitcher from a 2018 team that finished fifth in the GPAC at 11-9, 15-25 overall.

By the Numbers (GPAC rank)
    4.3 runs / game (T8th)          7.1 runs vs (12th)                  
    6.9 hits / game (10th)           10.4 hits vs (12th)
    .266 BA (9th)                      .438 BA vs (12th)
    27 HR (1st)                          16 HR vs
    9/12 stolen bases (11th)      43/53 SB vs
    6.82 ERA (12th)
    118 K's (8th)
    117 BB (12th)
    
    Individual Leaders (GPAC Rank)
    Adriana Thomason - .375 BA, 23 runs (T10th), 2 HR, 17 RBI
    Chaydon Metzger - .304 BA, HR, 7 RBI
    Andriana Sprakel (2nd team all-conference) - .303 BA, 32 runs (3rd)
    Stephanie Gabel - .300 BA, 2 HR
    Sierra Haage (3x All-Conference) - 7-8, 4.52 ERA, 96 IP, 71 K's

Northwestern Red Raiders: 3-5 (9th GPAC), 10-17 overall            Head Coach: Shane Bouman (1st year)

By the Numbers (GPAC rank)
    5.1 runs / game (5th)           4.9 runs vs (9th)                  
    7.5 hits / game (8th)            8.1 hits vs (7th)
    .305 BA (7th)                      .298 BA vs (9th)
    7 HR (11th)                          10 HR vs
    37/51 stolen bases (3rd)      28/30 SB vs
    3.13 ERA (5th)
    115 K's (10th)
    50 BB (4th)
    
    Individual Leaders (GPAC Rank)
    Jennifer Boeve - .424 (6th), 16 runs, 9 RBI
    Bri Giordano - .373, 12 runs, 2 HR, 16 RBI
    Vanessa Gomez - .354, 6 runs, 3 RBI
    Amber Schubert - .346, 24 runs (9th), 3 HR, 19 RBIs
    Emma Schnell - 6-10, 2.79 ERA, 80.1 IP, 20 BB, 50 K's
    Samantha Ubben - 3-5, 2.94 ERA, 64.1 IP, 55 K's (6th)