CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State softball team returns to action this weekend, hosting Northern Kentucky for a three-game Horizon League series at Viking Field.
The opener is slated for Friday (April 22) at 4:00 pm with the teams scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday (April 23) at 12:00 pm to conclude the series.
The Vikings split six League games last week, including wins in three of their last four, and enter the series with an 11-26 overall record and 4-8 in the Horizon League. NKU dropped three games to Wright State earlier this week and will enter the weekend at 9-33 overall and 2-12 in the League.
Senior Erica McNew has led the Viking offense this year, ranking fourth in the nation with a .479 batting average and third in the country in on-base percentage (.645) and walks (1.19). She is also 14th in the nation with a .872 slugging percentage.
McNew was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .600 (6-10) with eight runs, one double, three homers and nine RBI in six League games last week. She posted a 1.600 slugging percentage and a .846 on-base percentage, reaching base in 22 of her 26 plate appearances.
She tied an NCAA record with four intentional walks in the second and third games at Valparaiso last weekend. McNew is just the second player in NCAA history to draw four intentional walks in a game more than once and has reached base safely in 14 straight plate appearances, the second longest streak in NCAA history and four shy of tying the record.
Katelind Phillips is hitting .372 this year with seven doubles, two homers and 12 RBI, while Riley Ries is batting .296 with five doubles, two homers and 18 RBI.
Mackenzie Joecken hit CSU's fourth grand slam of the season in the series finale at Valparaiso on Saturday with Ries having two and McNew one.
In the circle, Susan Knight and Macy Kaisk have logged the lion's share of games started, while Joecken and Kristin Catalano have been key relievers.
Catalano has posted a 2.36 ERA in 17 relief appearances and is one of three players with one save, joining Knight and Kaisk.
Knight leads the team with 50 strikeouts, while Joecken has fanned 44.
CSU is back in action for six road games next week, playing a three-game series at Oakland on Tuesday and Wednesday (April 26-27) and traveling to Detroit for a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday (April 30-May 1).
