The Missouri Southern softball team will continue tournament action this Saturday, Sunday and Monday when they travel to Emporia, Kansas to compete in the 2020 Emporia 5-State Classic Tournament, which was pushed back a day and altered due to forecasted cold weather.
The tournament, which is hosted by the Emporia State University, will host 11 Division II softball teams from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in both Topeka and Emporia.
Southern was scheduled to open the weekend on Friday, will play its first game on Saturday (Feb. 22) at 1:00 p.m. when they play Concordia University-St. Paul.
The Lions will then play Minnesota State University-Mankato at 3:00 p.m. On Sunday (Feb. 23) the Lions are scheduled to take on the University of Minnesota Duluth at 10:00 a.m. for their lone game of the day. They will then wrap up the tournament on Monday (Feb. 24) when they play the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) at 10:00 a.m. before taking on Wayne State College at 12:00 p.m.
The Lions were picked ninth in the MIAA preseason softball coaches' poll. Southern is coming off a season that saw the Lions finish 19-25 overall and 10-16 in the MIAA.
The team returns a total of five starters from last year's team including two honorable mention MIAA players in senior second baseman Makaila Leonhart and sophomore shortstop Josie Tofpi.
In total, the Lions return 11 position players, as well as four pitchers from last year's team. A group of five newcomers also return to the fold.
Last time Out
The Lions enter the weekend after finishing 2020 Alvy Early Classic in Bentonville, Ark. with four straight wins. After a 1-3 start to the season, Southern defeated the University of Arkansas at Monticello (17-11) in nine innings and Harding (3-2) on Saturday and finished off the undefeated weekend with wins over Henderson (8-6) and Quincy (13-1) in five innings.
Last week, Mikaela Cox went 2-0 on the weekend as she appeared in three games. She pitched 13.1 innings and maintained a 1.58 ERA as she allowed just five runs, three earned, to cross the plate. She surrendered just six hits while walking seven and striking out six. She held opponents to a .140 batting average.
Makaila Leonhart was the top hitter for Missouri Southern after she had a .462 batting average (6-of-13) with two doubles and a home run as she cashed in on five RBI and scored seven runs on the weekend. She drew three walks while only striking out twice. Defensively, she was perfect in 24 opportunities with 11 putouts and 13 assists.
Scouting The Opposition
Concordia-St. Paul enters the tournament with a 2-3 record as its earned wins over Emporia State (6-4) and Northwest Missouri (8-2) in the Minnesota State Dome Tournament. The Bears and Lions have met three times before with MSSU winning all three matchups including their last contest in 2016 where MSSU won 8-0 in five innings.
Southern leads their series with Minnesota State-Mankato, 2-1. The Mavericks enter with a 4-1 record and they have won their last four games.
Minnesota Duluth leads the series with MSSU, 2-1, with Southern's only win coming in the last game the two teams played back in 2018 (9-6). The Bulldogs are 2-4 on the season after they competed in the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational.
The University of Sioux Falls split two doubleheaders in Colorado at the Metro State Triangular as they split with MSU-Denver and Colorado School of Mines. They are 2-2 on the season. The Lions are undefeated against the Cougars as they have won all five match ups including 6-4 and 4-1 wins last season in Joplin
Wayne State College is on a two-game winning streak and are 3-3 on the season. The Wildcats three wins this season have all been over Southwest Baptist. In the series with Southern, MSSU leads the series 3-1 including two wins (6-1 and 1-0) last season in Joplin.
Weather Outlook
Cold weather in Emporia, Kansas is pushing games back from Friday (45 degrees and sunny), but that may also cause headaches. Saturday is forecasted to be the warmest day with 54 degrees and partly cloudy skies with winds in the 15 mile per hour window. Sunday has a 90 percent chance of rain with a high of 47 and Monday it is forecasted to be partly cloudy with a high of 45 with a 20 percent chance of rain.
The Lions were picked ninth in the MIAA preseason softball coaches' poll. Southern is coming off a season that saw the Lions finish 19-25 overall and 10-16 in the MIAA.
The team returns a total of five starters from last year's team including two honorable mention MIAA players in senior second baseman Makaila Leonhart and sophomore shortstop Josie Tofpi.
In total, the Lions return 11 position players, as well as four pitchers from last year's team. A group of five newcomers also return to the fold.
Last time Out
The Lions enter the weekend after finishing 2020 Alvy Early Classic in Bentonville, Ark. with four straight wins. After a 1-3 start to the season, Southern defeated the University of Arkansas at Monticello (17-11) in nine innings and Harding (3-2) on Saturday and finished off the undefeated weekend with wins over Henderson (8-6) and Quincy (13-1) in five innings.
Last week, Mikaela Cox went 2-0 on the weekend as she appeared in three games. She pitched 13.1 innings and maintained a 1.58 ERA as she allowed just five runs, three earned, to cross the plate. She surrendered just six hits while walking seven and striking out six. She held opponents to a .140 batting average.
Makaila Leonhart was the top hitter for Missouri Southern after she had a .462 batting average (6-of-13) with two doubles and a home run as she cashed in on five RBI and scored seven runs on the weekend. She drew three walks while only striking out twice. Defensively, she was perfect in 24 opportunities with 11 putouts and 13 assists.
Scouting The Opposition
Concordia-St. Paul enters the tournament with a 2-3 record as its earned wins over Emporia State (6-4) and Northwest Missouri (8-2) in the Minnesota State Dome Tournament. The Bears and Lions have met three times before with MSSU winning all three matchups including their last contest in 2016 where MSSU won 8-0 in five innings.
Southern leads their series with Minnesota State-Mankato, 2-1. The Mavericks enter with a 4-1 record and they have won their last four games.
Minnesota Duluth leads the series with MSSU, 2-1, with Southern's only win coming in the last game the two teams played back in 2018 (9-6). The Bulldogs are 2-4 on the season after they competed in the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational.
The University of Sioux Falls split two doubleheaders in Colorado at the Metro State Triangular as they split with MSU-Denver and Colorado School of Mines. They are 2-2 on the season. The Lions are undefeated against the Cougars as they have won all five match ups including 6-4 and 4-1 wins last season in Joplin
Wayne State College is on a two-game winning streak and are 3-3 on the season. The Wildcats three wins this season have all been over Southwest Baptist. In the series with Southern, MSSU leads the series 3-1 including two wins (6-1 and 1-0) last season in Joplin.
Weather Outlook
Cold weather in Emporia, Kansas is pushing games back from Friday (45 degrees and sunny), but that may also cause headaches. Saturday is forecasted to be the warmest day with 54 degrees and partly cloudy skies with winds in the 15 mile per hour window. Sunday has a 90 percent chance of rain with a high of 47 and Monday it is forecasted to be partly cloudy with a high of 45 with a 20 percent chance of rain.
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