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UMKC Heads to Lawrence for Rock Chalk Invitational
3/17/2016 11:00:00 AM | Softball
Game Notes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The UMKC softball team will head to Lawrence Kansas, for the second weekend in a row, this time to play five games in the Rock Chalk Invitational, March 18-20 at Arrocha Ballpark.
The 'Roos will open the invitational on March 18 against the host Jayhawks at 4:30 p.m., before facing Tulsa at 7 p.m. Friday night. UMKC will face Tulsa again on Saturday (2 p.m.) before closing the weekend on Sunday with games against Minnesota (9 a.m.) and Saint Louis (11:30 a.m.).
Fan Information
The Jayhawk Invitational will be played at Arrocha Ballpark inside Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence. For fans that are unable to make the trip west, live stats of every game from the weekend can be found at SidearmStats.com/Kansas/softball. The game against the Jayhawks will have a live audio broadcast online provided by KU at KUAthletics.com/Radio.
Base Hits
- UMKC holds and all-time record of 389-833.
- Head coach Meredith Smith Neal is the winningest coach in UMKC softball history with an all-time record of 189-286.
- Smith Neal is a combined 4-24 as UMKC's head coach against this weekend's opponents.
- UMKC is 2-33 all-time against KU, and 1-15 under Smith Neal. The Jayhawks currently hold a seven-game winning streak against the 'Roos, with UMKC's last win coming in 2011, a 2-1 decision in Kansas City.
- Tulsa is 13-0 against the 'Roos in the series history. Smith Neal has coached against Tulsa just once, a 7-0 loss in Tulsa in 2010.
- UMKC is 0-4 against Minnesota all-time, with the last meeting coming in 2003, a 3-0 loss in San Jose, Calif.
- The 'Roos hold a 24-21 advantage on Saint Louis in the all-time series history, including a 4-3 victory earlier this season in St. Louis, Missouri. Smith Neal is 3-8 against the Billikens at the helm of the Kangaroo softball program.
Leach Garners Madness WAC Player of the Week Honor from College Sports Madness
Outfielder Kendra Leach was been named Madness WAC Softball Player of the Week. College Sports Madness identifies the players who have made the greatest impact to their team from each conference and on a national basis each week.
Leach, a sophomore from Easton, Kansas (McLouth HS) recorded a hit in every game of the Jayhawk Invitational (March 10-13) including four multi-hit games, and currently holds a seven-game hitting streak. She currently sits in second for the 'Roos in multi-hit games (6), and is tied for the team-lead in multi-RBI games (4). She leads the team with a .441 batting average, .735 slugging percentage, and .500 on-base percentage.
Wearing It
Junior Alex Gale ranks 27th in the nation in hit-by-pitch per game and first in the WAC, wearing it six times in 18 games played, equating to getting hit by a pitch 0.33 times per game. Helping her get to that number, she was hit by two pitches twice this season, against Drake (Feb. 27) and against Saint Louis (March 5). Gale is no stranger to getting beaned, as she has done so 17 times in her three years, including three times against CSU Bakersfield last season (May 7).
Up Next
UMKC travels to the Sooner State to face perennial powerhouse Oklahoma in two games. The Sooners are currently ranked No. 13 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches' poll. The 'Roos and OU will square off in Norman, Oklahoma on Friday, March 25 at 6 p.m., followed by a 2:30 p.m. game on Saturday at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City.
