Saturday, March 26
Kansas City, Mo.
12:00 PM
Kansas City
vs
North Dakota
Softball Opens Conference Play at Home This Weekend
3/25/2022 10:52:00 AM | Softball
Roos will host North Dakota in a three-game series
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Softball is set to open Summit League play this weekend at home against North Dakota after playing nine top-30 programs in the first five weeks of the season. The Roos will play a three-game series against the Fighting Hawks at the Urban Youth Academy, starting with a double-header on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for noon. KC will then play their final game of the series on Sunday at 11 a.m., where fans will be able to meet KC Roo and participate in family-friendly activities for Sunday Funday.
Kansas City Notes
Kansas City Notes
- In his third season at the helm of Kansas City Softball, Head Coach Kerry Shaw scheduled a strong lineup of teams, including games against 13 ranked opponents. Shaw wrapped up his first complete season with the Roos last year, finishing with the first winning season in a decade and first win over a ranked team in program history.
- Weathering injuries, Kansas City is still looking to return to form in all three phases of the game during conference play. The Roos finished the 2021 season with a .274 team batting average and 38 homeruns, both second-most in The Summit League.
- KC returns seven starters from the 2021 season, including five seniors: Mia Hoveland (P), Alexis D'Ambrosio (C), Kloe Hilbrenner (CF), Ashley Thorne (LF) and Delainey Fenoglio (DP).
- Hilbrenner picked up where she left off last season but in the leadoff spot of the lineup. She is currently hitting .366 with 30 hits, six doubles, two triple, four homeruns and 14 stolen bases; all top-ten in the Summit thus far. Last season, Hilbrenner led the Roos in batting average (.354), total hits (68), runs scored (41), and stolen bases (45).
- Designated hitter, Fenoglio, follows with a .338 batting average, three homeruns, three doubles, a team-high 14 RBI and a team-low five strikeouts. She earned Summit League Player of the Week honors on March 7 after her performance at the Razorback Rumble where she hit .571.
- Rightfielder, Marina Karnes, has stayed perfect in the field with 26 putouts and zero errors. She is also holding a .286 batting average and a .429 slugging percentage, both good for third best in the lineup.
- Transfer Sydney Nichols, from Wichita State, has brought more power to Kansas City's lineup with four homeruns on the season, tied for most on the team with Hilbrenner.
- Ally Vonfeldt has hit two homeruns this season, giving her 15 homeruns in her career, good for sixth on the all-time homeruns list in program history.
- Alexis D'Ambrosio has a keen eye, leading the team with 11 walks and some pop in the bat with two homeruns and six doubles this season.
- Kansas City has hit 17 homeruns this season thus far, with seven different Roos contributing.
- The Roos have hit 26 doubles this season, almost half of the production in the 2B column last season.
- Kansas City will have a five-man pitching staff, starred by senior ace, Mia Hoveland, who surpassed 300 career strikeouts earlier this season against Central Arkansas.
- KC received a sophomore transfer, Casey Stout, from North Central Missouri College who recorded a 25-3 record last season with 281 strikeouts, second-best in the NJCAA in 2021.
- The Roos also return sophomore Camryn Stickel, who finished her freshman campaign with a 14-9 record on the mound. Stickel quickly made her way onto the record books, notching the fifth most wins in a single season in program history.
- The 2022 freshman class is comprised of four impact players. Sydney Reid and Lexy Smith will see time on the infield, while Audrey Danielson and Jenna Milan will make appearances in the pitching rotation.
- This will be the 13th meeting between the Fighting Hawks and the Roos. In last year's series, Kansas City split the series 2-2 in North Dakota. KC holds the 8-4 advantage in the all-time series record with a 5-1 record at home.
- Prior to being conference foes, Kansas City matched up with North Dakota eight times between the years of 2009 and 2014 with KC taking six of those.
- Last year, both Mia Hoveland and Camryn Stickel both earned a win each in day two of the series. On offense, Kloe Hilbrenner hit two long balls, while Lia Lombardini and Delainey Fenoglio hit a homerun apiece.
- Coming into conference play, North Dakota has a 10-22 record with no common non-conference opponents with the Roos.
- The Fighting Hawks are currently sitting fifth in the Summit standings after being picked pre-season sixth.
- Senior Pitcher Jannay Jones and Junior Outfielder Alexys Campos were picked 2022 Summit League Players to Watch.
- North Dakota is hitting .221 as a team and has a league-low three homeruns on the season.
- Cassie Castaneda is the most efficient Fighting Hawks' hitter, batting .311 with a .350 on-base percentage.
- Madison Pederson has the most pop of the bat with a team-high seven doubles and two homeruns.
- Jocelyn Kirk is a speed threat on the bases, swiping eight stolen bases this season thus far.
- Jannay Jones gets the most production in the circle with 67.2 innings pitched and a 3.00 ERA, tallying 37 strikeouts.
- The Freshmen duo of Jackie Albrecht and Morgan McConnell also get a lot of mound time with a 4.15 and 4.75 ERA, respectively, and a combined 72 strikeouts.
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ SoftballSB Highlights vs. #3 South Dakota
Wednesday, May 07
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game Three)
Saturday, May 03
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game Two)
Friday, May 02
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game One)
Friday, May 02