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Friday, April 15
Brookings, SD
3:00 PM
Kansas City
at
South Dakota State
Roos Hop to South Dakota State for Easter Weekend
4/14/2022 1:33:00 PM | Softball
Kansas City will play three-game series Friday and Saturday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Softball will travel to South Dakota State for an Easter weekend series. The Jackrabbits are currently in first place in the Summit and were the preseason favorites to win the league. Action will begin with a double-header on Friday at noon, followed with a third game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, so that the Roos can return home for the holiday.
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 10 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. The Roos finished the 2021 season with a .274 team batting average and 38 homeruns, both second-most in the Summit.
- Kloe Hilbrenner picked up where she left off last season but in the leadoff spot of the lineup. She is currently hitting .377, a .640 slugging percentage, with 43 hits, nine doubles, three triples, five homeruns and 18 stolen bases; all top-ten in the Summit thus far.
- Hilbrenner is currently on a six-game hitting streak and has 16 multi-hit games this season, including a four-hit game against Kennesaw State on March 6th.
- Designated hitter, Delainey Fenoglio, follows with a .340 batting average, a team-leading six homeruns and 23 RBI and a team-low nine strikeouts. She earned Summit League Player of the Week honors on March 7 after her performance at the Razorback Rumble where she hit .571.
- With Fenoglio's homerun against Kansas this week, she moved into sixth on the all-time career homeruns list with 16.
- Rightfielder, Marina Karnes, has stayed perfect in the field with 32 putouts and zero errors. She is also hitting .291, third best in the KC lineup.
- Transfer Sydney Nichols, from Wichita State, has brought more power to Kansas City's lineup with four homeruns on the season and 14 RBI.
- Ally Vonfeldt tallies up extra-base hits for the Roos, hitting six doubles, two triples and two homeruns this season with a .406 slugging percentage. Her 15 homeruns in her career is good for seventh on the all-time homeruns list in program history.
- Alexis D'Ambrosio has a keen eye, leading the team with 15 walks and some pop in the bat with two homeruns and four doubles this season.
- Kansas City has hit 22 homeruns this season thus far, with eight different Roos contributing.
- Kansas City has a five-man pitching staff, starred by senior ace, Mia Hoveland, who currently has 353 career strikeouts. Hoveland has thrown five complete games in conference play, allowing just six earned runs in 35 innings pitched, while tallying 24 strikeouts.
- 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. She came on in relief against North Dakota and St. Thomas, pitching 8.2 innings, recording a 0.00 ERA, while only allowing five hits and recording nine strikeouts.
- 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 40th meeting between the Jackrabbits and the Roos. KC met SDSU twice in last year's Summit championships, winning 4-2 in game one and dropping in the semifinals 0-7. In last year's regular season meeting, Kansas City dropped all four games on their home turf.
- South Dakota State has a recent prestige of success, including a record-breaking season in 2021 where the Jackrabbits finished 43-8 with a Summit regular season and tournament championship and a win over Stanford in the NCAA tournament.
- Last year, Kloe Hilbrenner hit a homerun against Tori Kniesche in the seventh inning to secure the victory over the Jackrabbits. Ally Vonfeldt also hit a pair of homeruns in the regular season series.
- Coming into this weekend, South Dakota State has a 26-10 overall record and a 7-2 record in conference play.
- The Jackrabbits are currently sitting in first place, a game ahead of Omaha, after being picked the pre-season favorite in the Summit.
- Sophomore pitcher Tori Kniesche and sophomore infielder Cylie Halvorson were picked 2022 Summit League Players to Watch.
- South Dakota State is hitting a league-high .303 as a team and has hit 50 homeruns as a team, which ranks top-25 in the nation.
- Six Jackrabbits are hitting above .300, with Carrillo leading the way with a .379 batting average and .655 slugging percentage.
- South Dakota State's pitching staff combines for a league-best 2.36 ERA and 270 strikeouts.
- The Jackrabbits have two elite aces in the circle. Kniesche holds a 2.42 ERA with 155 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched. Counterpart Grace Glanzer has totaled 107.2 innings pitched with 100 strikeouts and a 3.01 ERA.
Players Mentioned
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UTIL
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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