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PACK THE PARK Northwestern Okla. (16-30, 14-20 GAC) at SWOSU (16-26, 10-22 GAC) Tuesday, April 18, 2:00 pm (DH) Weatherford, Okla. (Athletic Complex) Stats | Video

Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Softball will play their final home doubleheader of the season on Tuesday afternoon as they conclude a home-and-home set with Northwestern Oklahoma State
- Tuesday's doubleheader will be SWOSU's 'Pack the Park' event at the Athletic Complex with games, prizes and free food for the fans in attendance
- The rivals split a doubleheader back on April 5th in Alva, with the Rangers taking Game 1 by an 11-3 count before the Bulldogs responded with a 14-6 win in the night cap
- Both teams are battling for position in the conference standings and the final spots in the Great American Conference Tournament, with NWOSU sitting seventh in the standings at 14-20 while the Bulldogs are tied for 10th at 10-22
 
The Opponents
Northwestern Oklahoma State (16-30, 14-20 GAC)
- After a slow start to the season, the Rangers have found their stride during conference play and they enter the midweek off a 3-1 series win over Ouachita last weekend
- NWOSU has the lowest team batting average of any team in the conference at .253 but their pitching staff is ranked eighth in the conference with a 4.39 ERA
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kim Maher (16-26, 1st season)
- Named the fourth head coach in SWOSU Softball history on June 2, 2016, bringing with her a wealth of experience from the collegiate, professional and international levels of softball
- Spent eight seasons as the head coach at Purdue University, leading the Boilermakers to 240 victories and two NCAA Tournament appearances from 2006-13
- Previously coached at California-Berkeley as an assistant coach from 2000-05 following a playing career with USA Softball and the Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL)
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State: Jill Webb (16-30, 1st season)
- In her first season on the Ranger softball staff, where served as the interim coach for most of the year until being named the full-time head coach last week
- Came to NWOSU from the University of Redlands in California, where she served as an assistant coach for two seasons
 
Checking the Standings
- Four teams – Harding, Southern Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello and Arkansas Tech – have clinched a spot in the GAC Tournament while seven teams remain in play for the other three positions
- SWOSU is currently tied with Southeastern for tenth in the standings, three wins out of the eighth position while Northwestern is trying to maintain their hold on the seventh spot
 
SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU has moved up to third in the GAC with a team batting average of .289 and 198 runs scored while also ranking second in the conference with 50 stolen bases this season
- Eight different Bulldogs are currently hitting .300 or better, led by seniors Abigail Schade (.378), Taya Haney (.358) and Miranda McDonald (.333)
- Haney leads the Bulldogs with 43 hits, 11 doubles and 25 RBI for the year and she's currently in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak, her second-longest such streak of the season
- Nine different SWOSU players recorded a hit during their doubleheader at Northwestern Oklahoma State two weeks ago, with Schade going a team-best 3-for-6 in the twinbill
- Samantha Householder made the most of her two hits against NWOSU, including a grand slam in the Game 2 victory and she tied Haney with four RBI in the games
- Miranda McDonald hit a team-best .800 in the Bulldogs series with Henderson State, getting four hits in five plate appearances
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU Softball concludes the 2017 regular season with back-to-back series on the road, beginning this Friday-Saturday with a trip to Arkadelphia, Ark., to face Ouachita