BILLIKENS HOST FIVE A-10 GAMES THIS WEEK – Saint Louis softball (17-9, 2-1 A-10) plays five games this week, all at home and all vs. Atlantic 10 Conference opponents. The Billikens host Dayton (18-9, 3-0 A-10) Wednesday, March 25, in a doubleheader that begins at noon (changed from original 2 p.m. start time). George Mason (6-14, 2-1 A-10) visits the Billiken Sports Center Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29, for a three-game series. Saturday's twinbill and Sunday's single game are slated for a noon first pitch.

FOLLOWING THE ACTION – Live statistics will be provided for all games this week. The live stats links are located on the home page of Saint Louis' official athletics website, www.SLUBillikens.com, in the schedule section just below the lead stories, as well as on the softball schedule page under Related Links.

ABOUT THE BILLIKENS – Saint Louis has won 13 of its last 17 games, including a 2-1 series win over A-10 defending champion and 2015 preseason favorite Fordham. The Billikens bat .309 and average 6.2 runs. SLU's pitching and defense have been solid as well; the Bills have a 3.22 ERA and a .960 fielding percentage. Shortstop Alex Nickel tops the team's batting average chart with a .412 mark, followed by second baseman Allie Macfarlane (.384), center fielder Lindsay Friedman (.351), catcher Hailey Weavers (.321), third baseman Elizabeth Everingham (.313), pitcher Brianna Lore (.313) and right fielder Mackenzie Peter (.309). Macfarlane and Friedman lead the club with 26 and 23 RBIs, respectively, while Friedman (seven), Everingham (five) and Macfarlane (five) have combined for 17 of the Billikens' 29 home runs. Other leaders are Friedman (.703 slugging percentage, 52 total bases, 24 runs, seven steals), Nickel (35 hits, .505 on-base percentage, 16 walks) and Peter (10 doubles). In the circle, Lore is 7-6 with a 2.13 ERA; Laney Kneib is 5-0 with a 3.63 ERA and three saves; and Maddie Baalman is 5-3 with a 4.44 ERA.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK – After having a March 18 game at Southern Illinois postponed due to weather (rescheduled for Monday, April 6, at 5 p.m.), the Billikens captured two of three against Fordham March 21-22 in the first A-10 series of the season. SLU won the opener 5-3 and the finale 11-10, both in comeback fashion and on seventh-inning walk-off hits. Fordham led 3-0 in game one, but the Billikens received a three-run home run from Alyssa Tarquinio in the fourth inning and a two-run shot from Alex Nickel in the seventh to give Brianna Lore her school-record 46th career victory. SLU faced an 8-0 deficit in game three but used a school-record-tying five home runs – including two apiece from Allie Macfarlane (career-high five RBIs) and Hailey Weavers – and strong relief pitching from Maddie Baalman to win the game and the series. In the decisive seventh inning, Lore's two-out, two-run single tied the game, and Tarquinio's single won it. Seven different Billikens combined to hit nine home runs in the three-game set.

SCOUTING DAYTON – The Flyers have won seven straight and 13 of their last 14 games, including a three-game sweep of St. Bonaventure in their first A-10 series of the season. Tiffany Ricks, a first-team All-Conference pick last season, leads the team with a .352 batting average, four home runs, eight doubles and 10 stolen bases (11 attempts) to go with 14 RBIs. Kathryn Hess hits .333, followed by 2014 A-10 All-Rookie selection Gabrielle Snyder (.325, seven doubles, 14 RBIs). Natalie Mariano carries a .314 batting mark and team highs of four homers and 16 RBIs. In the circle, Manda Cash is 5-1 with a 1.70 ERA, 73 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings and a 5.2-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Kayla English, a second-team All-Conference performer a year ago, owns an 8-4 record, a 1.79 ERA, three shutouts and a .155 opponents' batting average. Snyder has chipped in four wins and a 3.36 ERA for a pitching staff that has allowed opponents to hit just .225.

SCOUTING GEORGE MASON – The Patriots are 4-1 in their last five outings, including a 2-1 mark vs. Massachusetts in their opening A-10 series. Brooke Blankenship, a 2014 first-team All-Conference choice, has a .309 batting average and 11 RBIs. McKenzie Jones bats .295, followed by Julia Czarnecki and Angela Maioran at .286. Liz Seymour has a team-high 12 RBIs. Pitchers Christina Gabriele, Sarah Kleinfelter and Casey Herring have two wins apiece.

UP NEXT – The Billikens are on the road for four games next week. Following a meeting with Missouri in Columbia Wednesday, April 1, at 4 p.m., SLU returns to A-10 action with a three-game series vs. Rhode Island Friday and Saturday, April 3-4. Friday's doubleheader begins at 11 a.m. (CT), as does Saturday's single game.

HEAD COACH CHRISTY CONNOYER – Now in her fifth season at the Billiken helm, head coach Christy Connoyer owns a 158-140 career record and a 127-110 mark at SLU. Connoyer previously served as associate head coach at Southern Illinois, and in 2005 she was head coach at Tulsa, where she became the first coach in program history to compile a winning record in her first season. Connoyer is a 1994 graduate of Notre Dame, where she was a four-time first-team All-Conference selection.

BILLIKENS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS – Through games of March 22, Saint Louis ranks among the top 50 in the nation in four categories -- doubles (sixth, 1.92/game), slugging percentage (35th, .505), home runs (35th, 1.12/game) and runs (42nd, 6.19/game). Laney Kneib is 11th in saves (three), and Mackenzie Peter is 30th in doubles (0.38/game).

BILLIKENS IN THE A-10 STATISTICS – Through games of March 22, SLU leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in doubles (1.92/game); ranks second in batting average (.309), home runs (1.12/game), runs (6.19/game) and slugging percentage (.505); and is third in ERA (3.22) and stolen bases (0.92/game). Alex Nickel leads the conference in walks (0.62/game), is third in batting average (.412) and ranks fourth in on-base percentage (.505); Laney Kneib leads the league in saves (three); Lindsay Friedman is third in home runs (0.27/game), third in runs (0.92/game), third in slugging percentage (.703) and fourth in hit-by-pitch (0.23/game); Allie Macfarlane is second in RBIs (1.09/game) and fourth in slugging percentage (.671); Mackenzie Peter is second in doubles (0.38/game); Brianna Lore is third in fewest hits allowed per seven innings (5.27) and fifth in ERA (2.13); and Elizabeth Everingham is second in sacrifice flies (two) and sixth in hit-by-pitch (0.19/game).

LORE SETS CAREER VICTORIES MARK; FRIEDMAN CLOSING IN ON CAREER WALKS RECORD – Brianna Lore became Saint Louis' all-time winningest pitcher with her victory over Fordham March 21. Lore has 46 wins, breaking the previous school standard of 45 set by Nicole Bohnenstiehl (2001-03). Lindsay Friedman has 76 career walks, just three shy of the Billiken record of 79 held by Alyson Brand (2010-13).

WHO'S HOT?

     Allie Macfarlane – In her last 14 outings, Macfarlane boasts a .477 batting average (21-for-44) with four home runs, five doubles, 19 RBIs, a .531 on-base percentage, an .864 slugging percentage and just three strikeouts in 49 plate appearances.

     Lindsay Friedman – In her last 17 games, Friedman is batting .455 (20-for-44) with five home runs, 17 RBIs, a .571 on-base percentage, an .864 slugging percentage and 18 runs.

     Laney Kneib – In her last 10 appearances, Kneib is 4-0 with one shutout, three saves, a 2.65 ERA, 29 hits allowed in 34 1/3 innings and 2.24 walks per seven innings.

     Alyssa Tarquinio – Tarquinio hit .400 (4-for-10) with a home run and five RBIs in the Fordham series.

     Maddie Baalman – Baalman is 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA, 11 hits allowed in 13 1/3 innings and a .212 opponents' batting average in her last three appearances.    

NICKEL IS NO SMALL CHANGE – Alex Nickel has produced with impressive consistency this season. Nickel has hit safely in 23 of 26 games, including 19 of the last 20. She batted .479 (23-for-48) with 11 RBIs during a career-high 15-game hitting streak earlier this season.

KEEPING THOSE INNINGS ALIVE – Saint Louis has scored 95 two-out runs this season, 59 percent of its total of 161. The Billikens have tallied at least one 2-out run in 47 of 174 innings; they have scored multiple two-out runs in 22 of those 47 innings. Last year's team registered 82 two-out RBIs and featured four players who reached double digits in that category. This year's squad already has surpassed that total with 85 two-out RBIs. Three players have reached double digits, led by Allie Macfarlane's 19 – eclipsing the 2014 team high of 15. Macfarlane is batting .519 (14-for-27) with two outs. Alex Nickel has a team-high .583 batting average (14-for-24) and 12 RBIs with two outs, while Lindsay Friedman has a two-out average of .417 (10-for-24) with 11 RBIs.

SAVING THE DAY – With her save against Indiana March 7, Laney Kneib equaled the Saint Louis career record for saves (seven). Kneib is tied with Lorena Floccari (2005-08) and Kelcie Matesa (2009-12).

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK – The Billikens have set or tied four single-game school team records this season. Saint Louis drew a school-record 11 walks vs. Mississippi Valley State (Feb. 6), Jackson State (Feb. 19) and Northern Colorado (March 12). The Bills equaled school marks with five home runs vs. Fordham (March 22), six doubles vs. Austin Peay (Feb. 6) and seven stolen bases vs. Mississippi Valley State (Feb. 6). Elizabeth Everingham (Austin Peay, March 6), Allie Macfarlane (Fordham, March 22) and Hailey Weavers (Fordham, March 22) tied the SLU single-game standard with two home runs. Alex Nickel matched Billiken records with four hits vs. Middle Tennessee State (Feb. 7) and three walks vs. Northern Colorado (March 14).

POWER SURGE – The Billikens hit 29 home runs – matching their 2014 season total – in their first 26 games, an average of 1.12. That is well ahead of the pace of the school-record-holding 2010 team, which hit 46 round-trippers in 57 games (0.81/game), and almost twice last year's average (0.57). Halfway through the regular season, SLU's 50 doubles are two-thirds of the way to the school-record mark of 76 set in 2007.

ONE IS NOT ENOUGH – Alex Nickel and Allie Macfarlane lead the Billikens with nine multi-hit games apiece, followed by Lindsay Friedman (eight), Elizabeth Everingham and Mackenzie Peter (seven apiece), and Brianna Lore (six). Macfarlane is on top with seven multi-RBI games, Friedman (six) is second, and Alyssa Tarquinio and Nickel (four apiece) are tied for third.

WINNING THE CLOSE ONES – Saint Louis is 6-2 in one-run games and 3-0 in two-run games.

MAGIC NUMBERS: SIX AND TWO – The Billikens own a 13-0 record when scoring six or more runs. Saint Louis is 8-1 when holding its opponent to two or fewer runs.

TAKE THE LEAD AND DON'T LOOK BACK – Saint Louis has scored first 15 times and is 11-4 in those games. The Billikens are 9-3 when scoring in the first inning.

HOMERS LEAD TO HAPPINESS – When hitting at least one home run, SLU owns a 13-4 record.

LET'S START A RALLY – The Billikens have put their leadoff batter on base by hit, walk or hit-by-pitch 80 times in 174 innings, an average of .460.

PILING UP THE HITS – Saint Louis has recorded 10 or more hits 10 times this season. The Billikens' season high is 18 hits vs. Middle Tennessee State.

THEY CALL IT THE STREAK – Five Billikens have enjoyed a hitting streak of at least five games this season. Alex Nickel had a team-best 15-game streak, followed by Elizabeth Everingham (eight), Lindsay Friedman and Mackenzie Peter (six), and Hailey Weavers (five).

“K” IS NOT IN THEIR ALPHABET – Alex Nickel is the toughest Billiken to strike out, fanning just once every 12.9 plate appearances. Macie Wheeler is next (once every 8.7 PAs), and Lindsay Friedman ranks third (once every 8.4 PAs).

BILLS POST SCHOOL-RECORD WINNING STREAK – SLU's 11-10 win over Northern Colorado March 14 was its school-record ninth consecutive victory, breaking the record of eight straight wins set by last year's team. Also, Saint Louis' 14-6 record following a win over UMKC March 13 is the Billikens' best mark through 20 games in program history.

NO-NO-NOBODY ELSE – When Brianna Lore no-hit Kennesaw State March 6, she became the first pitcher in Billiken history to toss more than one no-hitter. Lore's first no-no came against Southern Illinois last season.

CLIMBING THE CAREER LADDER – Several current Billikens are ranked among the top 10 on various SLU career statistical lists. 

Lindsay Friedman: First in home runs (26) and slugging percentage (.530); second in RBIs (101), runs (120), walks (76), on-base percentage (.438) and hit-by-pitch (34); third in total bases (246); fifth in stolen bases (57); eighth in batting average (.306); 10th in hits (142).

Brianna Lore: First in wins (46); tied for second in starts (80); third in appearances (101); fourth in ERA (2.79), saves (six) and innings (531.2); tied for fourth in sacrifice flies (four); fifth in complete games (49); seventh in strikeouts (339); tied for seventh in shutouts (five).

Alex Nickel: First in batting average (.362) and on-base percentage (.463); fourth in slugging percentage (.496).

Mackenzie Peter: Second in batting average (.323) and slugging percentage (.523); third in on-base percentage (.416).

Laney Kneib: Tied for first in saves (seven); eighth in wins (24); ninth in appearances (70).

Elizabeth Everingham: Fourth in home runs (16); tied for fourth in sacrifice flies (four); eighth in slugging percentage (.428); eighth in assists (272).