BILLIKENS HOST NATIONALLY RANKED ARKANSAS, TRAVEL TO SAINT JOSEPH'S
•The Saint Louis Billikens (11-10) host nationally ranked Arkansas in the home opener Wednesday, March 22. First pitch at the Billiken Sports Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.
•SLU begins the Atlantic 10 Conference portion of its schedule Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26, vs. Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game begin at 11 a.m. (CT).
T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY FOR STUDENTS
•The first 50 students to arrive at Wednesday's game vs. Arkansas will receive a free Billiken T-shirt, compliments of the SLU Department of Athletics.
FOLLOWING THE BILLIKENS
•Live statistics will be provided for all four games this week.
•The links can be found on the home page of
www.SLUBillikens.com, in the schedule section below the top stories, as well as on the softball schedule page.
A LOOK AT THE BILLIKENS
•Click here for Saint Louis' complete statistics.
•The Billiken offense averages 5.0 runs and carries a .267 batting average and a .457 slugging percentage. SLU clubbed 18 home runs, 42 doubles and eight triples in its first 21 games.
•The pitching staff owns a 2.50 ERA and allows opponents a .233 batting average. Billiken hurlers are yielding just 6.2 hits and 2.6 walks per seven innings and have allowed only seven home runs in 21 games.
•Allie Macfarlane leads the Billikens in batting average (.397), slugging percentage (.691), on-base percentage (.461), RBIs (22), hits (27) and doubles (eight). Macfarlane has four home runs.
•Alyssa Tarquinio has a .348 batting mark, two home runs and 10 RBIs.
•Mackenzie Peter is batting .319, owns a team-high five home runs and has 15 RBIs.
•Alex Nickel carries a .290 batting average; has team highs of four triples, 20 runs, five stolen bases, three sacrifice flies and nine walks; and has driven in 13 runs.
•Hailey Weavers has swatted three home runs.
•Kaylea Chappelle and Maddie Baalman lead the pitching staff with four wins apiece, followed by Kallen Loveless with three. Chappelle's 2.08 ERA is the team's best, while Baalman checks in at 2.36.
•All three Billiken pitchers have allowed fewer hits than innings pitched.
BILLIKENS LEAD THE NATION IN DOUBLES
•Through games of March 19, Saint Louis leads NCAA Division I in doubles per game (2.00). The Billikens are ranked 12th in triples per game (0.38).
•Alex Nickel ranks 10th in triples per game (0.19) and 12th in sacrifice flies (three). Allie Macfarlane is 26th in doubles per game (0.38).
•Among NCAA Division I active career leaders, Nickel is 10th in walks (111) and tied for 28th in runs (142), while Mackenzie Peter is tied for 18th in doubles (43).
SLU IN THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE STATISTICS
•In the Atlantic 10 Conference offensive statistics, Saint Louis leads the league in doubles (42) and triples (eight) and ranks third in slugging percentage (.457), runs (106), RBIs (95), home runs (18) and total bases (269).
•Alex Nickel leads the A-10 in triples (four) and sacrifice flies (three).
•Allie Macfarlane ranks among conference leaders in eight categories. Macfarlane is tied for second in doubles (eight); fourth in batting average (.397), slugging percentage (.691) and RBIs (22); fifth in on-base percentage (.461), home runs (four) and total bases (47); and tied for fifth in hits (27).
•Mackenzie Peter is fourth in home runs (five) and tied for fourth in triples (two).
•Alyssa Tarquinio is tied for fourth in sacrifice bunts (three).
•In pitching and fielding categories, the Billikens lead the conference in lowest opponents' batting average (.233) and assists (206) while ranking second in ERA (2.50), fielding percentage (.967) and double plays (six).
•Alyssa Tarquinio leads the A-10 in chances (186) and putouts (176) and is tied for third in double plays (five).
•Alex Nickel is second in assists (60).
•Maddie Baalman is third in lowest opponents' batting average (.224).
•Kaylea Chappelle is fourth in ERA (2.08) and tied for fifth in appearances (12).
MOVING UP THE CAREER CHARTS
•Alex Nickel became Saint Louis' career assists leader earlier this season, and she now has 476 assists. Nickel also owns the Billikens' career records for walks (111) and sacrifice flies (nine).
•Nickel has a chance to set several other SLU career marks. She is second with 24 home runs (record is 29) and 285 total bases (290), third with 142 runs (150) and 175 hits (225), and fifth with 99 RBIs (123).
•Nickel is tied for sixth with 30 doubles and ninth with 779 chances.
•Mackenzie Peter holds the SLU career doubles record (43) and is in contention for two other school marks. Peter is tied for third with 23 home runs (29) and fifth with 266 total bases (290).
•Other SLU top-10 rankings for Peter are fifth in runs (102) and walks (72), eighth in RBIs (86) and tied for ninth in triples (five).
•Allie Macfarlane ranks fourth with 106 RBIs, challenging the school record of 123. Macfarlane is fifth with 19 home runs and ninth with 56 walks.
•Alyssa Tarquinio ranks second with 957 putouts and fifth with 1,028 chances.
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Maddie Baalman is 10th with 19 wins.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS
•Arkansas – Click here for the Razorbacks' complete statistics … Arkansas is ranked No. 24 in this week's USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll … the Razorbacks were 21-6 prior to their Tuesday game at Missouri State … all nine regular position starters are batting .263 or higher, including redshirt-senior infielder/outfielder Nicole Schroeder (.464) and junior outfielder Autumn Russell (.444) … Schroeder leads the nation in slugging percentage (1.130), ranks third in home runs (12) and RBIs (40), and is eighth in on-base percentage (.606) … Arkansas ranks seventh in the nation in home runs per game (1.26).
•Saint Joseph's – Click here for the Hawks' complete statistics … Saint Joseph's was 6-14 prior to Wednesday's home doubleheader vs. Rider … the Hawks reached the final round of the 2016 A-10 Championship … Saint Joseph's features two 2016 All-Conference players in senior catcher Kaylyn Zierke (first team) and sophomore outfielder Amanda Kulp (second team) … Kulp leads this year's team with a .383 batting average.
UP NEXT
•Saint Louis continues conference play vs. two opponents next week. The Billikens host Dayton in a doubleheader Wednesday, March 29, and play a three-game series at Rhode Island April 1-2.
