SAINT LOUIS HOSTS BILLIKEN SPRING TOURNAMENT
• Saint Louis softball hosts the second annual Billiken Spring Tournament this week. The Billikens welcome Purdue Fort Wayne, Omaha, Illinois-Chicago and Lipscomb to the Billiken Sports Center.
• The tournament originally was slated to begin Thursday, March 12, with SLU facing Purdue Fort Wayne in a doubleheader. However, due to the postponement of the Billikens' Wednesday game at Southeast Missouri State and an unfavorable weather forecast for Thursday, the Bills and PFW will play their twinbill Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m.
• The tournament continues Friday and concludes Sunday. Saint Louis takes on Omaha Friday at 3:30 p.m.; Illinois-Chicago Saturday at 5:30 p.m.; Lipscomb Sunday at 1 p.m.; and Illinois-Chicago Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
• Here is the complete Billiken Spring Tournament schedule. Live stats are available for every game (links for non-SLU games can be found on the websites of the other participating teams).
 
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
2 p.m. – Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Saint Louis (DH)
 
FRIDAY, MARCH 13
11 a.m. – Lipscomb vs. UIC
1 p.m. – UIC vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
3:30 p.m. – Omaha vs. Saint Louis
5:30 p.m. – Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Omaha
 
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
11 a.m. – Lipscomb vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
1 p.m. – Lipscomb vs. Omaha
3:30 p.m. – Omaha vs. UIC
5:30 p.m. – UIC vs. Saint Louis
 
SUNDAY, MARCH 15
11 a.m. – Omaha vs. Lipscomb
1 p.m. – Lipscomb vs. Saint Louis
3 p.m. – UIC vs. Saint Louis
 
A LOOK AT THE BILLIKENS
• Sadie Wise leads the Atlantic 10 Conference with a .414 batting average. Wise tops the Saint Louis charts in RBI (10), hits (24), doubles (six), home runs (two), total bases (36), slugging percentage (.621), walks (eight) and on-base percentage (.471). She has hit safely in 11 of the last 12 games (17-for-37, .459).
• Kat Lane is batting .362 and leads the Billikens in runs (11) and stolen bases (7-for-7). Lane has hit safely in six of the last seven outings.
• Kaylea Chappelle has a 1.91 ERA over her last seven appearances. Chappelle has struck out 24, walked only 10 and posted a .218 opponents' batting average during that stretch.
• Maria Connell is batting .273 and has struck out only three times in 58 plate appearances.
• Saint Louis is 20-of-21 in stolen-base attempts.
• The Billikens lead the A-10 in fielding percentage (.968).
• In 2019, SLU placed three players – Wise, Lane and Gabbie Kowalik – on the A-10 All-Conference first team for the first time in program history.
• Kowalik also was tabbed A-10 Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Billiken softball player to earn the award.
 
HEAD COACH CHRISTY CONNOYER
• Christy Connoyer is in her 10th season at Saint Louis, tying Jim Molloy (1997-2006) for the longest head-coaching tenure in Billiken softball history. Connoyer has more victories (249) than any other head coach in program annals.
 
SLU TO HOST ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP
• Saint Louis is the host institution for the 2020 Atlantic 10 Conference Softball Championship. The six-team double-elimination tournament that determines the A-10's automatic NCAA Championship representative will be played Wednesday-Saturday, May 6-9, at the Billiken Sports Center.
 
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS
• Purdue Fort Wayne (3-19) – Summit League member … has faced three common opponents with Saint Louis, falling 9-0 and 8-0 to Southern Illinois, defeating Southern Miss 7-5 and dropping a 16-15 decision to Southeast Missouri State. Leaders – Freshman IF Alaina White (.321, 2 HR, 10 RBI), freshman IF Madeline Swart (.308), sophomore IF Morganne Denny (2 HR, 13 RBI), freshman UT Olivia Stansbury (4 HR, 10 RBI).
• Omaha (12-12) – Also a member of the Summit League … repeat participant in the Billiken Spring Tournament … already has tripled its win total of 2019, including victories over Michigan State (4-2) and SLU common opponent Miami (Ohio) (8-0) … carries a .309 batting average … among the returning players is senior 3B Emma Dargy, a 2019 second-team All-Conference choice. Leaders – Senior IF Emily Klosterman (.422, 12 RBI), freshman C Sydney Ross (.353, 3 HR, 15 RBI), junior UT Allison Helton (.345), sophomore C Janae Cameron (.333, 2 HR, 14 RBI), freshman UT Taylor Johnson (.328), sophomore IF Jamie White (.317, 8 HR, 26 RBI), Dargy (.309, 7 HR, 23 RBI).
• Lipscomb (11-10 prior to March 11 vs. North Carolina) – Defending Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season and tournament champion … went 42-15-1 a year ago … returnees include senior IF Hannah DeVault, the 2019 A-Sun Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Leaders – Freshman OF Presley Leebrick (.356), sophomore IF/OF Amy Vetula (.355), sophomore IF/OF Olivia Ward (.302), redshirt-freshman C/IF Kamrie Rich (15 RBI), sophomore IF/C Jenna Endris (3 HR, 11 RBI), senior RHP Megan Gray (7-1, 2.27), sophomore RHP Katie Turner (4-1, 2.97).
• Illinois-Chicago (9-11) – Defending Horizon League regular-season champion … had a 32-23 overall record and a 20-4 conference mark in 2019 … split with A-10 member Dayton earlier this season (6-5 win, 12-8 loss) … among the returning players is senior IF Kayla Wedl, the 2019 Horizon League Player of the Year … redshirt-junior C/1B Alyssa Griman and junior IF Cassie Kaelber made the All-Conference second team. Leaders – Freshman C/1B Samantha Ferguson (.349), redshirt-junior UT/IF Kayla Pociejewski (.345, 5 HR, 18 RBI), junior OF Maddie Spinks (.340), Wedl (.338, 11 RBI).
 
UP NEXT
• The Billikens open A-10 play by hosting St. Bonaventure March 21-22. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game begin at noon.