•Saint Louis softball fans have their first chance to see their team at home this season as SLU hosts the Billiken Spring Tournament Saturday-Monday, March 9-11.
•St. Thomas (Minn.) and Illinois are the opponents. Saturday, the Billikens face St. Thomas in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday's action pits St. Thomas vs. Illinois at noon and Saint Louis vs. Illinois at 2:30 p.m. The Billikens and Fighting Illini wrap up the tournament Monday with first pitch scheduled for noon.
•Live stats are available for all five games. See the links above.
•Winning four of five games at Austin Peay's Governors Classic last weekend lifted SLU's record to 10-5, its best through 15 games since the 2017 team posted the same mark. The Billikens defeated Austin Peay twice (4-2, 2-1), Indiana State (11-2) and Ohio (1-0) and were edged by IUPUI (3-2).
•For a second consecutive week,
Taylor Hochman was selected Atlantic 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week. In three complete games at the Governors Classic, Hochman posted a 3-0 record and a 0.70 ERA. She allowed just 15 hits (only two for extra bases) and five walks (1.8 per seven innings) in 20 innings for a 1.00 WHIP. Hochman registered the first 7-inning shutout of her collegiate career vs. Ohio, tossing a 4-hitter in a 1-0 win, and gave another clutch performance in the Billikens' 2-1 victory over Austin Peay. Only one of the two runs she allowed in an 11-2 win over Indiana State was earned.
•Through games of March 5, Saint Louis ranks among the nation's top 75 teams in five statistical categories. The Billikens are fourth in fielding percentage (.985), 25th in double plays per game (0.53), 45th in runs per game (5.8), 56th in home runs per game (0.80) and 69th in on-base percentage (.385). SLU leads the A-10 in each of those categories except double plays (second).
•SLU also tops the conference in batting average (.291), slugging percentage (.442) and walks (52).
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Cami Newbanks is ranked among the nation's top 100 players in five categories, including the top 50 in on-base percentage (eighth, .596), batting average (35th, .474) and RBIs per game (46th, 1.13, 17 total). Newbanks is 70th in slugging percentage (.789) and walks per game (0.67, 10 total), and she has three home runs.
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Taylor Hochman is 23rd in wins (seven) and 25th in shutouts (two). Hochman is 7-1 and has lowered her ERA to 1.77.
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Abby Mallo ranks 36th in home runs per game (0.33, four total) and 68th in slugging percentage (.793). Mallo has 10 RBIs.
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Abby Ulsas stands 43rd in triples per game (0.14, two total).
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Natalie Sullivan is 70th in walks per game (0.67, 10 total).
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Isabel Royle ranks 79th in strikeouts per seven innings (7.6). Royle carries a 2.39 ERA, has a 3.2-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, and has issued just 2.39 walks per seven innings.
•Ulsas (.396), Mallo (.345) and Sullivan (.333) join Newbanks as Billikens with batting averages above .300.
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Kelsey Etling has three home runs and 11 RBIs.
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Allie Marietta has 10 RBIs.
•A member of the Summit League, St. Thomas brings a 3-17 record to St. Louis. The Tommies' first 20 games featured meetings with three nationally ranked teams, another team receiving votes, and two others from Power 5 conferences. One of St. Thomas' victories was a 4-3 win over A-10 member Loyola Chicago.
•Big Ten Conference member Illinois owns a 5-9 record playing a schedule rated the sixth toughest in NCAA Division I. One of the Fighting Illini's defeats was a 3-2 loss to LSU, currently the nation's No. 3-ranked team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
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UP NEXT: Saint Louis hosts Western Illinois Wednesday, March 13, for a single game beginning at 1 p.m. The Billikens begin A-10 play at home with a three-game series vs. Massachusetts Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17.
