In an effort to get games in after winter weather has cancelled several games around the Great American Conference, the East Central University softball team will play Harding, Saturday, March 7 at the Oklahoma Christian University field in Oklahoma City, Okla., starting at 2 p.m.  The teams will then shift to Ada for the final double-header, Sunday, March 8 at noon.

Game Notes

The Coverage
Fans who can't be at the game can find links to live stats, live video on ECUTigers.com.  Go to the softball schedule page.

Scouting Harding
The Bisons are 4-10 overall and 1-3 in the Great American Conference standings.  HU is trailing its opponents with a .294 batting average to a .314 mark on the year, but they have a 74-62 lead in runs scored.

MacKenzie Jones and Kimmy Hendricks are the most consistent hitters for the Bisons so far in 2015.  Jones is hitting .372, with five runs scored, 16 hits and 10 RBIs.  Hendricks added a .351 average, 15 runs, 13 hits and eight RBIs.

Amber Rollins is the top of the three pitchers that HU has used in the circle this season.  Rollins has a 1.96 ERA and a 3-3 record in 46.1 innings of work.  She has allowed 53 hits, 24 runs and struck out 35.

Against the Bisons
Last season was the first year for Harding after restarting their program and the teams met on the road and in the GAC Tournament.  The Tigers one just one of the five games in the series, but ECU out-hit the Bisons .323 to .295.

Seniors Kaile Marcum and Kayci Snider were the top producers for the Tigers.  Marcum hit .692, with nine hits, four runs and three RBIs.  Snider added a .667 average on two hits.

Sophomore Sydney Dow earned a win in the circle with 13.1 innings of work in the series.  She allowed 15 hits, 11 runs and struck out nine.

Carolyn Clayton and Kinsey Beck are the top returners for HU.  Clayton hit .467, with seven hits and five RBIs, while Beck added a .417 average, five hits and one RBI.

Amber Rollins threw 26 innings during the series, earning a 3-1 record.  She allowed 29 hits, 10 runs and struck out 26.

The Series
The teams have met just five times, with Harding earning wins in four of the meetings.  The games this weekend will be the first contested at Tiger Field.

Preseason Predictions
After finished the 2014 season tied for fifth, ECU has been picked to finish third in the Great American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Tigers, who finished 33-25 overall and 22-18 in league action a season ago, received a total of 79 points, with one first-place vote.  The 2014 regular-season champs, Southeastern Oklahoma State were picked to finish first in 2015, earning 97 points and seven first-place votes.  Southern Arkansas was the other team to finish above ECU, earning 85 points and two first-place votes.

Henderson State was picked fourth (71 points/1 first-place votes), Harding fifth (66), Northwestern Oklahoma State sixth (52), Arkansas-Monticello seventh (47), Arkansas Tech eighth (44), Southern Nazarene ninth (24), Southwestern Oklahoma State 10th (21) and Ouachita Baptist 11th (19).

Returning Power
ECU will be looking to improve on their record from a season ago.  The Tigers have a strong chance of doing just that, as they have 14 returners, including seven starters on the 2015 squad.

Of the 14 returners from the 2014 season, five student-athletes were honored by the GAC last season for their performances.  Sophomore Sydney Dow, senior Samantha McGraw and junior Autumn Suydam all earned All-GAC Second Team honors.  Junior Jordynn VanPelt and senior Kaile Marcum were also honored by the league with All-GAC Honorable Mention selections.

Dow led the team in the circle, with a 12-4 record, four shutouts, eight complete games and 132 strikeouts. McGraw had a .337 batting average, 57 hits, 29 runs and 34 RBIs.   Suydam hit .389 and garnered 63 hits, 41 runs and 18 RBIs.

VanPelt led the team and league with 59 RBIs and added 56 hits, 15 home runs, 38 runs scored and a .348 batting average.  Marcum led the team with a .406 average and garnered 63 hits, 36 runs and 16 RBIs.

Up Next
The Tigers will continue their home stand by host Southern Nazarene for a four-game GAC series, March 20-21 at Tiger Field.