COLUMBIA, Ky. - Lindsey Wilson softball opens its 18-game Mid-South Conference schedule this weekend as the 16th-ranked Blue Raiders visit No. 15 Cumberlands in Williamsburg.
In the most recent NAIA Coaches' Poll released on Wednesday, March 18, the Patriots found themselves down two spots from their last ranking, while Lindsey Wilson leapfrogged nine spots for its highest rating since May 4, 2022.
This will mark just the second series all-time between the two sides in which both are ranked. The last instance happened on March 2, 2022, in Columbia when Cumberlands was rated 22nd and the Blue Raiders were ranked 23rd. That two-game series was split.
The Patriots (18-8, 3-0 MSC) are coming off a sweep of then-(RV) Campbellsville (Ky.) last weekend. Cumberlands shutdown the Tigers by holding them to two runs on seven hits across the series.
Reigning Mid-South Player of the Week Emily Delgado produced a team-high five RBIs on three hits, all of which, with the exception of one hit, came in the third game of the series.
Teammate Grace Ross has asserted herself as the Patriots' primary offensive catalyst. The graduate senior transfer from Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) leads the conference in RBIs and home runs. She also sports the second-best batting average at 0.463.
Jessica Cord, the league's defending Pitcher of the Week, dealt two complete-game shutouts against Campbellsville. She accumulated 12 strikeouts, 11 walks, and allowed only four hits.
Cord and Lindsey Wilson's
Kayden Murray carry a lot of talking points ahead of this weekend's match-up. The pair are one-two on the Mid-South leaderboard in earned run average, wins, and strikeouts. They also have four saves between them and are the only two players in the conference to have earned Pitcher of the Week honors this year through five weeks of the regular season.
At the plate, senior
Atavya Fowler is hitting a team-best 0.414 over the Blue Raiders' 12-game winning streak. The center fielder has 12 hits, including two doubles, and seven RBIs during this stretch.
Kaiden Rodgers' 15 hits is the most by a Lindsey Wilson batter during the winning streak, while
Sam Hartman and
Hannah Carter each have 12 hits, 8 RBIs, and two home runs.
Games one and two are scheduled for noon and 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 21, then game three is set for noon CT on Sunday, March 22 at the Cumberlands Softball Complex.
Live coverage of the series is provided by the Cumberlands Sports Network.
