University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagles Open Conference Softball Play at UTEP this Weekend
3/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 8, 2012
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball program (6-10) will begin Conference USA play on Saturday when they travel to El Paso, Texas for a three-game set against the Miners of UTEP (10-14) at Helen of Troy Field.
In the six-year series, dating back to 2006, the Golden Eagles are 8-9 all-time against the Miners including a three-game sweep in Hattiesburg last season.
Under new co-head coaches Kirsten Voak and Jon Malgradi, the Eagles are running the base paths and snatching bases at a high rate. Through 16 games, Southern Miss has stolen 25 total bases compared to the 26 they swiped through all of last season.
The team is also coming off a midweek doubleheader at Jackson State where they split the pair of games, picking up a victory with a dramatic seventh inning, six-run rally.
Southern Miss has also seen the top of their order emerge in leadoff batter Stephanie Shiflet and shortstop Caroline Walker. Over the previous week, the two have combined to go 14-for-34 to lead the team at the top.
In the circle, the Golden Eagles continue to use all three pitchers equally with Beth Dietrich holding the ERA edge with a 2.81 average on the year. As a staff, the team sports a 3.77 ERA, good for sixth-best in C-USA.
When the team hits the field against the Miners, they will have to face one of the premier hitting teams in C-USA as well as the nation. To date, UTEP has racked up 34 home runs, double the closest team in the conference, with 24 of those coming from Camilla Carrera (14) and Chelsea Troupe (10).
The Miners, who hold the second-highest team batting average in C-USA at .316, are on the other end of the spectrum in the circle with the lowest ERA of all C-USA teams at 6.41. Colleen Hohman (4-7, 5.07 ERA) and Cynthia Villastrigo (5-6, 7.05 ERA) have gotten the majority of the work for the Miners and opponents are combining for a .321 batting average against the duo.
Southern Miss will play a doubleheader on Saturday with a first pitch set for 3 p.m. CT and a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
