SOU NOTES

ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon softball team will head to Salem for a Friday afternoon doubleheader as the Raiders continue the second half of the 2012 Cascade Collegiate Conference season.

Southern Oregon, 16-14 overall and 6-8 in conference play, will look to bounce back after dropping a pair of games to Concordia on Saturday. The Raiders go into the weekend ranked fifth in the CCC standings, but SOU will be looking to pick up a season sweep over the Warriors when Friday's games begin at 2 p.m.

“The team is back on track, feeling good and confident in our ability to get the job done,” SOU head coach Kim Fritts said. “We're looking for some pretty tough games. Hopefully we'll pick up some good wins.”

Corban ranks fourth in the Cascade Conference standings with a 6-6 record, 21-9 overall. After climbing as high as 16th in the NAIA poll earlier this season, the Warriors picked up one vote in the latest rankings. As a team, Corban leads the CCC in fielding percentage (.974) while ranking second in pitching (2.66 earned run average) and third in batting (.311 average).

Stephanie Nippert leads the CCC in batting (.464 average), home runs (14), triples (two), total bases (99) runs batted in (41) and slugging percentage (1.021), while ranking second in on base percentage (.536), third in doubles (nine) and runs (32) and fourth in hits (45). The reigning conference Player of the Year has also stolen 11 bases in 13 attempts. Jessica Slate leads the pitching staff with a 1.80 earned run average in 58.1 innings. Amy Greenough has a team-high nine wins to go with 77 innings pitched and a 2.82 ERA.

Southern Oregon has faced Corban 39 times in a series that stretches back to 2004. During that time, the Raiders have won 25 games with 14 losses against the Warriors, although Corban has taken six of 11 games between the two teams the past three years. Southern Oregon played perhaps its best doubleheader of the season when the teams met in Ashland on March 24, sweeping the 16th-ranked Warriors 8-4 and 10-0.

“We played them very strong last time, our first outing for conference play,” Fritts said. “So going into Friday's games we're feeling confident.”

Southern Oregon ranks fifth in the CCC in team batting (.292 average) and fourth in team pitching (3.12 earned run average). Katie Moy (Oceanside, Calif./Vista) has a team-high 37 hits in 97 at bats for a .381 batting average and leads the team with nine doubles. Julia Willison (Reno, Nevada/McQueen) leads the team with eight home runs and 25 RBI, and the SOU catcher is batting .352 with a .446 on base percentage and a .732 slugging mark. Jordyn Kurtz (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) leads the SOU pitching staff with seven wins, while Karlie Stephens (Eagle Point, Ore./Eagle Point) boasts a team-best 2.71 earned run average and Chelsea Talbert (Sacramento, Calif./West Campus) has struck out 33 batters in 31.2 innings.