Lone Star Conference Softball weekly release (03/16/10)

LSC Softball Quick Notes
A full slate of Lone Star Conference divisional games were played last week. In the South, Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville swept their three-game series, while Midwestern State and Central Oklahoma won five of six North games.

LSC softball teams are 183-129 overall, with a 93-70 mark in the South and 90-59 in the North this season. In the NCAA South Central Region, the women’s teams are currently 51-23 combined versus Heartland Conference squads and 34-21 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).

Teams are competing for one of eight spots, four from both the North and South Division, in the Lone Star Conference Championship to be held in Seguin, Texas, May 6-7-8.

Players of the Week
NORTH HITTER
Jeana Keyes, Southeastern Oklahoma, Jr., Outfielder, Corinth, Texas/Denton-Ryan HS
Keyes turned in an impressive. .533 batting average for the week as Southeastern split their season series against East Central. Keyes was instrumental in the Storm avenging midweek losses, finishing the week with a .563 on-base percentage, while slugging .600, all from the leadoff position. She scored four runs and drove four others and added a stolen base. Keyes turned in a perfect 5-for-5 outing in her final game of the weekend, scoring a pair of runs and driving in four in that contest.

NORTH PITCHER
Rachael Steverson, Central Oklahoma, So., Pitcher, Yukon, Okla./Yukon
Steverson had a perfect week in helping UCO go 5-1 to open LSC North Division play. The sophomore right-hander went 3-0 with a stellar 0.67 earned run average, giving up just six runs (two earned) in three complete-game performances while striking out 17. Steverson earned two wins over Northeastern State and then capped the week with a 3-2 victory over No. 8 Midwestern State, giving up six hits and one earned run while walking just one and striking out four in ending MSU’s 14-game winning streak.

SOUTH HITTER
Billie Callahan, Texas Woman’s, Sr., OF, Austin, Texas/Bowie
Callahan led the team with a .778 batting average in the three-game series against #16 West Texas A&M. She reached base eight of the 10 at bats. Callahan drove in three runs including the tying run in a 4-3 win on Saturday. She also posted .800 on base percentage and .889 slugging percentage.

SOUTH PITCHER
Chelsea Nelson, Angelo State, Sr., Pitcher, Highland Village, Texas/Marcus H.S.
Nelson went 3-0 with a save as the No. 2-ranked Rambelles went 5-0 last week and extended their winning streak to 13 games. Nelson picked up a win over St. Mary’s Tuesday and then had two wins and a save in ASU’s three-game weekend series with Tarleton State to open LSC South play. Against St. Mary’s, Nelson tossed a complete game while giving up just four hits and one run with nine strikeouts against the Rattlers in a 2-1 victory. She then tossed 16.2 innings in three appearances against Tarleton State, fanning 15 TexAnns over the three outings. On the week, Nelson had a 1.48 earned run average while collecting 24 strikeouts in 23.2 innings of work. She picked up complete game victories in the first and third games of the series and a 2.2-out save in the middle game. On the season, Nelson is now 12-1 with a 1.36 ERA and has tied an ASU single-season record with four saves.