Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran is back at home after spending the previous six games on the road, welcoming Oregon-rival Pacific University to PLU Field.
Series History: The Lutes and Boxers have battled on the diamond 152 times since the 1981 campaign with PLU enjoying an 85-67 advantage in the all-time series.
That included a series sweep last spring in Forest Grove, outscoring the host Boxers by a combined 43-10 scoreline.
About the Lutes: PLU (18-12, 10-8 NWC) was red-hot winning 11 of 12 games before hitting a rough patch last week, dropping seven games last week.
The Lutes saw their hot streak come to a halt on March 27, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Lewis & Clark College, falling 1-0 and 12-5.
Three days later it was a doubleheader split with host Whitworth University. The host Pirates seized the opener 5-3 but PLU got the series win, shutting down the Whitworth offense for a 6-1 victory.
Last weekend the Lutes faced 7th-ranked Linfield University in McMinnville and came up empty-handed falling 9-1, 8-5, 14-3, and 8-4.
As a team, the Lutes rank second in all of NCAA Division III in home runs (33), and fourth in hits and home runs per game. PLU additionally sits fifth nationally in doubles and ninth in slugging percentage.
Rylie Wada leads the team at the plate with a .411 batting average while Erin McGrath is close behind, hitting .410 with 19 extra base hits and 26 RBIs. McGrath set the career home run record this spring and has seven round-trippers on the season.
Kennedy Kila is providing the power, hitting at a .382 clip with 33 RBIs, 11 doubles, and 10 home runs. Paola Garcia has a .338 average this season while Mari Foster has swiped a team-leading nine bases in 2023.
Cassidy Conrad is the leader inside the circle with a 4.34 earned run average. The senior has pitched 90 1/3 innings with 46 strikeouts and 10 complete games. Kila has tossed 46 2/3 innings with 24 punch outs. Amaya Smith has proved a trusty reliever, netting two saves on the season with 15 strikeouts and a 2-1 record.
Home Sweet Home: The Lutes have turned PLU Field into a daunting venue for opposing team's owning a 17-5 record at home over the past two seasons, including a 6-2 mark this spring.
About the Boxers: Pacific (6-20, 4-14 NWC) split its series at home last weekend at Sherman/Larkins Stadium against the University of Puget Sound.
A three-run third inning powered the Boxers to a 4-1 victory in game one last Saturday before surrendering a half dozen runs in the fifth inning of game two, stumbling 9-2.
A late rally fell short on Sunday, stumbling 11-9 to the Loggers in a game with a combined 35 hits before the Boxers limited UPS to just three hits in the series final, piling on four runs in the sixth inning to escape with the 4-2 victory.
Samantha Petitt leads the Boxers at the dish with a .329 batting average with a team-best 16 runs scored and three triples. Sydney Rusin is hitting at a .310 clip while Rylee Patton has a team-high 11 RBIs.
Mia Barrozo has chewed up the most innings inside the circle, tossing 79 1/3 innings with a 4.15 earned run average with a team-high 34 strikeouts. Lindsey Greenfield is Pacfic's other starting pitcher netting 27 punch outs in 57 innings of action. Sydney Rusin is the primary reliever, appearing in 12 games with 18 Ks and a 5.48 ERA.
Attaway Lutes!
Congrats to Shannon Cotton (Fritzke), Melissa Korb, and the 2012 National Championship winning softball team on earning induction into the PLU Athletics Hall of Fame on March 18. Cotton (pictured top left) and Korb (Pictured top middle) were battery mates for the Lutes from 1999-2002, helping PLU win four straight league titles and place fourth in the nation in 2002. The 2012 Lutes won the program's fourth national title and to date, only NCAA Division III title.
NWC Coaches' Poll
The Pacific Lutheran University softball team is projected to finish third in the Northwest Conference standings in 2023 according to the NWC's annual coaches' poll released on Jan. 31.
The Lutes (30-14 overall, 20-8 NWC in 2022) garnered 38 points in the poll to place third, finishing four points shy of second ranked George Fox University.
Reigning league champion Linfield University sits atop the rankings with 49 points and seven of the eight first place votes. GFU claimed the remaining first place vote. Whitworth University is fourth with 28 points followed by Lewis & Clark College (26 points), and Pacific University (17 points).
Willamette University is seventh with 16 points while crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound sits in eighth with eight points.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on August 31 through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
New Look Lutemobile for 2023
The new Lutemobile is here! During the first week in January, the Lutes' bus partner Bellair Charters, unveiled its newest PLU branded bus as it took the men's and women's hoops teams to Oregon.
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."
Next Home Games:
Apr. 12: PLU hosts Lewis & Clark (DH)
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu