Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran is red-hot, winning 11 of its last 12 games. The Lutes look to continue their winning ways today, with a midweek doubleheader tilt with NWC rival Lewis & Clark College.
Series History: The Lutes and Pioneers have battled 144 times since 1980 with PLU enjoying a commanding 127-17 edge in the series. The two teams split the series last spring, each winning a pair of games in Portland.
About the Lutes: PLU (17-5, 9-1 NWC) heads into today's clash riding a four-game win streak and having won 11 of its last 12 games.
The Lutes pummeled Willamette University 8-1 and 14-9 down in Salem back on March 12 to win the series before driving in 18 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Whitworth University last Monday. That included Cassidy Conrad tossing a complete game and Kennedy Kila hitting two home runs and collecting five RBIs in a 7-3 win in the opener. Kila tossed a complete game three-hitter in game two as the Lutes rolled the Pirates 11-3.
Erin McGrath etched her name in the record books on Monday, belting her 35th career home run in the seventh inning of game two. That blast pushed the senior past Shannon Cotton (Fritzke) for the school record for career home runs. It was a record that has stood since the 2002 season.
As a team, the Lutes rank second in all of NCAA Division III in home runs per game (1.36), third in both total runs (158) and doubles (45), and fourth in the nation in hits (218).
Kennedy Kila ranks second in the nation in home runs with seven on the year whole Erin McGrath is fifth nationally with six. McGrath additionally ranks second in the nation in total bases (66) and third in hits (35).
Rylie Wada has a team-best batting average, hitting at a .480 clip while McGrath boasts a .432 average with 23 RBIs. Kila has a team-best 27 RBIs with a .844 slugging percentage.
Cassidy Conrad is the workhorse inside the circle, pitching 71 innings on the season. Conrad has 41 strikeouts with an 8-1 record and eight complete games. Kila is second on the team in innings pitched, boasting a 4-1 record with 24 punch outs.
Home Sweet Home: The Lutes have turned PLU Field into a daunting venue for opposing team's owning a 17-3 record at home over the past two seasons, including a perfect 6-0 record this spring.
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (10-8, 4-6 NWC) heads to Tacoma having won four of its last six and three straight. The Pios split the weekend series with Puget Sound, including a 6-3 victory in the series finale before blasting Pacific on Tuesday, winning 4-0 and 9-1.
Riley Anderson headlines the Pio offense with a .471 batting average with seven home runs and 26 RBIs. Lainey Honma is hitting at a .409 clip with 13 runs scored and nine stolen bases.
Inside the circle, Charlize Pope has a team-best 2.97 earned run average with 30 strikeouts while Alyssa Abe has a 3-0 record with 23 punch outs and a team-high 41 2/3 innings of work.
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. 7: PLU hosts Pacific (DH) at 12 p.m.
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