GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (7-6, 0-0 PSAC Central)
at Wheeling Jesuit (8-6, 1-1 MEC)
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Wheeling, W.Va. | JB Chambers Softball Complex
Updates: Twitter |
@IUP_Softball
Live Stats
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks return from Florida when they travel to Wheeling, W.Va. to take on the Wheeling Jesuit Cardinals. IUP enters its first true road contest on the heels of a split with Southern Connecticut State (W 9-0 in five innings) and Dominican (L 2-1 in nine innings) on Saturday. Wheeling Jesuit split a pair with Urbana (L 4-0, W 4-3) yesterday.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
*The Crimson Hawks are coming off a 28-19 (12-8 PSAC) campaign from a season ago as they advanced to the PSAC tournament for the third consecutive year.
*Head coach
Bill Graham is now just six wins shy of his 250th-career victory. He has guided IUP to six postseason appearances in the last seven seasons
*Headlining the roster is three-year All-PSAC selection
Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area). The shortstop has earned postseason accolades at three different positions, and enters her senior season with a .347 career average, 34 doubles, 16 homeruns, a .551 slugging percentage and 39 stolen bases.
*Mercer led the Crimson Hawks to a 5-4 record during The Spring Games at Legends Way Ballfields last week where she hit .467 (14-of-30). She added three doubles, one triple, drove in four runs and slugged at a .633 clip. For her efforts, she was named as one of two IUP Athletes of the Week yesterday
*
Lauren Zola (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) was named the PSAC Central Division Pitcher of the Week on Monday afternoon. The sophomore right-hander struck out 22 in 34.2 innings of work, allowing eight earned runs. Opposing batters hit just .195 against her, as she tossed three complete games and had a combined 2-3 record. She opened the week by striking out seven and scattering two hits in a complete game shutout victory over Philadelphia on Monday. She also tossed complete games against No. 20 Indianapolis and Dominican, giving up just four hits in nine innings of the latter matchup.
