INDIANA, Pa. – In a series that will go a long way in determining playoff positioning, the IUP softball team will play Gannon in a four-game series this weekend. 

These teams enter the weekend third and fourth in the PSAC West standings, with Gannon at 16-8 and the Crimson Hawks one game back at 15-9 in the division.

Gannon hosts the opening doubleheader Friday at 2:30 p.m. while IUP hosts Saturday at 1 p.m.

Spectator Policies
IUP Athletics is allowing spectators at outdoor events this spring. Any fans visiting Ruth Podbielski Field are asked to keep socially distant from each other, participating teams, student-athletes, school officials and other game day personnel. When not able to socially distant, please wear masks. Read the full policy here.

Gannon does not allow for fans from visiting teams. Click here to read the full policy. 
 
Last Time Out
>> The Crimson Hawks won their divisional series with Edinboro, 3-1. IUP's wins came by scores of 9-7, 3-2 and 6-1. 
>> IUP also split a non-divisional doubleheader with Millersville Monday, winning 8-0 and losing 8-7.
>> Gr. Kaitlyn Beers became the program's all-time home run leader Monday, blasting her 29th career homer against Millersville. 
>> Jr. Jenna Rhue hit .588 (10-17) against Edinboro and Millersville while Beers had a 1.105 slugging percentage and Soph. Haleigh Zimmerman smacked 11 RBIs.

Follow/Social Media
Live Stats (IUP): IUPstats.com
Live Video (IUP): IUP Softball Facebook
Live Stats (GAN): GannonSports.com
Live Video (GAN): GannonSports.com
Twitter: @IUPsoftball
Instagram: @iupsoftball
 
Series notes
>> IUP leads this short-lived series 6-2 dating back to the 2012 season.
>> These teams last met in 2015 by splitting a doubleheader in Indiana. IUP swept a four-game set in 2014. 

Beers is IUP's new home run queen
>> Gr. Kaitlyn Beers broke IUP's career home runs record with her 29th blast Monday against Millersville. It surpassed the previous record of 28 held by Sarah White and Jasa Mitchell. 
>> Beers has a career-high 12 homers this year and is on pace to break Mitchell's single season IUP record of 15 (2014). 
>> Beers is third in the PSAC and tied for 10th in Division II with those 12 homers. She's averaging a blast every 7.75 at-bats. 

Beers putting together dominant season
>> Beers leads the Crimson Hawks in average (.462), runs scored (28), hits (43), doubles (11), homers (12), RBI (28), slugging (.989), and stolen bases (8).
>> She also leads the PSAC West in doubles, home runs, RBI, slugging, on-base percentage and is third in the division in batting average.
>> She has 14 multi-hit games, including seven games of 3 hits. Beers also has eight multi-RBI outings.

Wall finding the sweet spot
>> Not to be overshadowed, but senior Renee Wall is also putting together quite a season as she's second to Beers in batting average (.395), runs (21), hits (34), doubles (9), homers (4), slugging (.640), and on-base percentage (.514).
>> She has 11 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games.
>> Wall has a season-high 14-game reached base streak and is currently on a separate 11-game streak.
>> Wall has been hit by 10 pitches this year, which leads the PSAC and is tied for 22nd in Division II. 

Having Hope
>> Sophomore pitcher Hope Jones leads the PSAC with 96 strikeouts this year. She has a 6-4 record and a 4.40 ERA in 14 appearances (12 starts).
>> With 68.1 innings pitched, she ranks 17th in Division II with 9.8 strikeouts per 7 innings. 
>> Jones had a career-high 14 strikeouts against Seton Hill. That marked the most strikeouts by an IUP pitcher since All-American Erin Holloway fanned 15 Lake Erie batters on March 16, 2010.
>> Jones tossed a complete game one-hitter in the win over Millersville and also had a perfect game through four innings against Edinboro over the weekend.

Haleigh on a hot streak
>> Soph. Haleigh Zimmerman has been producing recently, ripping 11 RBI in the six games against Edinboro and Millersville.
>> She drove in five runs against Millersville, the most RBI by an IUP player in a game this year.
>> For the year she's batting .312 and is second on the team with 23 RBI and third with eight doubles.