CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College softball team will play their second straight Gulf South Conference home series when they welcome the University of West Florida to Clinton for a three-game set at the MC Softball Complex.

The series is currently scheduled to begin on Saturday with a doubleheader at 4:00 p.m., followed by a single game on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. With inclement weather making its way through the Clinton area, continue to check GoChoctaws.com and @GoChoctawsSB on Twitter for further updates.
 

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THE SERIES

MC and West Florida have met 19 previous times with the Argonauts holding a 15-4 edge in the series. UWF won the first 11 games between the schools, but the Lady Choctaws have responded with three straight wins, including taking 2-of-3 in Pensacola last season and eliminating the Argos from the GSC Tournament on their way to the title. The last time the teams met in Clinton, UWF picked up a road series sweep.

Last season, Penny Nichols was named GSC Pitcher of the Week after her performance at West Florida. Following a 13-4 win by the Argos in the series-opener, the Orange City, Fla. native allowed just two runs over the next two games as MC came back to take the series (5-1, 4-1). MC would then come back from an early deficit in the GSC Tournament to grab an 8-5 win.
 

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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
Record: 11-9, 6-6 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Lady Choctaws, led by 12th-year head coach Brooke O'Hair, are coming off a series win over Lee University last weekend that marked the first three home games of the year for MC. Junior Brianna Caldwell hit a walk-off home run in the 1-0 series-opening win, while junior Makenzie Nieto helped seal an 8-4 win in the finale with a three-run, pinch-hit home run in the fifth inning.

On the season, MC currently ranks 7th in the league in batting average (.286) and 12th in earned run average (4.75) and fielding percentage (.945). 

Sophomore Shayla McKissock (.375) leads the Lady Choctaws at the plate with 21 hits and a .435 on-base percentage. Caldwell (.311) leads MC and ranks 4th in the conference with six home runs, while junior Kristen Qualls (.294) leads the squad with 21 RBI. Freshman Kayla Murphy (.311) is just behind Qualls with 17 RBI and is second on the team in stolen bases with nine behind senior Katherine Lee (.309), who has 14.

In the circle, junior Cori Cooper (3-0, 1.99 ERA) tossed her second shutout of the season in the series-opening win over Lee, improving her team-high strikeout total to 27. Junior Penny Nichols (3-4, 4.75 ERA) was impressive out of the bullpen the finale, allowing just two hits over 4.0 innings to get the win over the Flames.
 

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WEST FLORIDA
Record: 16-8, 7-4 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Argonauts, who were selected as the favorties in the GSC Preseason Poll, have the second-longest winning streak in the league, winning seven straight coming into this weekend's series. Led by 4th-year head coach Melissa Paul, they currently rank 2nd in the league in earned run average (1.79), 5th in fielding percentage (.962) and 6th in batting average (.300).

At the plate, Meghan Toney (.361) is the team's leading hitter with 26 base-knocks and a team-high 12 stolen bases. Rhiannon Sassman (.313) has a team-high three triples and 21 runs scored to go along with 13 RBI. Tori Perkins (.290) leads the team with 18 RBI, while Tiona Hill (.264) leads the squad with three home runs.

In the circle, Sarah Maloney (5-1, 1.50 ERA) leads the team with 46 strikeouts in a team-high 51.1 innings. Perkins (4-1, 1.93 ERA) is a transer from UAB that has three complete games.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and started competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.