CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College softball team will play their final home games of the season this weekend when they host West Alabama for a three-game series at the MC Softball Complex.

The Lady Choctaws and Tigers will play a single game on Friday (April 20) at 5:00 p.m., closing things out with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 21) at 2:00 p.m.
 

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THE SERIES

MC and West Alabama have met 64 previous times with the Lady Choctaws holding a 36-28 edge in the series. The series dates all the way back to 1986 with MC winning the first eight contests and taking 6-of-9 games since re-joining Division II and the Gulf South Conference in 2015.

The last time the teams played in Clinton, MC swept a three-game series, outscoring the Tigers 21-6. Last season, the Lady Choctaws UWA took 2-of-3 in Livingston, but the Lady Choctaws won the finale by a score of 11-2. In the win, MC jumped out to a 9-1 lead and Penny Nichols allowed just two hits and two unearned runs with four strikeouts and no walks.
 

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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
Record: 24-13, 15-10 GSC
ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS

The Lady Choctaws, led by 12th-year head coach Brooke O'Hair, had an eight-game winning streak snapped last weekend against #22 UAH, dropping a doubleheader in Huntsville. MC currently ranks 5th in the league in batting average (.308), 6th in earned run average (3.66) and 12th in fielding percentage (0.947).

Junior Kristen Qualls (.302) became MC's all-time home run leader with her 28th long ball on Friday (April 13) against UAH. The home run came with two outs in the seventh inning to tie the score at 6-6. The former Madison Central standout broke the record of 27 home runs held by Brooke Smitherman (2011-15). Qualls also ranks 2nd in school history with 118 runs batted in, just 17 shy of Smitherman (135).

Junior Makenzie Nieto (.373) is the team's top hitter with seven doubles, while junior Brianna Caldwell (.333) has a team-best 11 home runs. As a team, the Lady Choctaws have hit 35 home runs, which is the second-most in school history (2011, 37).

Senior Katherine Lee (.345) leads the team with 29 runs scored and 28 stolen bases and is the school's all-time leader with 109 swipes over four seasons. Qualls leads the squad with 35 RBI, while freshman Kayla Murphy (.282) has 29 and Caldwell has driven in 27. Junior Haley Muller, who will be recognized on Senior Day due to graduating in December, has scored 10 runs as a pinch-runner this season.

In the circle, junior Cori Cooper (8-1, 2.28 ERA) leads the team in wins, ERA, strikeouts (57) and innings pitched (64.1). Junior Adrianna Morgan (7-1, 2.66 ERA) had won seven consecutive starts to open the season before suffering a loss to UAH. Senior Kristen Gardner (4-3, 5.12 ERA) will be recognized for playing her final home games at the MC Softball Complex this weekend.
 

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WEST ALABAMA
Record: 18-26, 10-17 GSC
ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS

The Tigers, led by second-year head coach Carie Dever Boaz, are coming off a series win over Union, but have dropped seven of their last nine conference games. They sit just 1.5 games out of the final tournament spot heading into the final two weeks of the season. They rank 5th in the league in fielding percentage (.957), 9th in earned run average (3.93) and 13th in batting average (.265).

Nicole Buccieri (.391) is the team's top hitter with 15 doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI. Chrissy Tubbs (.287) has a team-high 18 stolen bases, while Kendall Johnson (.280) has scored a team-best 24 runs.

In the circle, four different pitchers have tossed at least 62 innings with Kamree Lay (5-2, 2.90 ERA) leading the team in ERA, wins and appearances (27). Carleigh Mills (5-10, 4.67 ERA) has logged a team-high 78.0 innings with 53 strikeouts.
 

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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.