SB Weekend Preview: WBU at William Woods & Cottey (Mar. 28-29)

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (3/27/25) – The Williams Baptist University softball team will travel to face William Woods and Cottey on Mar. 28 and 29.

GAME INFORMATION

WILLIAMS EAGLES (17-8, 2-2 AMC) vs WILLIAM WOODS OWLS (12-13, 2-2 AMC)

GAME ONE - Friday, Mar. 28 - 2:00 p.m. CDT - Backer Sports Complex (Fulton, Mo.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/sball/2024-25/boxscores/20250328_8mop.xml
Live video: https://team1sports.com/wwuowls/   

GAME TWO - Friday, Mar. 28 - 4:00 p.m. CDT - Backer Sports Complex (Fulton, Mo.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/sball/2024-25/boxscores/20250328_2bbv.xml
Live video: https://team1sports.com/wwuowls/ 

WILLIAMS EAGLES (17-8, 2-2 AMC) vs COTTEY COMETS (12-12, 2-2 AMC)

GAME ONE - Saturday, Mar. 29 - 1:00 p.m. CDT - Vanek Family Softball Field (Nevada, Mo.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/sball/2024-25/boxscores/20250329_gtvz.xml
Live video: https://team1sports.com/cottey/ 

GAME TWO - Saturday, Mar. 29 - 3:00 p.m. CDT - Vanek Family Softball Field (Nevada, Mo.)
Live stats:  https://wbueagles.com/sports/sball/2024-25/boxscores/20250329_2feo.xml
Live video: https://team1sports.com/cottey/ 

MATCHUP FACTS VS WILLIAM WOODS

Last Game: May 2, 2024 (WBU 7-0, AMC Tournament)
Current Streak: WBU W3
Last WWU Win: Apr. 8, 2023 (11-7, Walnut Ridge, Ark.)

MATCHUP FACTS VS COTTEY

Last Game: May 4, 2024 (WBU 3-2, AMC Tournament Championship)
Current Streak: CC W1
Last WBU Win: April 20, 2024 (11-1, Nevada, Mo.)

WBU QUICK FACTS

2025 Record: 17-8 (2-2 AMC)
Current Streak: L2
2024 Record: 37-17 (14-4 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Jessica Nutt (6th season)
HC Record: 121-116 (42-36 AMC)
Assistant Coach: Ashlie Dahl (4th season)

ABOUT WILLIAM WOODS

2024-25 Record: 12-13 (2-2 AMC)
Current Streak: L1
2023-24 Record: 21-27 (9-9 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Tracy Gastineau (28th season)
Assistant Coaches: Mia Santos, Taylor Bell

ABOUT COTTEY

2024-25 Record: 12-12 (2-2 AMC)
Current Streak: W4
2023-24 Record: 32-21 (11-7 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: Won AMC Tournament, went 1-2 in NAIA Tournament Opening Round
Head Coach: Rebeka Klinginsmith
Assistant Coach: Dillon McKinzie, Kyle Klinginsmith

WWU'S LAST TIME OUT

• The Owls split a midweek doubleheader with Culver-Stockton on Tuesday

• Woods won game one 7-0 powered by a one-hit shutout from Sarah Randermann

• WWU fell in game two 8-0 after mustering only one hit

COTTEY'S LAST TIME OUT

• The Comets swept a midweek doubleheader with Missouri Valley on Tuesday

• An RBI double from Aariano Castillo plated the go-ahead run in the seventh as the Comets took the 4-3 win in game one

•  After falling behind in the first, Cottey put up three in the third to coast to a 7-1 victory in game two

WILLIAM WOODS NOTABLES

• Lexi Lewis leads the Owls with a .333 AVG at the plate (T-22nd AMC)

• Sammy Lohnes leads WWU with 13 RBI's (T-24th AMC)

• Sarah Randermann leads the Owls in the circle with a 2.45 ERA (4th AMC)

• Taylor Baumhoer follows behind with a 2.49 ERA (5th AMC)

• Baumhoer leads the Owls staff with 64 strikeouts (4th AMC)

• WWU holds a .247 AVG (10th AMC) and .299 SLG% (10th AMC)

• The Woods pitching staff holds a 2.92 ERA (3rd AMC) and a .252 BAA (3rd AMC)

• William Woods was picked to finish sixth in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

COTTEY NOTABLES

• Halen Hoelzeman leads the Comets offense with a .415 AVG (6th AMC)

• Hoelzeman also leads the Comets with 20 RBI's (T-7th AMC)

• Hoelzeman leads Cottey with four home runs (T-3rd AMC)

• Presley Tipton is close behind with three homers on the season (6th AMC)

• Abigail Peterson leads CC in the circle with an ERA of 5.02 (16th AMC)

• Amelia Gassman leads Cottey with 34 strikeouts on the season (T-8th AMC)

• CBC holds a team batting average of .311 (4th AMC)

• The Comet pitching staff holds a 5.69 ERA (8th AMC) with a .359 BAA (9th AMC))

• Cottey leads the league in extra base hits with 51 this season

• The Comets were picked to finish fifth in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

WBU'S LAST TIME OUT

• Williams was swept by Central Baptist in an AMC doubleheader last Saturday

• Ashlyn Michael drove in the lone Eagles run in the top of the sixth, but a two-run homer gave CBC the 2-1 win in game one

• CBC jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the first and shut down the Eagles offense for a 3-1 win in game two

WBU NOTABLES

• Madyson Busselle leads WBU in AVG at a .429 clip (T-4th AMC)

• Busselle also leads the team with 25 RBI's (2nd AMC)

• Ashlyn Michael leads WBU in home runs with three (T-6th AMC)

• Emberlin Caldwell leads the AMC in ERA with a 1.93 mark through 15 appearances

• Caldwell is tied for the league-lead with 70 strikeouts, and sits tied for second in the AMC with eight wins

• Morgan Garner is close behind with seven wins in the circle (T-5th AMC)

• As a team, the Lady Eagles sport a .294 batting average so far this season (6th AMC)

• Williams has tallied 125 RBI's as a unit (2nd AMC)

• WBU holds a team ERA of 2.33 (1st AMC), and a batting average against of .253 (4th AMC)

• Williams returns the AMC Player of the Year and AMC Freshman of the Year in SS Madyson Busselle (Shoebottom) and RHP Emberlin Caldwell

• Five AMC All-Conference players return for WBU in Emberlin Caldwell, Madyson Busselle, Morgan Garner, Natalia Watkins, and Kaylee Wolfe

• Williams was picked to finish second in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

RECORD ROUNDUP

• Emberlin Caldwell is 12 strikeouts behind Laura Helmich (224 K's) for third place all-time at WBU 

• Natalia Watkins is one triple away from breaking the WBU record for triples in a season.  She is currently tied with Callie Brooks and Jusine Rial at six

• Emberlin Caldwell is one save away from moving into a tie for the fourth most in a single season at WBU

• Madyson Busselle surpassed 100 career hits against Central Baptist

• Morgan Garner surpassed 100 career strikeouts earlier this season

AMC PRESEASON POLL

1 Missouri Baptist (106) [7]
2 Williams Baptist (99) [2]
3 Central Baptist (89)
4 Columbia (86)
5 Cottey (85)
6 William Woods (70)
7 Stephens (54)
8 Crowley's Ridge (48)
9 UHSP (46)
10 Mission (41)
11 Hannibal-LaGrange (27)
12 Harris-Stowe (18)

AMC STANDINGS
As of 3/27

T1 Missouri Baptist (4-0)
T1 Columbia (4-0)
T1 Central Baptist (4-0)
T1 Stephens (4-0)
T5 Williams Baptist (2-2)
T5 William Woods (2-2)
T5 Crowley's Ridge (2-2)
T5 Cottey (2-2)
9 UHSP (2-4)
T10 Mission (0-4)
T10 Hannibal-LaGrange (0-4)
12 Harris-Stowe (0-6)

SCHEDULE NOTES

• WBU will continue its 15 game roadstand with a single game against Lyon on Tuesday, Apr. 1 at 2 p.m. in Batesville, Ark.

• WBU's 2025 schedule features 22 home games at the WBU Softball Field.