THE AGENDA
The OUAZ softball team remains at home this week to host a doubleheader against crosstown foe Benedictine Mesa. The games have been moved to Friday with first pitch of game one slated for 2 p.m. Both games will be played on the Willow Canyon High School softball field.
 
Admission is free to all home softball games this season. Fans are encouraged to park in the lot to the north of the tennis courts.
 
Live video ($7.95) will be available for game one of Friday's action on the NAIA Network and the OUAZ Game Central portal. Live stats will be available for both games. The NAIA Network is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices by searching NAIA. Links for all live coverage is available at OUAZSpirit.com/live.
 
ABOUT THE SPIRIT
OUAZ heads into Friday's action at 0-2 on the season after dropping a pair of close games to the College of Idaho last Saturday. The Spirit fell to 4-21 all-time at home and they were swept in a doubleheader for the 12th time in program history and eighth time at home.
 
The Spirit scored five runs in the two games on opening day and they hit .208. The lone extra-base hit was a 3-run home run from Emily Stebbins in the first inning of game two. The team finished the series with a .288 on-base percentage and .264 slugging percentage.
 
OUAZ pitchers recorded a 3.00 earned run average and .273 opponents batting average. They gave up five extra-base hits – all doubles – and recorded eight strikeouts and seven walks.
 
Defensively, the Spirit committed two errors and tallied a .968 fielding percentage. They caught three would-be base stealers for a .571 stolen base against percentage.
 
OUAZ TIDBITS
The Spirit will enter Friday's games looking to snap an 11-game losing streak in the month of February. In total, OUAZ went 1-16 during the month last season.
 
Saturday's 1-0 loss to College of Idaho was the second 1-0 loss in program history. The first came against Dickinson State on March 15, 2018. It also moved the Spirit to 1-6 all-time in 1-run games.
 
OUAZ will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak on Friday's when play begins this week.
 
INFIELD NOTEBOOK
Ashton Aggers had a good start to the new season in leading the Spirit with three hits and a .500 batting average in the opening doubleheader. She picked up a pair of hits and a walk in game two against the Yotes. Last season, Aggers hit .228 with a pair of doubles in 37 games played.
 
Amanda Almond went 2 for 7 against C of I with one hit coming in each game. In starting at 48 games last season, she ended the season hitting .286 with a team-best 10 doubles. Almond knocked in 18 runs with a .395 slugging percentage. She finished second on the team with 11 multi-hit games that included a pair of three-hit outings.
 
Heliana Bueno started both games at second base and recorded one hit in seven at bats.
 
Marissa Zacchio made the start at third base in each game and ended the day 1 for 4 with a run scored.
 
OUTFIELD NOTEBOOK
Miranda Davis continued her run of starting every game in program history with another two starts on Saturday. She finished the day 1 for 7 with a run scored and a RBI. Davis also had a walk and was caught stealing in her only attempt. She led the Spirit with 56 hits last season and was second with her .344 batting average.
 
Sydney Saxton Siaki started as the designated player in both games and finished the day 1 for 7 with the hit coming in the opener. Saxton led OUAZ last season with her .379 batting average and .437 slugging percentage.
 
Kelly Stumper started both games in left field and went hitless in five at bats. She had one walk and one sacrifice bunt while scoring one run.
 
Jorden Jefferson and Alicia Young split the starts in right field with each going 0 for 1 in their starts.
 
BEHIND THE PLATE
Emily Stebbins got the start behind the plate in both games and recorded two hits in five at bats. She hit a 3-run home run in the first inning of game two while also drawing a walk and a hit by pitch for a .571 on-base percentage. Last season, Stebbins hit .311 with eight doubles and a team-best 30 RBI last season.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
Despite not recording a win on Saturday, Sabrina Jimenez had an impressive season debut. She started game one and allowed one run in 5.1 innings with two strikeouts in a tough-luck loss. She then pitched a perfect 1.2 innings of game two with one strikeout. She enters Friday with a 1.00 ERA and .200 opponent batting average.
 
Alexandra McCutcheon started game two and allowed five runs (three earned) in 2.2 innings of work. She gave up six hits with two strikeouts and two walks and a .429 opponent batting average.
 
Bailey Coronado recorded 4.1 innings of work in relief during the two games. She suffered the loss in game two and has a 3.23 ERA. Coronado allowed four hits and two runs with three strikeouts and three walks.
 
ABOUT BENEDICTINE MESA
Benedictine Mesa was also swept in a doubleheader by the College of Idaho last weekend to sit at 0-2 on the season. The Redhawks hit .327 with five doubles and one home run in the two losses. Their staff posted a 12.83 ERA and gave up 10 extra-base hits, including three home runs. Marisa Coleman hit .714 with a homer and four RBI.
 
The Spirit dropped four games against the Redhawks last season. The teams met last February 21 in Surprise with BenU winning by scores of 11-7 and 5-4. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader in Mesa on April 17.
 
FIRST YEAR IN THE NAIA & GSAC
OUAZ is competing in its first season as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). As first-year members, the Spirit are not eligible for postseason play or national postseason awards. OUAZ is also not eligible for NAIA national statistical rankings this season.
 
GSAC PRESEASON POLL
The GSAC released the 2019 preseason coaches' poll on Wednesday and the Spirit received 10 points in the poll to place seventh in the final rankings. Hope International was selected as the favorite to win the conference after the Royals tied for the regular season crown and won the conference tournament last season.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
OUAZ will head to Lake Elsinore, California to play five games at the TSC SoCal College Classic. The slate of games features two games against nationally ranked opponent in No. 3 Southern Oregon (Feb. 8) and No. 16 Corban (Feb. 9).