March 4, 2005

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. (Friday, March 4, 2005) The Southeast Missouri State softball team will face-off against three of the top teams in the state of Missouri as they travel to Independence, Missouri to participate in the Missouri Coaches Against Cancer Tournament at Adair Park. The Redhawks will face 22-ranked Missouri on Saturday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. then face host University of Missouri-Kansas City at 3:00 p.m. On Sunday they take on Southwest Missouri State at 10:00 a.m. and then they will either play in the Championship game or the third place game.

A single-day ticket may be purchased for $8 at the gate. A two-day pass is $12. All proceeds will go to cancer research and the American Cancer Society.

The Redhawks eight letterwinners, including six starters from a squad that went 16-36 last season. This year's team is expected to be much improved despite being picked to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Senior Kelly Birk, a first team All-OVC selection in 2004, returns to her role as a utility player hoping to improve on her numbers from a year ago after batting .331 with 55 hits and 18 RBI. Fellow seniors, 3B Victoria Torrez and P Amy Fahnestock, will team up with Birk to provide the senior leadership for this year's Redhawk squad. Torrez will look to better her .286 batting average from last season, while Fahnestock will most likely be number one in the rotation again this year. Fahnestock's 149 innings pitched and 10 wins last season were both team-highs.

Missouri is 11-2 on the season with wins over Penn. State (5-2), Iowa (3-1) and a doubleheader against Florida State (3-2 and 6-3). Micaela Minner is leading the Tigers with a .500 batting average. She has a team high 21 RBI and six homeruns. Erica Peterson is 7-1 on the season with a 0.67 ERA and three saves. She has thrown three complete games and two combined shutouts. Peterson has struckout 63 batters and walked only 16 in the 52.0 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .164 against her.

UMKC is coming off a 4-2 win over Louisiana-Monroe at the Arkansas Lady'Backs Invitational on Feb. 27. Junior Casie Wolf went 5-for-9 with three RBI and a run scored on the weekend. Freshman Jessica Heimann picked up her second win in the victory. She pitched a complete games with six strikeouts and four walks on six hits.

SMS is 2-2 on the season with wins over North Texas and New Mexico. Jessica Leathers is leading the Bears hitting .385 with two runs scored. Samantha Fleeman has driven in a team high three RBI on 1-of-11 hitting. Melissa Porche is 1-0 on the season with a 0.00 ERA in 9.0 innings pitched. She threw a shutout against North Texas striking out eight batters and giving up only two hits.