Softball to Host Radford in Non-Conference Match-up on Tuesday

4/21/2003

The Marshall coaching staff is eyeing the program's first MAC championship.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.- Head Coach Shonda Stanton’s Thundering Herd softball team will take on the Highlanders of Radford University in a twilight doubleheader on Dot Hicks Field on Tuesday. The non-conference contests will begin at 4:00 p.m.

“We are excited to be in the position we are in the conference, but we can’t look past Radford,” Stanton said. “Tomorrow’s games are important as we need to use them as a tune up for this weekend and heading into the conference tournament. We are in a great position right now and want to be sure to take care of ourselves.”

The Herd is a perfect 5-0 against Radford. The last meeting between the two teams found Marshall coming out on top, 2-1 in 2000. MU is coming off a conference series with Northern Illinois University in which Marshall took two out of three games from the Huskies. The Herd continues to maintain a slim lead over Kent State University (24-11, 12-4 MAC) to lead the Mid-American Conference outright. Marshall will wrap play its last conference series of the season this weekend as it takes on traditional rival Ohio University (6-25-1, 2-15-1 MAC) Saturday and Sunday.

Radford is 11-32 overall on the season, but is in the thick of things in the Big South Conference with a 3-3 record. The Highlanders are on a four game slide, falling to the University of Georgia, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Bethune-Cookman College twice last weekend. Radford has experienced some offensive woes this season, batting only .227 as a team. Outfielder Ashley Smith leads RU at the plate, batting .315 on the season.

Marshall has already ensured itself a spot in the MAC tournament which consists of the top two teams in each division and two teams with the next best records. The tournament will be played at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio May 8th through the 10th. The Herd is now fighting to take the program’s first overall Mid-American Conference regular season championship. Marshall is in control of its own destiny. If the Herd comes through with a sweep of the Bobcats in its final conference series, no team will be in position to catch them and the Marshall softball will clinch its first ever MAC championship.

All Marshall softball home games are played on Dot Hicks Field on the campus of Marshall University and admission is free.