May 3, 2007

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HOUSTON - It all comes down to this weekend. Clinging to fifth place in the Conference USA standings, the Marshall Thundering Herd enters the final weekend of the regular season schedule with a postseason spot on the line. Conference USA Regular Season champion Houston welcomes the Herd for an important three-game series this weekend.

The three-game series begins with a 2 p.m. (EST) doubleheader Saturday, followed by a 1 p.m. (EST) game Sunday. Live stats for all three games will be available on www.HerdZone.com.

For Marshall (30-22, 10-11 C-USA), it's simple - win one and the Herd's in the Conference USA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola. On the flip side, Houston (37-15, 18-3 C-USA) has already clinched the C-USA regular season crown and enters the conference tournament on cruise control.

"We knew we would have to go on a run in order to advance to the postseason," Marshall head coach Shonda Stanton said. "So, it is exciting to see how our team has stepped up. We are really coming together as a whole and playing well."

Marshall enters the regular season's final weekend on an eight-game winning streak - the Herd's longest since 2004. Last season, the Cougars snapped Marshall's eight-game home winning streak, sweeping the Herd in a C-USA twin bill. In the process, Houston became the first C-USA team to win at Marshall.

The Cougars could play spoiler and end the Herd's chances of making a deep run in the tournament. If the unfortunate circumstance arises that the Cougars sweep the Herd, Marshall will need a little help from East Carolina and UCF, which have both clinched postseason berths. East Carolina would need to defeat Southern Miss twice, while UCF would need to knock off Memphis once in order for the Herd to earn the sixth and final spot in the tournament.

"This is what it is all about," Stanton said. "We need one win to secure a spot in Orlando.

"We cannot give Houston any extra outs and we need to take care of ourselves offensively."

The well-balanced Cougar offense features a four-pronged attack led by sophomore Jessica Valis who leads the club with a .386 average. Her sister, Haley Valis, leads the team with eight home runs, while driving in 24 runs. Sophomore catcher Elaina Nordstrom has drive in a team-best 28 runs, while Christa Raley adds five home runs and 23 RBI to the lineup.

What Houston lacks in offensive power the Cougars make up for it in the circle with junior hurler Angel Shamblin. Shamblin holds a 25-6 overall mark, while boasting a 1.09 ERA.

Entering the season, all eyes were on two-time Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif./Diamond Bar). Folden is still a great threat to the opposition, batting a league-best .421 despite being walked a league-high 47 times. However, in the last several weeks, a second power weapon has emerged for the Thundering Herd - fellow California junior Samantha Rodriguez (Oakley, Calif./Freedom).

"We have had some time to rest and focus on exams with a solid week of preparation," Stanton said. "We will be ready come game time and our players want to control their own advancement instead of relying on the other match-ups."

Rodriguez leads the league with 51 RBI and is currently fourth in doubles (16) and sixth in home runs (10). Exactly half of Rodriguez's double and home run production have come in C-USA play. The junior is batting .333 with eight doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI in 21 conference contests.

The 2007 Conference USA Softball Championship Presented by Coca-Cola will begin Thursday, May 10 in Orlando, Fla., at the UCF Softball Complex. Each game in the tournament will be featured on an online broadcast via www.conferenceusa.com or www.ucfathletics.com.