The Central Washington University softball teams hosts its home opener this weekend when Montana State University Billings comes to town for a four games series starting on Saturday, Mar. 10 at 1 p.m.
 
CWU (6-4, 0-0 GNAC) vs MSUB (10-10, 2-2 GNAC)
Saturday, Mar. 10 | 1 & 3 p.m.   |   Sunday, Mar. 11 | Noon & 2 p.m.
 
LIVE STATS AND VIDEO
 
Once the Wildcats hit the field on Saturday, it will have been 20 days between games.  The Wildcats last played on Feb. 18 in Hawaii and stand with a 6-4 record.  The four-game series with MSUB is also the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for the Wildcats.  Central will eight GNAC games in before heading to Turlock California on Mar. 22-25 for seven games, including six at the Tournament of Champions.
 
FOWLER IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior center fielder Celine Fowler has now recorded 202 hits for her career becoming just the fourth player in school history to reach the 200 hits.  Fowler knows the other three very well; Two of the other players to record 200 hits played along Fowler (Kailyn Campbell, Sammy Morris), and the third was the coach that recruited her to Central Washington, Mallory Holtman-Fletcher.
 
Fowler has also scored 133 career runs which is third-best all-time and needs just 38 more to break Campbell's school record of 170.
 
The three-time all-GNAC competitor is also on the verge of breaking the school record for career stolen bases.  Fowler has 30 stolen bases in her career, 15 behind Michaela Hazlett's record of 45, but teammate Rachael Johnson leads the team with 34 followed by Savannah Egbert with 27.  Johnson is junior while Egbert still has two more years of eligibility following 2018.
 


POWER DUO
Jacie McDaniels and Julia Reuble usually hit back-to-back from the third and fourth hole in the Wildcat lineup.  And for good reason.  Of the Wildcats 56 RBIs on the season, more than a third (22) have come off the bats of McDaniels and Reuble. 
 
With the early season success of Savannah Egbert and Fowler at the top of the lineup, McDaniels and Reuble are, more often than not, batting with runners on base.  In fact, 20 of McDaniel's 28 at bats have come with runners on base, and 17 of Reuble's 26.  All 22 RBIs driven in by the duo have come with runners in scoring position. 
 
ABOUT THE YELLOWJACKETS
Montana State Billings has already played 20 games on the season.  After a 4-1 start to the season as hosts of the Desert Stinger the Yellowjackets have yet to win back to back contests and are 3-6 in their past nine games.
 
Offense has not been a problem for the Yellowjackets who feature one the GNAC most potent lineups.  It all starts with Heather Tracy who ranks 13^th in the nation in batting average (.566) and leads the nation with 43 hits.
 
Behind Tracy is a lot of power in Cameron Cassinelli, Megan Dettling who have combined for eight homeruns and 37 runs batted in.
 
The Wildcats should see a steady dose of Megan Dettling and Maddy Lincoln in the circle for the 'Jacekts.  Dettling had an 18-strikeout performance back on Feb. 2, but since then has allowed 6.75 runs per game in her starts. 
 
Lincoln has been MSUB's most reliable arm.  She carries a 6-5 record and a 3.09 era.  However, Central Washington has not been kind to the Olympia, Wash. native.  who has an ERA of 30.0 against the Wildcats in 2.1 innings of work.