Softball Starts Seven-Game Home Stand To End Regular Season, Welcomes UNO and Georgetown

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Creighton begins a seven-game home stand to end the regular season with its final nonconference game against Nebraska-Omaha and a three-game BIG EAST series against Georgetown.

Matchup
Thursday, April 26 • Nebraska-Omaha (15-28) at Creighton (22-12) • 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 28 • Georgetown (13-33, 4-10 BIG EAST) at Creighton (7-2 BIG EAST) • 12 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, April 29 • Georgetown at Creighton • 11 a.m.

Follow The Games
Live stats for all four contests can be found at Creighton.Statbroadcast.com.

Live streams with audio commentary will be available on Jays Video (gocreighton.com/jaysvideo) for Thursday and Saturday's games.

Sunday's game will featured on the BIG EAST Digital Network, which can be found at FOXSportsGo.com or on the FOX Sports Go App.

Scoring updates and infographics will be provided via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.

Scouting Creighton (22-12, 7-2 BIG EAST)
The Bluejays seek to extend a six-game winning streak after a 5-0 week which included a weekend sweep of Seton Hall.

Creighton leads the BIG EAST in batting average (.317), on-base percentage (.408) and scoring (5.71 runs per game), and ranks second in the league in slugging percentage (.460).

Senior Sam Crowley leads the Bluejays and ranks second in the BIG EAST in batting average (.402), second in the league with a .619 slugging percentage, and near the top of the league in on-base percentage (.455). The senior center fielder also leads the conference with 10 sacrifice bunts and ranks fifth nationally (through games played Tuesday) with 0.31 sacrifice bunts per game.

During BIG EAST games, Crowley leads the league in batting average and slugging percentage. Through nine conference contests, Crowley is hitting .593 (16-for-27) and slugging .963 (two home runs, two doubles, one triple).

Sophomore lead-off hitter Ashley Cantu ranks in the top 10 of the league with a .379 batting average, leads the team in hits (44), runs scored (35) and is the only Bluejay to start all 34 games this season.

Hope Moreno has also appeared in each game this season (33 starts) after playing the first three seasons of her collegiate career at UTEP. She ranks second on the team with a .448 on-base percentage.

The Bluejays own a 3.56 team-ERA (second in BIG EAST) led by Bryana Clark who boasts a 2.86 ERA during a 80.2 innings pitched.

Freshman Kiele Miller leads the team with 120 strikeouts (third-best in league) during a team-high 99.1 innings, owns a 3.52 ERA and has a Bluejay-best 10 victories. The freshman owns 8.5 strikeouts per seven innings, which is the second-best mark in the league.

During league play, MIller has allowed nine earned runs during 37.2 innings pitched (1.67 ERA -- best in BIG EAST) and recorded 51 strikeouts to only nine walks.

Scouting Nebraska-Omaha (15-28)
The Mavericks enter the week after falling during two of three games at Western Illinois during Summit League action last week.

Kelly Pattison paces UNO in many offensive categories. She leads the team in batting average (.414), on-base percentage (.448), slugging percentage (.646), hits (41), home runs (6) and RBIs (28).

The team is hitting .228 as only two regular starters hold an average above .280.

Jessica Nelson leads the Mavericks with 25 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Nebraska-Omaha has stolen 42 bases as a team, which is the best mark in the Summit League.

In the circle, Sydney Hampton holds a team-best 3.60 ERA during 107.0 innings pitched as UNO claims a 4.84 team-ERA.

Head coach DJ Sanchez is in her second year at the helm of the Mavericks.

Series History Against Mavericks
Creighton leads the all-time series against UNO 27-8.

The Bluejays and Mavericks have not met during the regular season since 1995 when Creighton earned a pair of one-run victories.

Scouting Georgetown (13-33, 4-10 BIG EAST)
After winning three of four to start the month of April, including two at DePaul, the Hoyas have dropped seven of their last nine games, including losses in their last five BIG EAST games.

Theresa Kane leads Georgetown in batting average (.344), hits (53) and runs scored (28), while Noelle Holiday is hitting .308 and paces the squad in slugging (.523) and on-base percentage (.399).

The Hoyas rank fifth in the league in hitting with a .265 team-average.

Sarah Bennett owns a team-best seven homers and 27 RBIs.

Mallory Belknap paces the team during league play with 12 RBIs during 14 games.

Anna Brooks Pacha ranks first in the BIG EAST with 135 strikeouts during 138.1 innings pitches and owns a 5.08 ERA. The pitching staff is last in the league with a 5.08 ERA.

Pacha owns 61 strikeouts in 56 innings of work during BIG EAST play.

Series History Against Hoyas
Creighton leads the all-time series against Georgetown 6-4.

The Bluejays defeated the Hoyas two out of three games last year in Washington, D.C.

The series between the two teams in Omaha is tied as Creighton claimed a three-game sweep in 2016, while Georgetown earned a three-game sweep against the Bluejays in 2014.

Bluejays Extend Winning Streak To Six
Creighton finished last week 5-0 and extended its winning streak to a season-long six games. The Bluejays are also 9-1 during the month of April, with their only blemish coming on April 8 at Butler (2-0).

During the winning streak, Creighton is hitting .369 and averaging 7.17 runs per game.

Sam Crowley and Ashley Cantu each have 10 hits during the six games, while Kelli Finan holds a .619 on-base percentage with eight hits and five walks, and Mileah McKelvy has two home runs and 12 RBIs.

The Bluejays are hitting .343 and averaging 6.6 runs per game during the month of April, led by Cantu who is 17-for-38 (.447) with 14 runs scored.

Freshman pitcher Kiele Miller also has 57 strikeouts in 36.2 innings pitched during the month of April.

Creighton Surges To Top of Standings
The Bluejays used a three-game sweep of Seton Hall to surge from third place to the top of the BIG EAST standings.

Creighton is 7-2 and holds a better winning percentage (.778) than second-place DePaul (.750).

Villanova, Butler and St. John's are all tied for third place at 7-5 (.583).

The top four teams in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings, based on winning percentage, will qualify for the conference tournament which will take place in Rosemont, Illinois May 11-12.

Vigness Nearing Win No. 900
Head coach Brent Vigness picked up his 899th career victory with the Bluejays' 5-3 come-from-behind win on Sunday.

Vigness owns an 899-628-4 record during 30 years of head coaching.

He claims a 751-545-3 mark in 25 seasons at Creighton.

The Central College (Pella, Iowa) graduate started his head coaching career at Division II Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts and led the Lady Hounds to a 148-71-1 record during five seasons (1989-1993).

Vigness opened his coaching tenure at Creighton in 1994 and is the winningest head coach in Creighton athletics history with 751 victories during 25 seasons.

Jays End Regular-Season With 7 In Omaha
Creighton concludes the regular-season with seven games in Omaha at the Creighton Sports Complex.

The Bluejays enter the week 8-4 at home this season.

Since Creighton joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2014 season, the Jays' season-high for home victories is nine (9-6 in 2014). The program record for wins in a single-season at home is 24 (24-4 in 1989).

Crowley Named BIG EAST Player of the Week
Senior Sam Crowley claimed BIG EAST Player of the Week recognition, the conference announced on Monday afternoon.

Crowley started her week by driving in the tying and go-ahead runs with a two-RBI triple during the sixth inning of Creighton's 4-3 win against UMKC on Tuesday before completing the week 8-for-16 with seven RBIs and five runs scored during a total of five games.

The senior finished Creighton's three-game sweep of Seton Hall 7-for-10 with five RBIs and four runs scored.

She doubled home the second run to help the Bluejays build a 2-0 lead during a 2-1 victory in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

During the second game, Crowley went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and produced a sacrifice fly that drove in the 12th and final run of Creighton's 12-4 five-inning victory.

On Sunday, the Green Bay, Wisconsin native, drove in the tying run and scored the winning run while going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the Bluejays completed a 5-3 comeback win against the Pirates.

She also produced two sacrifice bunts during the weekend series, and leads the conference with 10 this season.

Crowley Having Breakout Senior Season
Senior Sam Crowley leads Creighton and ranks second the BIG EAST in batting average (.402) and slugging percentage (.619).

She is also second on the team in hits (39) and runs scored (23).

During BIG EAST play, Crowley leads the conference with a .593 batting average (16-for-27) and also paces the league with a .963 slugging percentage. She has scored 11 times and has 12 RBIs during Creighton's first nine league games.

Crowley entered this season with only 20 hits during 106 career at-bats (.189). This year through 32 games she has 39 hits during 97 at-bats and has nine extra-base hits after having only five in her first three seasons (all last year).

Miller Achieves 100 Strikeouts As Freshman
Freshman Kiele Miller enters the weekend with 120 strikeouts during 99.1 innings pitched.

She is one of only four pitchers in Creighton softball history to record more than 100
strikeouts during their freshman season, and ranks third in program history for strikeouts by a freshman.

Strikeouts   Pitcher   Year
212   Tara Oltman   2007
175   Becca Changstrom   2011
120   Kiele Miller   2018
116   Marcia Jacobsen   1981
98       Cassidy Nee   2006
98       Shelli Mellegaard   1999

She is averaging 8.5 strikeouts per seven innings pitched, which is the second-best mark in the BIG EAST.

During 37.2 innings of work during conference play (seven appearances, five starts), the freshman has 51 strikeouts to only nine walks, and leads the league with a 1.67 ERA (nine earned runs). She is also holding opponents to a .169 batting average in BIG EAST contests, which is the best mark in the conference.

Miller has also already amassed the 2017 Creighton high for strikeouts as Bryana Clark led the Bluejays with 95 during 145.0 innings of work last season.

Elite Offense
Creighton leads the BIG EAST in batting average (.317), on-base percentage (.408) and runs per game (5.76).

The team's on-base percentage ranks 14th in Division I (through games played on Tuesday), and its batting average is good enough for 14th in the country.

The Bluejays have recorded 10 or more hits in a game 17 different times this season. Creighton is 20-2 when out-hitting its opponent, and 1-10 when out-hit by its opponent (1-0 when hits are tied).

The Jays have drawn 112 walks (3.29 per game) and been hit by the pitch 30 times.

Additionally, Creighton has scored double-digit runs seven times and is 15-0 when scoring six or more runs. The Bluejays rank 28th nationally in scoring.

Cantu Continues To Lead-off For The Jays
Sophomore Ashley Cantu has hit in the lead-off position of the batting order for each of Creighton's 34 games.

Cantu finished last week's doubleheader against UMKC 5-for-8 with five runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs (April 17) before picking up four hits and scoring five times
during Creighton's weekend sweep of Seton Hall.

The sophomore leads the Bluejays in hits (44) and runs scored (35), and is second on the team with a .379 batting average. Additionally, Cantu has reached based because of an error nine different times and on a fielder's choice six times.

She has failed to record a hit only eight times this season and only had two games in which she has not reached base at least once.

Cantu is hitting .489 (23 hits) as the lead-off hitter of an inning.

Jays Keeping It Close
Creighton has played in 10 one-run this season and is 7-3 during those contests, including 3-0 during BIG EAST play.

The Bluejays played in 14 one-run games in 2017, and went 7-7.

Creighton also finished 4-1 during one-run BIG EAST contests.

The Bluejays owned two walk-off one-run victories last season.

Small-ball Bluejays
Creighton owns 36 sacrifice bunts (leads the BIG EAST) and seven sac flies through 34 games this season.

Sam Crowley leads the team and the BIG EAST with 10 sacrifice bunts while Victoria Alvarez has four and five different Bluejays each have three.

The Bluejays had a total of seven sacrifice flies and 44 sac bunts during 2017. Creighton led the BIG EAST in sacrifice bunts for the second consecutive season.

Softball Starts Seven-Game Home Stand To End Regular Season, Welcomes UNO and Georgetown

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Players Mentioned

Victoria Alvarez

Ashley Cantu

Bryana Clark

Sam Crowley

Kelli Finan

Mileah McKelvy

Kiele Miller

Hope Moreno