Softball Squares Off Against Crosstown Foe Omaha On Tuesday

Game #39: Omaha Mavericks (18-13, 4-4 Summit League) at Creighton Bluejays (16-22, 3-9 BIG EAST)
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 • 5 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • Creighton Sports Complex
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | CU NOTES

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Creighton (16-22, 3-9 BIG EAST) steps away from BIG EAST play for a midweek contest against crosstown foe Omaha (18-13, 4-4 Summit League) on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Creighton Sports Complex.

Follow The Games

Tuesday's contest with Omaha will feature both live video and live stats.

Live video will be provided through FloSports with Jon Schriner and Jake Ryan on the call, while live stats will be provided via StatBroadcast.

Links to the video and live stats can be found on the Creighton Softball schedule page on GoCreighton.com.

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

Bluejays not Blue Jays

Creighton's mascot is the Bluejays or Bluejay, one word. Conversely the MLB Toronto team is the Blue Jays.

Scouting Creighton (16-22, 3-9 BE)

Creighton enters Tuesday's match with Omaha with a 16-22 overall record and a 3-9 mark in league play after taking two of the three games against DePaul last weekend.

The Bluejays continue to be one of the top offensive teams in the BIG EAST, ranking second with a .290 batting average. The Bluejays, however, lead the way in hits (290), home runs (30) and slugging percentage (.438), while ranking second in runs scored (174), doubles (54) and RBI (165).

Junior leadoff hitter Cayla Nielsen lead four Bluejays with a batting average over .300 with a BIG EAST-best .394 average. She ranks tied for third in the BIG EAST with 41 hits, while her 28 runs scored ranks third in the league.

Freshman Lily West has continued her hot hitting ranking second on the team with a .347 batting average. The Choctaw, Okla. native leads the BIG EAST with 43 base knocks and eight sacrifice hits, including six sac bunts.

Senior Saren Croker and junior Madeline Vejvoda have also provided a significant help at the plate with .354 and .304 batting averages respectfully, while senior Kailey Wilson holds a batting average of .283 and leads the team with 10 doubles and 28 RBI, while ranking second with eight home runs. Junior Alyssa Gappa paces the team with a .654 slugging percentage with a team-high nine home runs and 10 doubles.

In the circle, Creighton owns a 3.57 ERA, while ranking fourth in strikeouts with 187 in 239.1 innings of work.

Freshman Natalia Puchino (9-10) and junior Payton Akers (5-5) have been the driving force in the circle for the Bluejays this season. Puchino paces the pitching staff with a 3.15 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 104.1 innings of work, while Akers follows closely behind with a 3.30 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched.

The Bluejays return 12 letterwinners from last year's squad, while 10 newcomers enter the program with first year head coach Krista Wood.

Scouting Omaha (10-13, 2-1 BE)

Omaha heads into Tuesday's tilt sporting a 18-13 overall record after dropping being swept by South Dakota State last weekend in Brookings.

2022 First Team All-Summit League pitcher Kamryn Meyer paces the Omaha pitching staff with 168 strikeouts in 117 innings of work, while owning a 1.54 ERA.

Junior Sydney Nuismer has also provided 80.1 innings of support, while recording a 4.37 ERA with 56 strikeouts. As a staff, Omaha owns a 2.66 ERA with 233 strikeouts in 216.1 innings of work.

Senior Lynsey Tucker leads the team with 34 hits and owns a .347 batting average, while slugger Rachel Weber is hitting .300, the only other Maverick hitting over .300, with a team best nine doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI.

Omaha, as a team, is hitting .237 this season with 191 hits, 52 doubles and 119 runs scored for a 3.84 runs per game average.

Omaha was picked to finish second in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll as head coach Mike Heard is in his second season with the Mavericks.

Series History Against Mavericks

Creighton leads the all-time series against Omaha, 29-12.

The Mavericks secured a 2-1 win over the Bluejays in the first meeting this season on March 22. Omaha has won the last three meetings, after capturing a 9-3 win at the Creighton Sports Complex last season. The Bluejays are 19-6 all-time in home games against the Mavericks, including wins in 10 of the last 12 match ups at the Creighton Sports Complex.

Krista Wood's Success Against The Mavericks

Head coach Krista Wood is 23-11 all-time against Omaha as a head coach.

Wood's complied a 19-8 record against the Mavericks while at SDSU, which including wins in 13 of her last 15 meetings. She also recorded a 4-10 record against Omaha while serving as the head coach at Wayne State College.

Wood's Returns To Alma Mater

One of the greatest pitchers in Omaha softball history, makes her return to field on Wednesday when head coach Krista Wood takes the Bluejays across town to battle her alma mater Omaha.

Wood's, a 2003 graduate of Omaha, helped the Mavericks to the NCAA Division II national championship in 2001 as a sophomore and still holds Maverick career records in wins (106), appearances (147), games started (124), complete games (110) and innings pitched (858.1).

She also owns or shares single-season school records in win (32 in 2002), ERA (0.76 in 2001), saves (5 in 2003) and shutouts (15 in 2022) and was recently inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 2020.

Home-Grown Talent

A combined 18 players on Wednesday's rosters hail from the state of Nebraska. Creighton has eight players from Nebraska, while Omaha has 10. Of the 18, nine are from the Omaha metro area.

Bluejays Seek Programs 1,400 Win

Creighton enters Tuesday's matchup with Omaha one wins shy of 1,400 wins in program history.

The Bluejays currently hold a 1,399-957-3 all-time record and have outscored the opposition 9,470 - 6,950 in 2,359 all-time games in program history.

Below is a list of every game Creighton surpassed any 100 win milestone.

Win # Date Opp. Score

100 3/11/81 vs. Wyoming 3-1

200 4/13/83 Drake 10-0

300 4/11/86 vs. Georgia State 5-3

400 3/19/89 vs. Utah State 4-3

500 4/18/91 Southern Utah 5-1

600 3/15/95 Omaha 4-3

700 5/2/98 Evansville 8-2

800 2/23/02 vs. Oakland 1-0

900 2/25/05 vs. #18 Oregon 4-1

1,000 5/11/07 vs. Wichita State 3-1

1,100 4/15/10 Kansas 8-0

1,200 2/7/14 vs. Western Michigan 9-0

1,300 2/25/18 vs. Grambling State 11-0

Nielsen Earns Spot On BIG EAST Honor Roll

Junior Cayla Nielsen led Creighton this week, batting .500 (6-for-12) with six runs batted in, four runs scored, and a home run. The Blair, Nebraska native was essential to the Bluejays' 3-2 series-opening come-from-behind victory over BIG EAST rival DePaul, contributing to all three Bluejay runs.

She followed that performance by driving in three runs on a pair of singles. She also stole two bases while scoring a pair of runs in Creighton's 14-3 run-rule victory over the Blue Demons in game two on Friday, before closing out the three-game series with another two hits, including a solo home run in Saturday's finale. To date, Nielsen leads all BIG EAST batters with a .398 average.

Nielsen's On-Base Streak Reaches 17-Games

Junior Cayla Nielsen has reached base safely in 17 straight games dating back to March 8, which is Creighton's longest streak this season and the longest since Kailey Wilson reached base safely in 19 consecutive contest last season.

Player # of Games on Base (Year)

Amy Baker 37 (2013)

Alexis Cantu 28 (2012)

Ashley Cantu 21 (2019)

Anna O'Gorman 20 (2017)

Kelsey Allender 20 (2015)

Kailey Wilson 19 (2022)

Cayla Nielsen 17 (2023)

During Nielsen's 17-game on-base streak, she is hitting .442 (23-of-52) with three doubles, four home runs, nine walks, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored.

The Nebraska native has played in 37 games this season and has logged a BIG EAST best .398 batting average (41-of-103) with nine doubles and four home runs from the leadoff spot.

Creighton Puts Up Seven Runs in First

The Bluejays scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning during the series finale against Butler on April 2. The seven run first was the most runs scored in an inning by a Creighton team since thee Bluejays scored 10 runs in the first inning against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 28, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill.

It was the sixth time this season that the Bluejays had scored five or more runs in an inning. It was also the fourth time this season that Creighton has scored five or more runs in the first inning of a game.

Bluejays Snap Losing Skid

Creighton snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 9-1 run-rule victory over Butler on April 2.

The Bluejays blasted three home runs, including two in the first innings, as the Bluejays opened the game with a seven run first.

The 10-game losing streak was tied for the second longest losing streak in Creighton history and the longest since the Bluejays dropped 14 straight contests last season.

Wilson's Among The BIG EAST Best

Not only is graduate student Kailey Wilson one of the most dynamic hitters in Creighton softball history, but she is also one of the greatest hitters in BIG EAST history.

Entering this week, Wilson ranks sixth all-time in BIG EAST history with a .429 career batting average in BIG EAST games.

Over the course of 67 career games, Wilson owns 82 hits (82-of-191), including 17 doubles, 17 home runs, 32 walks and 49 RBI.

BATTING?AVERAGE (minimum 50 at-bats)

No. Avg. Name Years

1. .518 Meghan Murray, ND 1996-97

2. .443 Amber Patton, DPU 2007-09

3. .440 Shari Blackman, UConn 1992-94

4. .437 Lacy Wood, UL 2006

5. .435 Juliette Brooks, RU 1996-99

6. .429 Kailey Wilson, CU 2019-Pr.

7. .427 Stephanie Brown, ND 2004-07

8. .427 Katie Marten, ND 1996-97

9. .420 Ricci Lugo, VU 2003-04

10. .418 Melissa Roth, VU 2009-10

The Bluejays are Always On Base

This season four different Bluejays have posted on-base streaks of 11 consecutive games or more. Junior Cayla Nielsen leads the way having reached base safely in 33 of the Bluejays 38 games this season. She has currently reached base in career long 17 straight contests. Earlier this season Nielsen had a 13-game on-base streak from Feb. 12 - March 4.

Additionally, Nielsen had recorded at least one hit in 10 consecutive games before going hitless against Drake. During Nielsen's 10-game hit streak, she racked up a .516 (16-of-31) batting average with two doubles, three home runs and nine runs batted in.

Her 10-game hit streak was also a career-long hit streak, surpassing a nine-game hit streak she had from Feb. 18 to March 4th earlier this season.

Senior Kailey Wilson is had a 13-game on-base streak snapped during the first game of the Bluejays series against DePaul while junior Madeline Vejvoda had an on-base streak snapped in March after reaching safely in 11 straight contests. Classmate Alyssa Gappa also had her 13-game on-base streak snapped during the series against Butler.

Freshman Phenom Delivering

Freshman Lily West has been dominant at the plate during her first season as a Bluejay. The Choctaw, Okla. native leads Creighton with 43 hits and holds the third-best batting average on the team at .347.

West has produced 13 multi-hit games this season, becoming the eighth freshman since 2003 to record at least 10 multi-hit games in a season. Allie Mathewson recorded 18 multi-hit games during her freshman season in 2012, the most in the past 20 seasons by a freshman.

Below is a list of Freshman with at least 10 multi-hit games in a season.

Name Year Multi-Hit Games

Allie Mathewson 2012 18

Ellen Homan 2011 15

Lily West 2023 13

Kiara Mills 2019 13

Sam Dellinger 2017 13

Ashley Cantu 2017 13

Amy Baker 2010 12

Dawson Bailey 2006 11

Walk This Way

With a BIG EAST-best 21 walks this season, senior Kailey Wilson etched her name on Creighton's all-time top-10 list for career walks.

Wilson recorded a pair of walks in the series opener against Butler on March 31, moving into the top-5 all-time with 83 career walks.

Kailey led the 2022 squad with 24 walks, while a total of four other players earned double-digit walks a season ago.

WALKS

No. Name BB Years

1. Michelle Graner 111 2007-10

2. Alexis Cantu 110 2012-14

3. Amy Baker 104 2010-13

4. Abby Johnson 85 2002-05

5. Kailey Wilson 83 2019-pr.

6. Renae Sinkler 81 2007-10

7. Jen Daro 80 2014-17

8. Jody Schwartz 78 1985-88

9. Ashley Cantu 70 2017-21

10. Karla Hughes 69 1979-82

On The Double

With 10 doubles this season, senior Kailey Wilson has entered the top-10 for career doubles. The Aurora, Colorado native ranked tied for 10th with 33 career doubles and is just three doubles away from entering the top-5 all-time.

In the opening weekend of the season, Wilson hit .500 on six hits, including four doubles, a home run and five RBI.

Her four doubles were the most by a Bluejay in the opening weekend of a season since Amy Baker hits four doubles in a four-game series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff to open the 2012 season.

The four doubles also ranked tied for third nationally, behind Clemson's Valerie Cagle's five doubles and Wichita State's Lauren Lucas' six doubles during opening weekend.

DOUBLES

No. Name 2B Years

1. Christy Lunceford 51 1994-97

2. Frenchy Nix 47 1998-01

3. Stacey Rybar 43 2001-04 4. Kelly Brookhart 40 1988-91

5. Abby Johnson 36 2002-05

Jody Schwartz 36 1985-88

7. Bailey Dawson 35 2006-09

8. Erin Fraser 34 1995-98 Dede Pendleton 34 1991-95

10. Kailey Wilson 33 2019-pr.

Wendy Moon 33 1991-94

Wilson's Rewriting Record Book

Senior Kailey Wilson entered her fifth year with the Bluejays as one of the most dominant hitters in school history.

Wilson currently ranks fifth in Bluejay history with a .349 career batting average, while ranking sixth in home runs with 34, tied for fifth in walks with 83, seventh in RBI with 114 and tied for 10th with 33 career doubles.

BATTING?AVERAGE (minimum 250 at-bats)

No. Avg. Name H-AB Years

1. .404 Anne Timmermann 116-287 1977-79

2. .382 Ashley Cantu 218-570 2017-21

3. .379 Christy Lunceford 245-646 1994-97

4. .358 Heidi Geier 243-678 1996-99

5. .349 Kailey Wilson 151-433 2019-pr.

6. .336 Renae Sinkler 201-599 2007-10

7. .331 Kiara Mills 123-372 2019-22

8. .328 Melanie Dorsey 198-604 2002-05

9. .326 Christine Fukumoto 110-337 2004-05

10. .325 Mary Yori 176-542 1980-82

HOME?RUNS

No. Name HR Years

1. Amy Baker 58 2010-13

2. Renae Sinkler 50 2007-10

3. Liz Dike 39 2012-15

4. Lauren Cisneros 37 2003-06

Stacey Rybar 37 2001-04

6. Kailey Wilson 34 2019-pr.

7. Alexis Cantu 33 2012-14

8. Bailey?Dawson 30 2006-09

Abby Johnson 30 2002-05

10. Michelle Graner 27 2007-10

TJ?Eadus 27 2007-08

RUNS?BATTED?IN

No. Name RBI Years

1. Amy Baker 167 2010-13

2. Renae Sinkler 146 2007-10

3. Abby Johnson 144 2002-05

4. Bailey?Dawson 121 2006-09

Stacey Rybar 121 2001-04

6. Liz Dike 119 2012-15

7. Kailey Wilson 114 2019-pr.

8. Jody Schwartz 113 1985-88

9. Christy Lunceford 110 1994-97

10. Lauren Cisneros 107 2003-06

Softball Squares Off Against Crosstown Foe Omaha On Tuesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Payton Akers

Ashley Cantu

Saren Croker

Alyssa Gappa

Kiara Mills

Cayla Nielsen

Natalia Puchino

Madeline Vejvoda

Lily West

Kailey Wilson

Softball Squares Off Against Crosstown Foe Omaha On Tuesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Payton Akers

Ashley Cantu

Saren Croker

Alyssa Gappa

Kiara Mills

Cayla Nielsen

Natalia Puchino

Madeline Vejvoda

Lily West

Kailey Wilson

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