Bats Come Alive ? The Western Michigan offense scored double-digit runs in a regular season game for the first time since defeating Toledo, 10-6, May 1, 2005 when the Broncos took out Oakland, 11-1, in five innings on March 28. It was the most runs scored in a win since WMU was victorious over Texas Southern, 16-3, on March 5, 2005. The Broncos exploded for their 11 runs on nine hits in just two innings. Western Michigan's highest run total prior to Tuesday was seven in a shut out of Loyola-Chicago on March 21.
Starting Things Off Right ? WMU began the week with a sweep of the Oakland Grizzlies, 1-0 in eight innings, and 11-1 in five innings. These two wins improved the Broncos record to 12-7, keeping them atop the MAC West standings, two game clear of Northern Illinois (10-9).
How We Compare ? This is the time of the year when the statistical races begin to take shape and the Bronocs are at or near the top of many categories. Kristi Strange (.379) and Lauren Fuller (.366) rank fifth and sixth, respectively in the MAC in batting average. Strange leads the conference with 11 doubles and ranks fourth with a .458 on-base percentage. Krysten Shumaker is currently third in the conference with a 1.20 ERA. Shumaker is holding the opposition to a .142 batting average to lead the MAC. Kyla Sullivan leads the conference in hits allowed (13) and ranks second in runs allowed (seven).
Just Plain Stingy ? Shumaker continued her streak of not allowing an earned run with eight scoreless innings of work against Oakland. She scattered just three hits in her sixth win and seventh complete game of the season, fanning 13 batters. To date, her streak stands at 22.0 innings of work without allowing an earned run to cross the plate.
Behind the Numbers ? The Broncos are 10-2 when holding the opposition to two runs or less this season. Their record is above .500 when leading after any inning, including a 2-1 mark when finishing the first with the edge in the scoring column. When an opponent has made two or more errors, WMU is 8-1 but the Broncos are 2-3 when they have made two or more. The Brown & Gold has outscored the opposition, 62-44, in 19 games. WMU does its most scoring in the third, fifth and sixth innings, tallying 13, 12 and 13 runs, respectively. Opponents have been held scoreless in the seventh inning but have scored 14 sixth inning runs against Western Michigan.
MAC Opener ? Western Michigan opens the MAC schedule with a doubleheader at Eastern Michigan on March 31. The Broncos hold a 51-38 all-time series edge over the Eagles but dropped two out of three to EMU at Varsity Field a season ago. Central Michigan is WMU's second conference opponent of the season as the Broncos travel to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., for two games on April 1-2. Western Michigan trails in the all-time series, 32-55, but did earn a split with the Chippewas at Fran Ebert Field on April 25, 2005.
Rematch With the Champs ? The Broncos went to the Sunshine State Tournament in Tallahassee, Fla. and defeated defending NCAA national champion Michigan, 2-1. That win avenged a pair of shutout losses to the Wolverines, currently ranked No. 13, a year ago. It brings more attention to their arrival to Fran Ebert Field for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. on April 4.
