Conference Slate Hits Mid-Point ? The second half of the Mid-American Conference softball schedule begins this Friday and WMU will host Buffalo (11-32, 2-8 MAC) in a doubleheader on April 21 at Fran Ebert Field. The Broncos follow up their twin bill with the Bulls with a two-game set against Kent State (19-19, 7-4 MAC).
Third Time's a Charm ? Sophomore right-hander Krysten Shumaker earned her third-straight MAC West Pitcher of the Week award this past Monday after throwing her second no-hitter of the season. Shumaker was untouchable in her only action last week, earning her 11th win of the season as WMU defeated Northern Illinois, 4-0, on April 15. Shumaker struck out 10 batters, giving her 134 on the season. It was the fifth time this year she has fanned double-digit batters in a start. She is 11-3, ranking second in the conference in wins. Shumaker has made 15 starts and has completed 12 games. Her league-leading ERA, which ranks 22nd in the nation last week, dropped to 1.08. She also ranks 20th in the country in saves with three.
Cleaning Up ? Junior second baseman Amanda Heckaman earned her first MAC West Player of the Week honor after breaking a 26 year-old record against Northern Illinois. Heckaman hit .667 (4-for-6), recorded nine RBI and had two home runs. She has left Fran Ebert Field in three out of the last four games and leads the team with five round-trippers. She also scored three runs this week, had 11 total bases, a .714 on-base percentage and a ridiculous 1.833 slugging percentage. In her final game of the week, she set a WMU single-game record, previously held by Beth Belleville with six against Oakland in 1980, with seven RBI, hitting a single, double and home run. She also scored another run, making her responsible for every tally in the Broncos' 8-2 win over Northern Illinois on April 16.
Bulls On Parade ? Western Michigan opens its weekend with a double header against the University at Buffalo on April 21. The two teams have met only 12 times with the Broncos holding a 7-5 advantage. The Brown & Gold's only meeting with Buffalo last season came in the 2005 MAC Tournament. WMU opened the championship on May 11 with a 4-0 victory over the Bulls. Buffalo most recently split with Canisius on April 18, taking the opener 3-2 but falling in the night cap, 1-0. UB's last conference win came against Toledo on April 2, 7-4.
Golden Child ? Kent State is no stranger to strong pitching this season. Junior hurler Brittney Robinson ranks 20th in the country in strike outs with 262 and 27th in all the land in ERA at 1.17. Robinson also has a pair of no-hitters this season and her team is currently on a five-game winning streak after sweeping Youngstown State on April 18, 6-3 and 12-6. The Golden Flashes hold a 30-2 edge in the all-time series with Western Michigan. The two teams split the season series in 2005 with WMU taking the opener, 6-5, and Kent State coming through in a pitchers duel, 1-0 in the second game of the doubleheader.
Diamond Notes ? Heckaman is currently on a seven-game hitting streak, her longest of the season and the second-longest on the team. Lauren Fuller had a 12-game hitting streak earlier in the year. Heckaman also leads the team in multi-hit games with 10 and multi-RBI games with eight. Only she and Connie Kolokithas have driven in five runs or more during a game. Western Michigan is outscoring the opposition, 126-86, and a big reason for the separation is what the Broncos do in the third inning. The Brown & Gold are outscoring opponents, 26-4, in the third frame.
