2009 MAC Tournament Information Center
AKRON, Ohio - Western Michigan finished the regular season with the second best
league record in the Mid-American Conference and will open the 2009 MAC
Tournament against (6) Ohio on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m., from
Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. Ball State and Kent State earned the
top two seeds, respectively, due to winning their respective divisions.
Every game of the 2009 MAC Tournament can be followed through Live Stats, which will be available through the MAC Tournament Information Center available at www.mac-sports.com. The MAC Tournament Info Center, which is linked above, also provides fans with information on directions to Firestone Stadium and purchasing tickets for the games. Bronco fans can also find the links to WMU's tournament games on the Broncos softball schedule page.
KEEPING IT GOING ? Western Michigan has won at least 20 games in a season for the eight-straight year under head coach Kathy Leitke. WMU has won 16 or more conference games and has captured at least second in the MAC West Division four times under Leitke.
DEAL BREAKER ? Lexi Jager waited for her last at bat of the regular season to break the WMU single-season (8) and career (13) home run record, hitting a three-run blast in the top of the eighth to help WMU defeat Kent State, 7-4, on the road.
DUAL THREAT ? Meredith Whitney leads the team in teh circle with 14 wins as a freshman but her bat has also made noise for Western Michigan in 2009. She tied the record for home runs in a game (2) with back-to-back blasts against Kent State on May 2 and then hit the season's only grand slam on May 3 to tie the game.
FAMILIAR FOE ? Western Michigan will open the 2009 MAC Tournament against Ohio, seeded sixth. This will mark the fourth time in as many seasons that the Bobcats have been either the first or last opponent for WMU in the MAC Tournament. The Broncos last opened the postseason against Ohio in 2006.
WATCH IT FLY ? Western Michigan has it 27 home runs as a team in 2009. Breaking it down, WMU has hit at least one home run in 19 games; hit two or more home runs in seven games and three home runs once this season. The Broncos' longest game-to-game home run streak was five games, hitting six home runs in a week's span (April 17-24). WMU closed out the regular season with five home runs in two games at Kent State.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES ? The Broncos are outscoring opponents by a mere five runs total this season but when breaking the runs down by inning it is a different story. WMU is outscoring the opposition, 39-21, in the third inning alone and holds an advantage in four of the seven innings played in regulation games. The Broncos hold a 4-1 scoring advantage in extra innings.
HOT STREAK ? Nine Broncos have had hit streaks of at least four games this season and five Broncos carry a hit streak of at least two games into the MAC Tournament. Lexi Jager holds this season's record at 10-straight games.
From a team standpoint, Western Michigan is coming into the MAC Tournament on a hot streak. The Broncos won seven of their last eight conference games, all on the road, to close out the regular season. WMU swept Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan for its first 4-0 MAC weekend since 2006 and took 3-of-4 against Buffalo (1-1) and Kent State (2-0).
AMONG GREAT COMPANY ? Three of the top home run hitters in program history are currently on the Bronco roster. Lexi Jager just broke the record (13) but seniors Brittney Reist (10) and Samantha Vargocko (9) currently sit in fourth and fifth, respectively, on the career list.
