GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (12-10, 0-0) vs. Warner (6-8-1, 0-0)
DATE: Saturday, March 21, 2015
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: Daytona State College Softball Complex
FIRST PITCH: 1 p.m. EDT
LIVE STATS: ERAU Gameday Network

Embry-Riddle (12-10) vs. William Woods (9-10)
DATE: Sunday, March 22, 2015
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: Daytona State College Softball Complex
FIRST PITCH: 4 p.m. EDT
LIVE STATS: ERAU Gameday Network

ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE
Led by a five-hit effort from Anna Battison and a game two shutout from Raquelli Bianco, the Embry-Riddle softball team picked up two victories against Concordia (Mich.) on Wednesday. In addition to her five hits, Battison also stole four bases, including her 16th of the season, which established a new program single-season record.

ERAU is hitting .266 as a team with an on-base percentage of .363 and a slugging percentage of .368. The Eagles have hit six home runs and are a perfect 35-for-35 in the stolen base department. Embry-Riddle's pitchers have a 3.92 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 139.1 innings of work.

Anna Battison leads the team in batting average (.391), hits (25), on-base percentage (.487), runs scored (18) and stolen bases (17). Robi Zimmerman is batting .304 with three of ERAU's six home runs and has driven in a team-leading 17 runs. In the circle, Taylor Cowan has been effective in six relief appearances, tossing 17 innings with a 1-0 record and a 3.29 ERA, while Zimmerman is 5-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 11 starts and Raquelli Bianco is 6-5 with a 4.39 ERA in 11 starts.

ABOUT WARNER
The Royals are 6-8-1 on the season and have won four of their last six after sweeping a doubleheader from Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday. Saturday's games will be first Sun Conference contests for both the Eagles and the Royals.

As a team, Warner is hitting .273, slugging .357 and has an on-base percentage of .346. WU has one home run and is 15-for-17 in stolen bases. The Royals' pitching staff has a 3.76 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched.

Nicole Comstock leads the team with a .404 batting average and 12 RBIs, while Erika Shick is hitting .370 with the team's lone home run. Chelsie Valentine is 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 41.1 innings pitched while Shick is 0-4 with a 7.58 ERA in six starts.

ABOUT WILLIAM WOODS
The Owls hold a 9-10 record on the season and will be playing two games at home in Fulton, Missouri on Friday prior to making the trip to Daytona Beach. WWU was ranked No. 19 in the preseason coaches' poll but dropped out of the Top 25 in the first regular season poll released on March 17, though the Owls did receive nine votes in that poll.

As a team, William Woods is hitting .295, slugging .394 and has an on-base percentage of .365. WWU has hit five home runs and is 18-for-20 in stolen bases. The Owls' pitching staff has a 3.79 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 122 innings pitched.

Emily Murphy leads the team with a .431 batting average and has driven in 11 runs, while Sydnae Hatton and Hannah Campbell are each hitting .327. Caroline Sicht has hit two home runs and driven in 12 runs and Kacey Schamhorst is batting .298 with a team-leading 13 RBIs. Allison Waskow is 4-5 with a 3.22 ERA and a team-leading 52 strikeouts in 58.2 innings of work, while Bre Logan is 3-2 with a 3.99 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 45.2 innings.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
The 2015 edition of the Embry-Riddle softball team will look much different than the previous two seasons. ERAU has a new head coach in Kelsi Dunne, a new assistant coach in Monique White, and six of the 13 players are brand new this year. Besides the new faces, the Eagles will be playing all of their home games at Daytona State College while the new baseball/softball facilities are completed.

CANADIAN THIEF
Sophomore catcher Anna Battison, a native of Tsawwassen, B.C., has made the most of her move to the leadoff spot this season. After going 5-for-10 on the basepaths in 2014, Battison has been impossible to throw out this season, with 17 steals in 17 attempts. Her 17 steals are the ninth-most by a player in the NAIA this season. On March 18, Battison surpassed Sarah Huey's record of 15 steals to become the single-season record-holder in the stolen base department.

Battison's 17 stolen bases are a major of part of ERAU's 35 steals as a team, which ranks 26th in the NAIA. The Blue and Gold also have the most stolen bases in the nation among teams that have not been caught stealing this year.

RECORD-SETTING ROBI
Robi Zimmerman is putting her name at the top of a number of the program's all-time leader lists. As a three-year starter at first base and pitcher, Zimmerman is among the top 10 in the following categories:

Games
Games played - 102 (1st)
Games started - 98 (1st)

Hitting
Runs batted in - 65 (1st)
Walks - 32 (1st)
At-bats - 285 (1st)
Home runs - 9 (T-1st)
Doubles - 21 (2nd)
Sacrifice flies - 4 (T-2nd)
Hits - 85 (3rd)
Total bases - 133 (3rd)
Slugging percentage - .467 (3rd)
On-base percentage - .368 (6th)
Batting average - .298 (7th)
Runs scored - 28 (T-6th)
Hit by pitch - 2 (T-8th)
Sacrifice bunts - 8 (9th)

Pitching
Saves - 3 (1st)
Appearances - 64 (1st)
Starts - 53 (1st)
Complete games - 30 (1st)
Innings pitched - 301.0 (1st)
Strikeouts - 158 (2nd)
ERA - 4.12 (2nd)
Oppenents batting average - .314 (2nd)
Walks/7 inn. - 2.65 (2nd)
Strikeouts/7 inn. - 3.67 (2nd)
Wins - 20 (2nd)
Shutouts - 1 (3rd)

Fielding
Assists - 106 (3rd)
Fielding percentage - .964 (4th)
Putouts - 136 (5th)

SOLID AS A ROCK
Talia Barraco, the team's lone senior, was one of the most reliable players on the team in her first season at Embry-Riddle in 2014, earning her the nickname "Rock." This season, Barraco is hitting .255 and leads the team with six doubles to go along with 14 RBIs and 13 runs scored.

DUAL THREATS
Robi Zimmerman has contributed at the plate and in the circle in each of her two seasons at Embry-Riddle. This season, Zimmerman is hitting .304 with three home runs and 17 RBIs, while also holding a 3.63 ERA and leading the staff with 44 strikeouts.

The Blue and Gold have another dual-threat athlete this year in Raquelli Bianco who will split time between the pitching circle and first base. This year, Bianco has registered 14 hits, including four doubles, three triples, and a home run, and has 14 RBIs, while holding a 6-5 record with a 4.39 ERA and three shutouts.

Taylor Cowan has developed into a third dual threat for ERAU, leading the team in ERA (3.29) and batting average against (.238) in 17 innings of relief work while collecting 10 hits and six RBIs at the plate.

DEFENDING THE NEST
The Eagles have been tough to beat at home in the program's first two years of existence, compiling a 9-3 mark in 2013 and a 13-8 record in 2014. The Blue and Gold have continued that winning tradition in 2015 at the Daytona State College Softball Complex, Embry-Riddle softball's temporary home field. The Blue and Gold are 10-6 at the DSC field and 1-1 at the Port Orange City Center Sports Complex, making ERAU's overall program record at home 33-18, good for a .647 winning percentage.

EAGLES FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
After winning The Sun Conference regular season championship in 2014, the Eagles have been picked to finish fourth in the league in 2015 in a preseason poll voted on by all nine TSC softball coaches. Prior to winning the regular season title last season, the Blue and Gold were picked to finish third in the preseason poll.