Warm ups . . . 

The Washburn Lady Blues will continue MIAA play starting a 12-game road trip at Northeastern State on Friday in Tahlequah and Central Oklahoma the following day in Edmond. The Lady Blues are coming off a weekend split with Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State last weekend. 

Know the foes . . . 

• The RiverHawks are 16-16 overall and 8-4 in MIAA play and they have won their last six games sweeping Central Missouri, Southwest Baptist and Lincoln.

• The Lady Blues lead the all-time series with the RiverHawks 9-7.

• The two teams split a doubleheader last season in Topeka.

• Central Oklahoma is ranked No. 10 in the latest NFCA top 25 coaches poll.

• The Bronchos are 27-7 entering an April 10 date with Northeastern State. 

• UCO will also host Emporia State on April 12 doubleheader.

• The all-time series with Central Oklahoma is tied 13-13.

• The Bronchos have won the last three in the series.

Blue Notes . . . 

• #3 Kristen Bell -- Her three assists against Missouri Southern tied a career high.

• #4 Katie Schroeder -- Currently on a five-game hitting streak and has reached base in each of the last six games.

• #5 Marina Quimby -- Four at bats against Pittsburg State last weekend tied a career high.

• #6 Lauren Byrn -- Has made four starts appearing in five games this season scoring a run against Missouri Southern.

• #7 Amanda Kirkhart -- Her nine doubles leads the team and her 2 RBI against Pitt State tied a single game high.

• #8 Kayla Oldham -- Will miss the 2013 season with an injury.

• #9 Haylee Marsteller -- Hit her second career home run against Pitt State last weekend.

• #10 Deidra Jones -- Batting .543 in MIAA play scoring 15 runs collecting 19 hits with 12 RBI in conference action.

• #12 Tori Gloudeman -- Has made three starts collecting two hits.

• #13 Skyler Gentry -- Four at bats in single games against Pitt State and Missouri Southern were career highs.

• #15 Leah Garland -- Picked up an RBI with a bases loaded walk against the Gorillas last weekend.

• #16 Lauren Thimmesch -- Leads the team with seven home runs and has seven of Washburn's nine wins pitching.

• #22 Shelby Erickson -- Had two home runs against Pittsburg State driving in four runs in Washburn's second game with the Gorillas last weekend.

• #23 Alex Zordel -- Her 27 career home runs rank fifth all-time at Washburn and she needs four more RBI for 100 for her career.

Rewind - stats and notes from the week which was

• Washburn was 2-4 last week going 2-2 in MIAA play with the splits with Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State. The Lady Blues were swept at Rockhurst.

• Deidra Jones batted .412 with seven hits and 4 RBI scoring five runs.

• Amanda Kirkhart was 9 for 22 with a .409 batting average with nine hits and two RBI.

• Lauren Thimmesch batted .391 with nine hits and nine RBI with two home runs.

• Alex Zordel batted .368 with two home runs, 10 RBI, seven hits and seven runs scored.

• Washburn batted .310 compared to .335 for the opponents during the week.

• Of the 59 runs Washburn allowed, only 42 were earned as the Lady Blues committed 11 errors. 

• Lauren Thimmesch had a 3.41 ERA pitching 24.2 innings.

• The Lady Blues turned six double plays during the week.

Slap hits. . . 

• Katie Schroeder is the 11th toughest player in the NCAA Division II to strike out in the latest rankings …she is also 17th in the nation in being hit by pitches.

• Deidra Jones leads the Lady Blues with ten multi-hit games.

• Shelby Erickson, Alex Zordel and Haylee Marsteller have the only 4 RBI games this season for the Lady Blues and only Zordel and Erickson have doe it twice

• Deidra Jones is batting .429 (6 of 14) with runner in scoring position which leads the team.

• Washburn has been outscored 47 to 10 in the sixth inning of games this season.

• Washburn is 0-13 when scoring fewer than three runs in games this season.

• The Lady Blues have hit 21 of their 31 home runs this season in home games at the Washburn Softball Complex.

Lady Blues head coach Vanessa Becerra 

• was named the Washburn Lady Blues head softball coach on Aug. 3, 2011 after spending four seasons at Metro State in Denver, Colo., with the final season coming as the head coach. 

• is 28-45 in her second season on the bench at Washburn and overall Becerra has recorded a 62-64 mark in her third year as a head coach.

• in her lone season as the head coach at Metro State, Becerra led the Roadrunners the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship while advancing to the NCAA regional tournament for the third-straight season finishing with a 34-18 record. 

• has coached three Lady Blues to all-MIAA honors.

• has had 12 Lady Blues named to the MIAA's Academic Honor Roll.

Lady Blues softball history. . . 

• The Lady Blues are 1043-752-1 in their 44th year of softball. 

• The Lady Blues have made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008). 

• Washburn won the 2002 regular season MIAA title.

Up Next . . . 

Washburn will continue its road trip with a non-conference doubleheader at Northwestern Oklahoma on April 16 before taking on Missouri Western on April 19 and Northwest Missouri on April 20 leading up to an away twinbill at Southwest Baptist on April 23.