CEDARVILLE — Cedarville University is ranked No. 19 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II national poll.
It’s the highest rating ever for the Yellow Jackets (12-2). The team’s previous high came on March 12, 2014 when the Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 24 in the NFCA Division II poll.
Cedarville returned from its Spring Break trip in Florida with a five-game winning streak and 10 victories in the last 11 outings.
Through the team’s first 14 games, Danae Fields leads the Jackets with a .409 batting average (18-for-44 with a team-high 13 walks). Sarah Parsons leads the team in home runs (two), triples (two) and runs batted in (17) and is tied with Kara Eiginger for the team lead in doubles (two). Parsons has a .375 batting average thus far (18-for-48).
Pitcher Morgan Arbogast has started half of Cedarville’s games so far. She has a 5-2 record with a 2.17 earned-run average through 42 innings pitched. Arbogast also leads the team in strikeouts with 26. Kacey Smith sports a 1.25 ERA in a team-high eight appearances with two starts. She leads the team in saves with two, and has recorded 20 strikeouts.
The team is coached by Wes Rowe, with assistant coach Kelsey Chapman.
Eight of the players on Cedarville’s 16-player roster hail from Ohio. Freshman outfielder Sami Buettell joins the team this season after a stellar career at nearby Cedarville High.
The Jackets are scheduled to play three doubleheaders this week beginning March 13 against Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) at 5:30 p.m. The twinbill will take place at Wright State University since upgrades to Cedarville University’s home field have yet to be completed.
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference schedule opens with a 3 p.m., 5 p.m. doubleheader Friday March 15 with a trip to Vienna, West Virginia to take on Ohio Valley. NFCA Division II No. 10-ranked Grand Valley State (Mich.) visits at noon and 2 p.m. Saturday March 16, also at the Wright State University Softball Field.
After a scheduled Tuesday March 19 doubleheader in Columbus against Ohio Dominican, the planned opening of Cedarville’s refurbished Lady Jacket Field will take place with noon and 2 p.m. games against G-MAC foe University of Findlay on Saturday March 23.
