Friday, May 5
DeKalb, IL
3:00 p.m.
University of Toledo
at
Northern Illinois
Toledo Fights for MAC Tournament Bid in Regular Season Finale
5/4/2017 11:36:00 AM | Softball
TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo softball will close out its regular season at Northern Illinois this weekend, and is still hoping for a bid to the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The west division squads will play a single game on Friday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m. CST. They will then return to Mary M. Bell Field on Saturday, May 6 for a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. CST.
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    All three games will be streamed live on Northern Illinois' All Access, and links for live statistics and play-by-play can be found on the Toledo softball schedule page.
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Race to the Tourney
    Toledo is tied with Bowling Green for eighth place in the MAC, and this weekend's conference action will determine the eight-team bracket for the 2017 MAC Softball Tournament. If the Rockets qualify, tournament play begins Wednesday, May 10 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
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Toledo Rockets
    Toledo enters its final regular-season series with a 23-32 overall record and 10-11 mark in league action. Pacing the Rockets' offense is senior second baseman Chandler Rice who is the only athlete to rank in the Top-5 in 14 offensive statistical categories in the combined MAC rankings. Rice holds a .388 batting average with a league-best 71 hits through UT's 55 games. She has tallied a MAC-best 127 total bases for a .694 slugging percentage. She sits second in the conference with 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 45 runs scored and 19 stolen bases.
    Junior outfielder Ashley Rausch trails Rice with a .304 batting average, 48 hits, 31 runs scored and 17 swiped bags. Rausch is tied with sophomore third baseman Katie Cozy with 11 doubles. Cozy sits second on the team with six home runs, 26 RBI and a .519 slugging percentage.
    Sophomore Heather Webb (9-11) paces the pitching staff with a 3.52 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched. She has recorded three shutouts in eight complete games this season. Sophomore Kailey Minarchick (10-11) has compiled a 5.15 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 118.1 total innings.  Minarchick has thrown for four complete games and sits second in the MAC with four saves.
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Northern Illinois Huskies
    Northern Illinois is tied for third in the conference with an overall record of 27-18 (13-8 MAC), and is currently riding a seven-game win streak. NIU is coming off a non-conference doubleheader sweep over Valparaiso (7-4, 5-2), a series sweep over Eastern Michigan (13-5, 8-3, 5-2), and a midweek victory over Big Ten member Wisconsin (6-4). Pacing the Huskies' offense is senior first baseman Kayti Grable who is hitting .382 with 52 hits, eight homers and 37 RBI. Junior Tara Thacker (8-9) holds a team-best 2.64 ERA and 81 strikeouts through 116.1 innings. Â
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Toledo vs. Northern Illinois
    NIU leads the all-time series with Toledo, 35-24. Last season, the Rockets completed a series sweep over the Huskies, and all three games were determined by one run. UT downed Northern Illinois 2-1 in eight innings, 7-6 in 10 innings, and 8-7.
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    All three games will be streamed live on Northern Illinois' All Access, and links for live statistics and play-by-play can be found on the Toledo softball schedule page.
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Race to the Tourney
    Toledo is tied with Bowling Green for eighth place in the MAC, and this weekend's conference action will determine the eight-team bracket for the 2017 MAC Softball Tournament. If the Rockets qualify, tournament play begins Wednesday, May 10 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
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| MAC Standings | W-L (Pct.) | Weekend Opponent |
| 1. CMU (34-13) | 16-5 (.762) | at EMU |
| 2. Ohio (33-14) | 14-7 (.667) | at Buffalo |
| 3. Ball State (29-24) | 13-8 (.619) | at WMU |
| Â Â NIU (27-18) | 13-8 (.619) | vs. Toledo |
| 5. Miami (27-21) | 12-9 (.571) | vs. Akron |
| Â Â Kent State (24-24) | 12-9 (.571) | vs. Bowling Green |
| 7. Akon (25-26) | 11-10 (.524) | at Miami |
| 8. Toledo (23-32) | 10-11 (.476) | at NIU |
| Â Â Bowling Green (24-29) | 10-11 (.476) | at Kent State |
| 11. EMU (5-32) | 3-18 (.143) | vs. CMU |
| Â Â Buffalo (8-43) | 3-18 (.143) | vs. Ohio |
Toledo Rockets
    Toledo enters its final regular-season series with a 23-32 overall record and 10-11 mark in league action. Pacing the Rockets' offense is senior second baseman Chandler Rice who is the only athlete to rank in the Top-5 in 14 offensive statistical categories in the combined MAC rankings. Rice holds a .388 batting average with a league-best 71 hits through UT's 55 games. She has tallied a MAC-best 127 total bases for a .694 slugging percentage. She sits second in the conference with 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 45 runs scored and 19 stolen bases.
    Junior outfielder Ashley Rausch trails Rice with a .304 batting average, 48 hits, 31 runs scored and 17 swiped bags. Rausch is tied with sophomore third baseman Katie Cozy with 11 doubles. Cozy sits second on the team with six home runs, 26 RBI and a .519 slugging percentage.
    Sophomore Heather Webb (9-11) paces the pitching staff with a 3.52 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched. She has recorded three shutouts in eight complete games this season. Sophomore Kailey Minarchick (10-11) has compiled a 5.15 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 118.1 total innings.  Minarchick has thrown for four complete games and sits second in the MAC with four saves.
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Northern Illinois Huskies
    Northern Illinois is tied for third in the conference with an overall record of 27-18 (13-8 MAC), and is currently riding a seven-game win streak. NIU is coming off a non-conference doubleheader sweep over Valparaiso (7-4, 5-2), a series sweep over Eastern Michigan (13-5, 8-3, 5-2), and a midweek victory over Big Ten member Wisconsin (6-4). Pacing the Huskies' offense is senior first baseman Kayti Grable who is hitting .382 with 52 hits, eight homers and 37 RBI. Junior Tara Thacker (8-9) holds a team-best 2.64 ERA and 81 strikeouts through 116.1 innings. Â
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Toledo vs. Northern Illinois
    NIU leads the all-time series with Toledo, 35-24. Last season, the Rockets completed a series sweep over the Huskies, and all three games were determined by one run. UT downed Northern Illinois 2-1 in eight innings, 7-6 in 10 innings, and 8-7.
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Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
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/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
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