SB Weekend Preview: WBU vs Blue Mountain Christian (Feb. 14 | 1 & 3 PM)

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (2/13/25) – The Williams Baptist University softball team will take on Blue Mountain Christian in a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 14 from the GCT Softball Field in Paragould, Ark.

SERIES INFORMATION

WILLIAMS BAPTIST EAGLES (2-0, 0-0 AMC) vs BLUE MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN TOPPERS (5-3, 0-0 SSAC)

GAME ONE - Friday, Feb. 14 - 1:00 p.m. CST - GCT Softball Field (Paragould, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/sball/2024-25/boxscores/20250214_kzli.xml
Live video - wbueagles.com/watch 

GAME TWO - Friday, Feb. 14 - 3:00 p.m. CST - GCT Softball Field (Paragould, Ark.)
Live stats - https://wbueagles.com/sports/sball/2024-25/boxscores/20250214_bjvg.xml
Live video - wbueagles.com/watch 

MATCHUP FACTS

Last Game: Mar. 5, 2022 (WBU 6-2)
Current Streak: WBU W3

WBU QUICK FACTS

2025 Record: 2-0 (0-0 AMC)
Current Streak: W2
2024 Record: 37-17 (14-4 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Jessica Nutt (6th)
HC Record: 106-108 (40-34 AMC)
Assistant Coach: Ashlie Dahl (4th)

ABOUT BLUE MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN

2024-25 Record: 5-3 (0-0 SCAC)
Current Streak: W1
2023-24 Record: 23-30 (8-18 SCAC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Matt Brunet (1st season)
Assistant Coach: Gracy Baucom

BMCU NOTABLES

• Blue Mountain is coming off a series split with Stillman on Feb. 7-8

• The Toppers lost game 1 6-5

• BMCU scored three in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead, but Stillman answered with three in the seventh to go up 6-4

• Neely Barrier drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the comeback fell short

• The Toppers won game two 1-0

• Skylar Lee drove in the game's only run on a groundout in the fifth

• Madison Montgomery tossed seven shutout innings with only four hits

• BMCU lost game three 4-1

• The Toppers won game four 4-3

• Lillie Johnson drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth on a groundout

• Montgomery threw three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win

• Neely Barrier leads the way for the Toppers with a .375 AVG in 24 at-bats

• Barrier is tied with Iris Farve for the team-lead in RBI's with five each

• Skylar Lee is 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts so far this season to lead BMCU

• Madison Montgomery leads BMCU with a 0.00 ERA through 17.0 innings.  She has made three appearances in the circle with two complete games.

• Abby Keller is close behind with a 2.33 ERA through three appearances

• Bri Langley leads the pitching staff with six strikeouts

• BMCU sports a team batting average of .241 through eight games

• The Toppers pitching staff currently holds a 3.16 ERA

• Next, Blue Mountain will start conference play with a doubleheader against Faulkner on Saturday, Feb. 22 in Blue Mountain, Miss.

• BMCU was picked to finish eighth in the SSAC Preseason Coaches Poll

LAST TIME OUT

• WBU is coming off a two-game sweep over the University of the Ozarks on Saturday, Feb. 8 

• Williams took game one 8-0 behind a complete game shutout from Emberlin Caldwell

• Caldwell went six scoreless innings with seven punchouts and only allowed two hits

• Natalia Watkins smacked a walk-off three-run triple to cap a four-run bottom of the sixth for the mercy rule win.  Watkins finished the game a home run short of the cycle.

• WBU won game two 4-0 over Ozarks

• Morgan Garner went the distance with seven shutout innings and eight punchouts

• The game was scoreless through five innings until Brooke Scott drove in Kaylee Wolfe to put WBU up

• Watkins drove in Wolfe with another double to extend the lead to two

• Kaelyn Gooch added another run with a single and Madyson Busselle scored on an error to put Williams up 4-0

• Watkins went 4-for-7 with five RBI's in the doubleheader

WBU NOTABLES

• Brooke Scott leads WBU in batting average with a .667 through three at-bats

• Natalia Watkins follows close with a .571 AVG and 1.143 SLG%

• Watkins also leads the team with five RBI's

• The Eagles sport a team batting average of .255 through the first two games

• Emberlin Caldwell and Morgan Garner have both yet to give up a run so far this season

• Garner leads with eight strikeouts, while Caldwell trails close with seven

• Williams returns the AMC Player of the Year and AMC Freshman of the Year in SS Madyson Busselle (Shoebottom) and RHP Emberlin Caldwell

• Five AMC All-Conference players return for WBU in Emberlin Caldwell, Madyson Busselle, Morgan Garner, Natalia Watkins, and Kaylee Wolfe

• Newcomers McKenna Bittle and Ashlyn Michael look to make immediate impacts in the lineup.  Bittle posted a 2.45 ERA in 126 innings for UA-Rich Mountain, and Michael led Van Buren High School in almost every offensive category as a senior.

• The Lady Eagles thrived at the plate last season with a .323 batting average as a team (T-3rd AMC)

• Madyson Shoebottom led the AMC with a .432 AVG.  Shoebottom also ranked third in RBI's with 51, and tied for fifth in home runs with 10.  Shoebottom only struck out five times.

• Pitching powered WBU to a successful season, as the Lady Eagles posted a 2.54 ERA as a staff (2nd AMC)

• Emberlin Caldwell led WBU with a 2.19 ERA last season (3rd AMC).  She led the conference with 19 wins in the circle, and struck out 142 batters (2nd AMC).

• Williams was picked to finish second in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

AMC PRESEASON POLL

1 Missouri Baptist (106)
2 Williams Baptist (99)
3 Central Baptist (89)
4 Columbia (86)
5 Cottey (85)
6 William Woods (70)
7 Stephens (54)
8 Crowley's Ridge (48)
9 UHSP (46)
10 Mission (41)
11 Hannibal-LaGrange (27)
12 Harris-Stowe (18)

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Next, Williams will travel to McKenzie, Tenn. on Thursday, Feb. 20 to face Bethel in a doubleheader.  First pitch is set for noon from Lady Wildcat Park.

• WBU's 2025 schedule features 22 home games at the WBU Softball Field.