Softball Set To Host 2019 Blues City Classic

Friday, March 1

Memphis, Tenn.

3:30 PM

University of Memphis

Sam Houston State

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Feb 28, 2019 | Softball

Tournament Central

The Tigers welcome Loyola Chicago, Mississippi Valley State, Sam Houston State and UT Martin

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis softball team is set to host the 2019 Blues City Classic this weekend at the Tigers Softball Complex. Memphis welcomes Loyola Chicago, Mississippi Valley State, Sam Houston State and UT Martin in the five-team tournament beginning Friday morning.

Click here for the complete tournament schedule. Memphis will compete in four games this weekend, beginning with one game Friday against Sam Houston State at 3:30 p.m.

The Tigers (5-9) are coming off of a heartbreaking loss to SEC foe Mississippi State Wednesday evening. Memphis held a 7-6 lead over the visiting Bulldogs in the seventh inning before Mississippi State stormed back for a 10-7 victory.

Memphis welcomed a school-record 537 fans to the Tigers Softball Complex in Wednesday's setback. It is the first game in program history with over 500 fans in attendance.

Baylee Smith led Memphis offensively with her first career two-home run game. Smith's first home run was a three-run shot to put Memphis ahead of Mississippi State 5-2. Her second long-shot was a solo home run down the left field line, tying the game at 6-6. Delaney Smith also produced at the plate for the Tigers with a triple and the go-ahead RBI-single in the sixth inning.

Mariah Nichols and Bayleigh Wisher saw action in the circle for Memphis against Mississippi State. Nichols leads the Tigers this season with 37.1 innings pitched and is second on the team with a 3.19 ERA. Madalyn Alexander, in 10.2 innings of work this year, owns a team-low 1.97 ERA.

A Look At The Competition
Loyola Chicago
Loyola Chicago comes to Memphis with a 12-2 overall record including a perfect 2-0 mark in true road games. Collectively, the Ramblers are hitting .356 with 133 hits through 14 games. Allyson Ivey leads the squad with a .500 batting average. She is one of four players to have double-digit RBIs.

The Ramblers are dangerous on the base paths with 30 swipes this season. Jessica Shields leads the team in that category with 17 of her own. The Loyola pitching corps have a collective 0.56 ERA. Kiley Jones leads the team with 40.0 innings pitched and Keenan Dolezal has a team-high 27 strikeouts.

As a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Loyola was selected to finish 10^th.

Mississippi Valley State
The Devilettes enter the Blues City Classic with a 2-9 overall record and 2-3 mark on the road. As a team, Mississippi Valley State is hitting .249 with an on base percentage of .318.

Dejanae Gage leads the team offensively with a .400 batting average. She owns 10 hits this season including a pair of doubles and a home run. Deshonte Smith is also at the top of the leaderboard with a .355 batting average and 11 hits. She has driven in a team-high seven runs this season.

Sam Houston State
As a member of the Southland Conference, Sam Houston State is 5-11 overall. The Bearkats are hitting .206 as a team with two players hitting over .250.

Kyndal Kutac leads the team offensively with 12 hits and a .316 batting average. She has registered three of the team's five home runs this season and is tops on the squad with a .381 on base percentage.

Regan Dunn, in nine appearances, is the team leader in ERA with a 2.76 mark. She has struck out 26 this season and has held opponents to a .226 batting average.

UT Martin
UT Martin enters the weekend with an 8-4 overall record and 6-1 mark in neutral site contests. The Skyhawks are also dangerous on the base paths with 32 stolen bases this year.

As a team, UT Martin is hitting .288 compared to holding its opponents to a .251 mark. Three players are hitting over .400, led by Kenna Garst's .450 mark. Paige Clark leads the way with 14 hits and is second on the team with seven stolen bases.

Erin Gallagher leads the team with a 1.71 ERA in six appearances. Gallagher and Lexi Ray have each struck out 13 batters this season.

Final Details
The tournament begins Friday at 11 a.m. with Memphis' first game beginning at 3:30 p.m. against Sam Houston State. The complete tournament schedule is available at www.GoTigersGo.com. Live stats are available for every game of the tournament and there is a free stream for all Memphis games. For more information on the Memphis softball team, follow the Tigers on social media at @MemphisSoftball.