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LA GRANDE, Ore. -- The Eastern Oregon University softball team travels to Pacific University and Concordia University Thursday and Saturday.

THE SERIES
* The Mountaineers and Pacific have only faced three times in the past decade, the Boxers won two.
* The Boxers won the season opener this year, 6-1, in Forest Grove.
* Pacific's stadium received the NFCA's SportTurf Softball Facility of the Year Award in 2010.
* Since 2001, Eastern Oregon is 22-24 against Concordia.
* The Cavaliers have won eight straight over EOU, and 11 of the last 12 meetings.
* The Mountaineers are 2-8 in their last 10 games against CU in Portland.

QUICK HITS
* Eastern Oregon is 23rd in the NAIA in triples hit per game with an average of 0.350.
* Emily Anderson is riding an 11-game hit streak into the weekend, a season-high for the Mountaineers.
* EOU's Jennifer McDonnell is 17th in the NAIA in innings pitched per game averaging 6.3.
* Eastern has been outscored by its opponents 42-12 in the first two innings this season.
* Oregon Tech slid into the Top 25 for the first time since being ranked No. 12 in 2008. The Owls were ranked No. 24 in this week's poll. They are the lone conference team ranked.

ABOUT THE BOXERS
Pacific's (17-8) Chelsey Chamberlain added 20 runs batted in over the past eight games and is just four away from breaking the school record of 55 RBIs she set last season. The Boxers went 5-1 on their spring break trip to the Tucson Invitational. Offensively, Pacific has a team batting average of .381 with 255 hits, including 73 extra base hits. Rylee Parke reached 10 pitching wins during the Tucson Invitational. Pacific is 2-1 versus the Cascade Conference this season.

ABOUT THE LADY CAVALIERS
Concordia (8-10, 1-5) began the season as the preseason favorite to win the conference but has struggled so far this year. The Cavaliers started the season No. 4 in the country, and are now No. 4 in the conference. CU returns seven of its nine starters from last year's National Tournament team. Ali Paz leads the Cavaliers at the plate with a batting average of 0.446. Renee Santos is a force on the mound for CU. The senior has struck out 57 batters already this season and has an ERA of 1.62.

LAST TIME OUT
The Oregon Institute of Technology swept a doubleheader meeting with Eastern Oregon University last Saturday, 11-2 and 13-0. The Mountaineers left five runners on base, while Oregon Tech stranded seven. The Owls committed no errors, but EOU had two. Jackie Imhof won her eighth game of the season, throwing all five innings. She allowed five hits and two earned runs. Imhof struck out nine Eastern batters and walked two. Jennifer McDonnell allowed nine hits and three earned runs. In the second game, Collins and Jess Plummer each had four RBI to lead OIT. On the mound, Schmidt stifled the Mountaineers throwing a one-hitter through the five-inning game. Schmidt allowed no runs, striking out two Eastern batters and walking three others. With a 7-0 advantage after two innings, the Owls continued to cruise to the victory through the next innings.

LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN
The Mountaineers trip to Forest Grove for their game against Pacific Thursday is a makeup date. Eastern Oregon and the Boxers had their second game postponed after rain and darkness pushed the opening season game back from Feb. 16 to Thursday. PU won the first game 6-1, but that game started in a hour late after a weather delay.

SQUEEZING ONE IN
Eastern Oregon will take advantage of Pacific University's hospitality and play a game under the lights Thursday night against Mt. Hood Community College. The non-counting contest was scheduled over the weekend and will have a first pitch at 7 p.m.

ANDERSON GETS CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
Eastern's Emily Anderson was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Player of the Week Monday. Anderson went 7-for-13 from the plate in four games for the Mountaineers over the weekend. The junior finished with a 0.538 batting average and a 1.538 slugging percentage. The Spokane, Wash. native scored five times, had five RBI, hitting four home runs and one double. She had a pair of home runs in Game 1 against Southern Oregon. On the season, Anderson has a .439 batting percentage, 12 RBI, and five home runs. Anderson is the first Mountaineer to be named a Cascade Conference softball Player of the Week since Krista Kountz received the award last season on March 1.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Admission prices have changed for EOU softball games at Peggy Anderson. All games are now free admission to fans. No pets of any kind are allowed on EOU Athletic Fields. Live stats will be available from all home softball games on EOUSports.com by clicking “Live Stats” on any screens.