App State Kicks Off Five-Game Slate in Rock Hill Friday

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The App State Mountaineers (0-3) head to Rock Hill, S.C., for a five-game slate at the Winthrop Eagle Classic starting Friday. The Mountaineers will play two doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday and will square off with five different teams throughout the weekend. First pitch against Monmouth from the Winthrop Eagle Classic is set for 10 a.m. on Friday.
   
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers competed in three games against two different teams last weekend at the Elon Softball Classic in Elon, N.C. App State fell to Kent State on Friday and to Miami twice on Saturday.
 
It was a clean weekend in the field for the Mountaineers as the Black and Gold completed all 68 chances in the field throughout the weekend. In her first three collegiate starts, freshman Grace Barrett tallied seven assists on nine chances at shortstop while Taylor Thorp tallied 18 putouts at first base.
 
Offensively, eight different Mountaineers recorded a hit across the three games. Killian Roberts, Peyton Darnell, Olivia Cook and Grace Barrett each tallied their first hits in an App State uniform. Peyton Darnell slugged her first two home runs at App State, each coming in consecutive games.
 
First Pitch

• App State will square off with three teams they have never played before this weekend in Monmouth, Le Moyne and Binghamton.

 

• The last time App State traveled to Rock Hill, S.C., was in 2016, when the Mountaineers competed in the Winthrop Invitational. App State finished that tournament 2-3.

 

• Head coach Shelly Hoerner has coached in 285 games at App State, which is the second-most in program history. She already holds the record for the most head-coaching wins at App State with 140.

 

• Senior outfielder Kayt Houston tallied three hits last weekend, which puts her at 178 for her career. She needs just 51 more hits to pass Lindsay Glover for the most career hits in program history.

 

• Delani Buckner made her 49th career start on Friday against Kent State. She sits in a tie for eighth place in App State history entering the weekend. One more start will make her one of just eight players in program history to make 50 starts in the circle for the Black and Gold.

 

• This weekend will be a homecoming for Kayt Houston, who is from Rock Hill.

 
On the Mountaineers

• App State finished the 2023 season with a 23-28 record, marking the Black and Gold's third straight 20-win season.

 

• App State recorded its first win against a ranked opponent last season, downing the 23rd-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in Lafayette 5-3.

 

• The Mountaineers are set to play a tough non-conference schedule that will include matchups with two teams that made the NCAA Tournament a season ago in UNC Greensboro and Miami (Ohio).

 

• Graduate transfer Peyton Darnell slugged two home runs in consecutive games last weekend, marking her 33rd and 34th career home runs. Her and Kayt Houston are the only two active Mountaineers with at least 20 career homers.

 

• Kayt Houston finished with the fourth-highest batting average in the Sun Belt last year, batting .383. She was also one of 14 players in the league with a slugging percentage over 1.000.

 

• The App State pitching staff finished with the fourth-lowest opponent batting average in the Sun Belt in 2023. Kaylie Northrop finished with the lowest opponent batting average on the team, keeping batters to just a .233 average in her junior year.

 
 
Series History

• App State vs. Monmouth:
  • First meeting

 

• App State vs. Le Moyne:
  • First meeting

 

• App State vs. Binghamton:
  • First meeting

 

• App State vs. Winthrop:
  • 21st meeting
  • Last meeting: Feb. 21, 2015
  • Record: 9-11
  • Trends:
    • App State has won two of the last three meetings with the Eagles.
    • App State has scored a combined 22 runs in the last three games against Winthrop.

 

• App State vs. Mount St. Mary's:
  • Third meeting
  • Last meeting: March 19, 2004
  • Record: 2-0
  • Trends:
    • App State and Mount St. Mary's will meet for the first time in nearly 20 years on Sunday. App State has yet to lose against Mount St. Mary's.
    • App State has given up just one run in the two previous matchups with Mount St. Mary's.

 
Up Next
After play concludes in Rock Hill on Sunday, the Mountaineers will head to Raleigh for another five-game set at the Wolfpack Classic hosted by NC State from Feb. 23-25. While there, App State will play against ACC opponent NC State for the first time this season. The first game of the weekend is against Cleveland State, with first pitch set for 11:30 a.m. on Friday.