YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – For the first time since the 2016 season, the Green Bay softball team is set to compete at the Horizon League Championships this week. Green Bay enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed, and will take on No. 4 Robert Morris in the tournament's first game on Wednesday, May 11 at 11 a.m. CST. No. 3 seeded Youngstown State is hosting the tournament.

VIEW THE FULL BRACKET

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 – 11:00 a.m. CST – YSU SOFTBALL COMPLEX
No. 5 Green Bay (24-23, 15-10 HL) vs. No. 4 Robert Morris (27-19, 16-9 HL)
Links: Watch | Live Stats | Tournament Central
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Green Bay softball officially joined the Horizon League (formerly the Midwestern Collegiate Conference) in 1995. GB made its first-ever HL Tournament appearance the following season in 1996 when they were the league's No. 7 seed. They faced No. 2 seeded Northern Illinois and were defeated 6-0. Green Bay narrowly lost their consolation game, 4-3, to No. 4-seeded Wright State.
 
Overall, the Phoenix is 32-32 in the Horizon League Championships. GB has lost four of their last five tournament games by a combined seven runs. The team made appearances in the championship game in 1999, 2000, and 2001, but lost all three to UIC. The Phoenix would get revenge on UIC in 2005, defeating the No. 1 seeded Flames 5-3, before preceding to win three more in a row to capture their first league title. Green Bay would garner their second title in 2014, defeating Youngstown State in the first round before recording a victory over Valparaiso in the semifinal as well as the championship game. 
 
2022 marks the second time the Phoenix has ever been the No. 5 seed, with 2010 being the first. That year they lost to No. 4 Valparaiso in the first round before defeating No. 6 Butler in the consolation game, and eventually being taken out by Valparaiso in their second consolation game, 1-0. 
 
HELLO OLD FRIEND
Wednesday's matchup will be the third time Green Bay and Robert Morris clash this season. The Phoenix swept the Colonials in a doubleheader on April 25, winning both games by a 3-2 final. Green Bay and Robert Morris have never met in postseason play.
 
ABOUT THE COLONIALS
Taylor Rhinehart and Jess Matheny lead the offense for Robert Morris. Rhinehart is hitting .307 on the year (14th in the HL), while Matheny is right behind her at .304 (15th in the HL). As a team, Robert Morris ranks near the top in most offensive statistical categories. They are third in batting average (.257), tied for second in home runs (25), third in RBIs (180), and tied for second in on-base percentage (.342).

In the circle, RMU boasts the third-best team ERA at 3.13. Rhinehart is a dual-threat, also leading the Colonials on the other side of the ball. Her 1.48 ERA ranks first in the HL, and her WHIP is sub-one (0.92). Opponents are hitting just .191 off Rhinehart. Her sister, Rachael Rhinehart, has the team's second-best ERA at 3.07. Robert Morris surrendered the second-lowest amount of earned runs (142) in the regular season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Phoenix split a Friday doubleheader, but ultimately dropped their three-game series against Oakland. In the series rubber match on Saturday, the Phoenix tallied seven runs, but could not hold the Golden Grizzlies at bay, and were bested 8-7. Green Bay was paced by Jadin Justman, who went 1-for-2 with two walks and two RBI. Alicia Peters and Isabella Curtin were both strong at the dish as well, finishing 2-for-4.
 
ABOVE AVERAGE
Green Bay's offense leads the Horizon League with a .273 batting average. The Phoenix also ranks in the HL:

• 1st in home runs (39)
• 1st in slugging percentage (.424)
• 1st in on-base percentage (.363)
• 1st in stolen bases (60-72)
• 1st in bases on balls (140)
• 1st in stolen bases (70-83)

ALL ABOUT THAT BASE
Jadin Justman (33), Alicia Peters (26), and Samantha Saloun (26) have the highest RBI totals on the team. Peters has racked up a team-high 88 total bases, while Justman (74), and Saloun (64) have the second and third highest. Tiffany Giese has also tallied 64 total bases.

WRITING THE BOOKS
Alicia Peters hit a two-run home run at IUPUI on April 30, her 11th of the season. That home run broke the all-time single season home run record, which was previously set by Danielle Peerenboom's in 2010 when she hit 10.

EFFICIENT EDWARDS
Becca Edwards is hitting .267 this season. She has a solid .834 OPS and is reaching base at a .388 clip. She's driven in 16 runs to go along with 11 walks. Edwards doesn't strike out much, going down on strikes just 21 times in 101 at-bats.

ACE ABBY
Freshman Abigail Gawlinski is among the best pitchers in the HL in her first year with the Phoenix. In 81.1 innings pitched, Gawlinski has maintained a 2.84 ERA, good for sixth in the league.

NOW WATCH ME WHIP
Brittany Baneck has been dealing for the Phoenix this season. She leads the pitching staff in innings pitched (124.0), while appearing in 28 games and starting 19. The Green Bay native boasts the lowest WHIP on the squad (1.32). Her 3.39 ERA is 14^th in the HL.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
When: May 11-14
Where: Youngstown, Ohio - YSU Softball Complex
Admission:
$10 Single Day Pass
$25 All-Session Pass
Horizon League students will be admitted free of charge, with a valid institutional I.D. card.

Fans can follow the 2022 Horizon League Softball Tournament on social media by following the Horizon League on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and by using the hashtag #HLSB.
 
###
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics and Green Bay Softball, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
 
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @GBPhoenixSB.

Follow us on Instagram: @gbphoenix
 
Like Green Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.
 
 ---GreenBayPhoenix.com---