ABOUT THE SERIES

• Millersville and Shippensburg square off in a key PSAC East series starting Friday at Shippensburg before the Marauders host a doubleheader at Seaber Stadium Saturday. Millersville is 6-4 at home while Shippensburg is 4-6 on the road. The two teams are currently on different paths. Shippensburg has won four in a row and five of the last six. It is coming off a sweep of Lock Haven in which it scored 40 runs in the four games. Millersville, after posting its best start in eight years, has lost four in a row, giving up 35 runs in those games. 
• Millersville had a 13-day layoff after a 6-2 start and is 2-4 since returning. The end of games has been a culprit where Millersville has allowed 20 runs in the sixth and seventh innings during the skid. The layoff certainly impacted the Marauders' offense as the team has hit .224 with a .318 on base percentage and seven homers since returning. In the first eight games, Millersville hit .303 with a .418 OBP and 20 homers. 
• Millersville still ranks as the PSAC leader in home runs with 27 and also leads the lead in walks drawn per game at 3.71. 
• Faith Willenbrock is one of only two players in the PSAC with at least 40 at bats still hitting .500. Wilenbrock is 21-for-42, and Mercyhurst's Madison Fry is hitting .552 in 74 at bats. Willenbrock ranks second among qualified hitters in on base percentage (.580) and leads all players in slugging percentage (1.286) and home runs (9).
• Another Marauder enjoying a breakout season at the plate is Hunter Little. Little drew 15 walks in her first 54 career games, but she's been getting on base at a career-high pace in 2021, drawing nine walks in 13 games for a .488 on base percentage. Her previous career-best came in her freshman season when she posted a .321 OBP. Little also ranks second on the team in bating average, hitting .323. 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

• Shippensburg's Hannah Marstellar is the reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Week, and she and Willenbrock are certainly among the early-season contenders for the division's athlete of the year award. Marstellar ranks first in the PSAC in RBIs (28), second in home runs (8), second in slugging percentage (1.167) and fifth in the East with a .473 average. 
• Shippensburg is winning by out-scoring teams. The Raiders boast a .340 batting average and .405 on base percentage. They've scored eight or more runs in five of the last six games. Three players are hitting .422 or higher, and six starters own an OBP higher than .400. 
• Maelynn Leber is the team's top pitcher with three wins, three complete games in 41 innings pitched. 

SERIES HISTORY

• The series with Shippensburg dates back to Millersville's first season as a program in 1979. The Raiders have won 100 of 134 games but Millersville has recorded 19 of their wins in the last 10 years where the series has been competitive with Shippensburg holding a 25-19 edge. However, the Raiders have won each of the last seven and nine of the last 10. Of those 10, only two games were decided by fewer than three runs. Millersville is 12-10 at home against the Raiders but 7-15 at Shippensburg.
• Shippensburg swept the 2019 season series, winning games 4-1 and 6-5 at home before scoring 21 runs in the doubleheader at Millersville. Willenbrock led Millersville by going 4-for-7 in the home doubleheader.