The Tusculum College softball team is well-represented in the initial NCAA Division II statistics report, through games of Sunday, March 20. The Pioneers are ranked in the top 50 in five of the 11 team categories, while three players account for seven top-50 appearances on the individual leaderboards.

As a team, the Pioneers are 19th in fielding percentage (.971), 21st in triples per game (0.38), 31st in both earned run average (1.89) and double plays per game (0.45) and 41st in win-loss percentage (.724) among the 300 programs included in the rankings report.

Individually, sophomore shortstop Lindsey Umberger (Madison, Wisc.) is sixth in triples (four) and 23rd in triples per game (0.14), while senior pitcher Erin Searcy (Coolidge, Ga.) ranks 38th in strikeouts (82) and is tied for 37th in shutouts (three) with sophomore teammate Elizabeth Johnson (Greenville, Wisc.). Johnson also ranks 14th in earned run average (0.94) and 27th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.76).

The Pioneers (22-9 overall, 3-1 SAC) travel to 12th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday for a key South Atlantic Conference doubleheader, beginning at 2 p.m. The Bears are 23-6 overall and hold sole possession of first place in the SAC with a 2-0 record, but Tusculum has three wins over ranked opponents this season.