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OXFORD — You might call them the Fab Five, the first five hitters in the Miami University softball team's batting order.

When they're clicking at the same time, the RedHawks are tough to beat, and going into the start of the Mid-American Conference tournament today, May 7, at Akron's Firestone Field, they seem to be clicking.

"The top five of our batting order are all meshing now," said Miami's second-year head coach, Kelly Kovach Schoenly. "All five have had a great season. It's good when they get hot together."

Their numbers have been scary.

• Senior Halle Popson, the leadoff batter, is batting .324 and has scored 44 runs in 48 games.

• Freshman Meghan Mawn, the No. 2 batter, hits .438 and has scored 30 runs.

• Sophomore Sarah Billstrom is batting .338 with two homers and 19 RBIs.

• Senior Breanna Robinson, the cleanup hitter, comes at pitchers with a .363 average, 11 homers and 50 RBIs.

• Sophomore Alicia Hogl has a .340 average with three homers and 25 RBIs.

Robinson, a former walk-on, is perhaps the most feared slugger in the MAC. She leads the conference in RBIs, and over her last four games has batted .538 with three homers and 12 RBIs.

"I'm so proud of her," Schoenly said. "She had a great season last year, but for anyone to have 50 RBIs in a season is insane.

"She wouldn't have nearly that many RBIs if it weren't for those girls hitting in front of her," the Miami coach added.

The fourth-seeded RedHawks will unleash these hitters, along with a pitcher to be named, against the fifth-seeded Western Michigan Broncos in the first round of the double-elimination tournament at 11 a.m. today.

It should be an interesting battle. Miami (23-25, 13-9 MAC) finished its regular season at Western Michigan (19-16, 10-8) and came away with a split, losing the first game 2-1, then winning 6-0.

"It's not ideal to play them right away again," Schoenly said, "but we know what we need to do to beat them. They're a good matchup for us. We have good power and we had success against their pitchers."

Miami's two pitchers are sophomores Meredith Linch (14-14 with a 3.43 earned-run average) and Shalise Lugo (9-11 with a 3.07 ERA).

When asked which would start today's opener, Schoenly said, "I can't tell you. We haven't made the final decision. Meredith has had the best MAC season, but Shalise has been hot lately."

The tournament will continue through Saturday. The No. 1 seed is Kent State (40-10, 20-2).

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

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