Mica and Joan are on the same softball team. Mica got 8 hits in 48 at-bats, while Joan got 12 hits in 40 at-bats. Who do you think is more likely to get a hit the next time at bat?

To determine who is more likely to get a hit the next time at-bat, you should calculate the batting average for both Mica and Joan. The batting average is a measure of a batter's success rate and is calculated as the number of hits divided by the number of at-bats.

For Mica: Number of hits = 8 Number of at-bats = 48 Batting Average = Hits / At-Bats = 8 / 48 = 0.1667 (rounded to four decimal places)

For Joan: Number of hits = 12 Number of at-bats = 40 Batting Average = Hits / At-Bats = 12 / 40 = 0.3000 (rounded to four decimal places)

Comparing the batting averages: Mica = 0.1667 Joan = 0.3000

Joan has a higher batting average than Mica. Therefore, based on their past performance, Joan is statistically more likely to get a hit the next time at-bat.

The concept of batting average is very important in baseball and softball as it gives a quick insight into a batter's performance. The formula for batting average is simple: it is the number of successful hits divided by the number of times the player has been at-bat, not including walks, hit by pitch, or sacrifices.

A higher batting average indicates a better performance at hitting the ball when the player is at-bat. Batting averages are usually expressed as a three-digit decimal but are understood as a thousandth. For example, a batting average of 0.300 would be said as "three hundred." In a professional setting, a batting average of 0.300 and above is considered excellent, while a batting average below 0.200 is informally known as the "Mendoza Line," under which the player's offensive performance is often considered unacceptable.