COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team's time on the road continues this weekend when it faces Southeastern for a three-game series on Friday and Saturday.
 
LIONS' SCHEDULE VS. SOUTHEASTERN

Date	Time	Coverage
Friday, March 31	4 p.m.	ESPN+ • Live Stats
Friday, March 31	6 p.m.	ESPN+ • Live Stats
Saturday, April 1	Noon	ESPN+ • Live Stats

 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE LIONS
The Lions faced McNeese in the first conference road series of the season and fell in all three games. Anissa Arredondo (San Antonio – Warren) tossed a one-run complete game in the series finale, but the Cowgirls, who did not allow a run all weekend, won 1-0.
 
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE LIONS
The Lions are back at home to face A&M-Corpus Christi on April 7-8 and begin a stretch in which they play six games in five days.  
 
A HISTORIC COMEBACK AGAINST THE WILDCATS
The Lions recorded a five-run seventh inning comeback against Weber State this season to win 8-7. According to our research, that is the second-best comeback in the seventh inning this season among Division I programs. 
 
TOP COMEBACKS IN DIVISION I IN 2023

Date	Team	Opponent	Deficit starting 7th	Final Score	Notes
March 4	Texas Tech	Rutgers	5-0 (5)	6-5
March 5	A&M-Commerce	Weber State	7-3 (4)	8-7
March 8	SIUE	Saint Louis	5-1 (4)	6-5	SIUE trailed 5-0 entering sixth
March 4	Seton Hall	North Dakota	5-1 (4)	6-5
March 8	Maryland Eastern Shore	Holy Cross	7-4 (3)	8-7

 
SPEED THRILLS
Kaydee Bennett (Caddo Mills) has stolen 11 bases this season, which ranks her ninth in the conference. Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill) is 8 for 8 in steal attempts, being tied for 17^th. As a team, the Lions are 35 for 42, which ranks them fifth.  
 
BATS COME ALIVE IN THE DESERT
After being shut out in the first two games of the Hillenbrand Invitational, the Lions scored eight against No. 18/16 Arizona, including a grand slam by Camile Nunez (Madera, Calif.) to highlight a six-run fourth inning. The Lions followed it up with a 17-12 win over CSUN and came back to win 8-7 over Weber State.
 
LIONS LOVE WALK-OFFS
Three of the five wins for the Lions thus far this season have been in walk-off fashion. Last month, Shelby Hodge (Katy – Cinco Ranch) hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to beat Creighton in extra innings, while America Rubio (El Paso – Montwood) had the walk-off grounder against Weber State. In the conference opener, Avery Zeigler (Southlake Carroll) hit a walk-off one-run single in the eighth for the Lions' first win at home.
 
NUNEZ HITS IT FAR
Nunez hit the program's 34^th grand slam against Arizona on March 4. It was also her first home run of the season for the junior transfer from Vernon College. The Lions have had at least one grand slam in all but one season in program history.
 
FIRST SOUTHLAND ACTION
This season is the first in the Southland Conference for the Lions, who walked it off in eight over Nicholls in their first ever Southland game. A&M-Commerce was picked to finish seventh among nine teams in the preseason poll. At the end of the season, the top seven teams in the SLC will qualify for the conference tournament.
 
SLC PRESEASON POLL

Place	School	1st	Pts
1	McNeese	16	128
2	Southeastern	2	113
3	Northwestern State		91
4	A&M-Corpus Christi		85
5	HCU		58
6	Lamar		49
7	A&M-COMMERCE		47
8	UIW		45
9	Nicholls		32

 
LIONS DOWN AKRON FOR FIRST DIVISION I WIN
A&M-Commerce beat Akron at Tarleton on February 17 to open the Whataburger Invitational by a score of 7-4 for the first win as a Division I program. It was also coach Brittany Miller's first win as a head coach.
 
LIONS WALK-OFF BLUE JAYS
On February 19 at the Whataburger Invitational, A&M-Commerce collected a 5-4 win in eight innings over Creighton. Hodge hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in the game-winning run. It was the first true walk-off win in a game that lasted seven or more innings since Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge) had the game-winning hit against No. 2 Augustana in the season-opener last season.
 
TOUGH COMPETITION TO START
The Lions begin the season with numerous games on their schedule against ranked opponents and teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season.

Thus far this season, the Lions have played Maryland, Baylor, and Arizona, who were nationally ranked at the time the Lions played them, while Texas A&M, Nebraska, Minnesota, and North Texas have all appeared in national polls at some point this season. A&M-Commerce still has two games on the schedule against Arkansas, who is nationally ranked in every major poll.
 
PLENTY OF NEW LIONS
A&M-Commerce retains just four players from last season, welcoming 16 new faces to the squad in 2023. The 16 new players are believed to be the most on any roster in Division I this season.
 
ENDED ON A HIGH NOTE
The Lions ended the Division II era by winning the Lone Star Conference Tournament, the program's first conference title, and served as hosts during the NCAA Regional round. It was the third straight postseason that the Lions served as hosts, and it was their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE LADY LIONS
Southeastern is off to a 27-8 start this season. Their 27 wins are eighth most in NCAA Division I this season. In conference play, Southeastern has taken two out of three games each against Lamar and A&M-Corpus Christi. SLU finished as the runner up in the Southland last season.
 
The Lady Lions are sixth in the country with 89 stolen bases and batting .310 as a team, which is 32^nd in the country and leads the conference. Lexi Johnson has hit seven home runs, which is second in the conference, and drove in 33 RBIs, which is tied for the SLC lead. Bailey Krolczyk is batting .400 with five home runs and 24 RBIs. She is the reigning Southland Hitter of the Week.
 
In the circle, SLU's pitching staff has an ERA of 2.71 with 209 strikeouts and six shutouts. Both KK Ladner and Cera Blanchard have earned SLC Pitcher of the Week honors, they have combined to make 22 of the team's 35 starts. SLU has used eight pitchers this season. Ladner is 8-1 on the season with an ERA of 1.32 and 103 strikeouts. Blanchard is 10-4 and has posted an ERA of 2.65.