COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team heads out on the road on Tuesday to face the two-time defending SEC champions and No. 11/10 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in a mid-week game.
 
WHO: A&M-Commerce at No. 11/10 Arkansas
WHERE: Fayetteville, Ark. | Bogle Park
WHEN: Tuesday, April 18 | 4 p.m.
LIVE VIDEO: SEC NETWORK+ | https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/45333559-c571-4ccb-9030-b9b925de4681
LIVE STATS: https://statb.us/v/tame/450211
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE LIONS
A&M-Commerce fell in all three games at Houston Christian last week, though one game went nine innings and other was decided by just two runs.  
 
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE LIONS
The Lions are back at home the next two weekends to close out the home portion of the schedule. A&M-Commerce hosts UIW this weekend and Northwestern State next weekend.  
 
BENNETT ENDS HISTORIC STREAK
Freshman infielder Kaydee Bennett (Caddo Mills) ended her hitting streak at 14 games after failing to get a hit in the series finale against HCU last Wednesday. Her 14-game hitting streak is the longest in the program since 2018. She did reach base safely with a walk against HCU, extending her reached base safely streak to 15.
 
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
Bennett has stolen 14 bases this season, which ranks her eighth in the conference. Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill) is 9 for 10 in steal attempts, being tied for 17^th.
 
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.
 
PLAYING THE BEST OF THE BEST
A&M-Commerce's strength of schedules ranks No. 61 in Division I and second in the Southland.
 
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 and plays nationally ranked Arkansas on Tuesday.
 
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 RAZORBACKS
Arkansas has won four of its last five and is coming off a three-game sweep over UAB, including two shutouts. The Razorbacks are ranked top 15 in all the national polls. Arkansas is slated to make the return trip to Commerce next season.
 
Rylin Hedgecock has hit 15 home runs this season, which is eighth in the country. As a team, the Razorbacks have hit 47 home runs this season, which 24^th in the country. Hedgecock has 47 RBIs on the season which leads the team, while Reagan Johnson is batting .360 on the season.
 
In the circle, the Razorbacks have recorded 293 strikeouts with 136 recorded by Chenise Dulce, who is 16-5 with an ERA of 1.86. She has thrown four shutouts this season.