COMMERCE – For the first time in 2024, the Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team plays a road game and for the first time in A&M-Commerce's Division I era, the Lions are playing a team ranked No. 1 in a national poll and the defending national champion. 
 
WHO: A&M-Commerce at Oklahoma
WHERE: Norman, Okla. | Love's Field
WHEN: Wednesday, March 6 | 6 p.m.
RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 5-16 on the season, while Oklahoma is 18-1 on the season. 
RANKINGS: The Lions are unranked, but the Sooners are ranked No. 2 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll, No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, and No. 2 in the D1Softball.com rankings. 

LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+ | https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401626570
LIVE STATS: https://statb.us/v/tame/513170

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE LIONS
The Lions begin Southland Conference this weekend at A&M-Corpus Christi. Friday's doubleheader is at noon and the series finale is at noon on Saturday. 
 
FIRST TIME AGAINST THE NATION'S BEST
Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in the coaches rankings entering into Wednesday's game, marking the first time the Lions have played a team ranked No. 1 in any sport in the Division I era, surpassing the men's basketball team playing at No. 6 Texas in 2022-23. The last time the softball team played the No. 1 team in the country was UT Tyler during the conference tournament in 2022, the Lions won 5-4 on their way to winning the program's first conference tournament. 

SUCCESS AGAINST NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Oklahoma is also the defending national champion, which is the first time the Lions are playing the defending national champion since 2022, when A&M-Commerce swept West Texas A&M. In the program's history, the Lions are 3-4 when playing the defending national champion the following season. 

MEEP MEEP
The Lions have stolen 42 bases thus far this season on 49 attempts. The 42 stolen bases are tied for 14th in NCAA Division I and the per-game average of 2.00 stolen bases per game is tied for 23rd. Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill) has 10 stolen bases on the year, which is tied for 41st in the country. 

A RARE DOUBLE NO-HITTER
A rarity happened in Denton between A&M-Commerce and Missouri. Both the Lions' Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) and the Tigers' Cierra Harrison tossed complete games and neither allowed a hit in the game. Missouri took a 1-0 win thanks to a walk, two steals, and a sacrifice fly in the first inning. It was the first double no-hitter in college softball this year. 

BACK-TO-BACK JACKS
The Lions just hit one home run at home during the 12 home games in 2023, it took just two innings in the 2024 season to surpass that total. Charli Anger (Lubbock - Cooper) and Diamond Sefe (Carson, Calif.) went back-to-back in the season opener against UMass Lowell to put the Lions ahead. Through 19 home games this season, the Lions have four home runs. 

TOUCHING HOME PLATE
Thus far this season, the Lions have scored 65 runs at home, while having scored just 28 last season.

PITTS CATCHES ON FIRE AGAINST SIUE 
In the three-game series against the Cougars, freshman Tehya Pitts (Denton - Guyer) batted 7 for 11 (.636) to lead the Lions.

MULLER GETS IT DONE IN THE CIRCLE
Pitching in her first weekend as a Lion, Maddie Muller (Frisco - Memorial) started three games in the Lion Classic. She pitched to an ERA of 0.86, going 2-0, with 10 strikeouts. 

TENTH SEASON OF LION SOFTBALL
This is the 10th season of Lion Softball. The first season of competition for the program was the 2015 season, and this is the second season for the Lions in NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference.
 
WELCOME NEWCOMERS
This season, the Lions have 10 newcomers on the 22-player roster. Of the 10 newcomers, freshmen Anger, Arzola, Jenna Joyce (Royse City), and Tehya Pitts (Denton – Guyer), made their Lion debuts last week as did transfers: Muller from Arkansas Rich Mountain, Ashley Diaz (Chino, Calif.) from Mt. SAC, Lencia Powell (Birdville) from Weatherford College, Darby Hickey (Plano Senior) from Temple College, and Stephanie Tapia (Yuma, Ariz.) from Pima Community College. Brooke Hilton (Plano East) made her collegiate debut behind the plate against Omaha. 
 
PLAYING THE BEST OF THE BEST
The Lions play six games against Power Five conference teams and eight games against teams that played in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
 
The games against Power Five conference opponents include three-game series against Houston, and a game against Arkansas, both at home, while heading to Oklahoma, the winner of the last three Women's College World Series, and at Texas A&M. A&M-Commerce already played against Missouri, who was ranked No. 15 in the country at the time. 
 
Along with the Power Five conference opponents, the Lions also welcomed Omaha in non-conference play, who made the NCAA Tournament last season and host McNeese during Southland play. The Cowgirls were a Regional Finalist last season.

PRESEASON POLL
In the preseason poll released by the Southland Conference, the Lions were picked ninth, after finishing in that exact position in their first season in the conference last year. A&M-Commerce received 17 points.
 
2024 SOUTHLAND SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL

Rank	Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	McNeese (16)	128
2	Southeastern (2)	114
3	Nicholls	97
4	Lamar	78
5	Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	72
6	Northwestern State	63
7	HCU	49
8	UIW	30
9	A&M-COMMERCE	17

 
SCOUTING THE SOONERS
Oklahoma is coming off its first loss in two years, ending the NCAA record of 71-straight wins on Sunday against Louisiana at home. The Sooners are fourth in the country in batting average (.382), fifth in scoring (8.16), and sixth in slugging percentage (.661). Four batters are batting .435 or better: Rylie Boone, Alyssa Brito, Tiare Jennings, and Kasidi Pickering. Brito also had seven home runs, which is seventh in the country. Karlie Keeney is pitching to an ERA of 1.40, while Nicole May has an ERA of 1.50.