COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team is on the road for the final time in Southland Conference play as the Lions play at Northwestern State this weekend.
LIONS' SCHEDULE AGAINST THE LADY DEMONS
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE LIONS
The Lions are slated to face Wichita State at home next Wednesday and play at Texas A&M on Thursday.
SLOW START TO CONFERENCE PLAY
The Lions are still searching for their first conference win of the season. Despite not having won a game, the Lions still have a path to clinching a spot into the Southland Conference Tournament, needing to win all six remaining conference games.
STREAK SNAPPED
A&M-Commerce walked-off a 14-6 win in five innings on March 26 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff to snap a 21-game losing streak. The 14 runs scored tied the season-high for runs and 16 hits are a new season-best.
Charli Anger (Lubbock - Cooper) hit a three-run home run in the first inning, while
Ashley Diaz (Chino, Calif.) ended the night with a two-run walk-off inside the park home run.
On April 2, the Lions took the win over UT Arlington, which snapped a four-game losing streak. A&M-Commerce was undefeated on Tuesdays this season, entering into the doubleheader against the Mean Green, which UNT swept.
BIG WIN OVER THE MAVERICKS
The Lions picked up a 5-2 win over UT Arlington on April 2 at home. After taking the early lead on a two-run home run, the game was tied at two, but the Lions scored three in the fourth to take the win. It was the program's first win over a school in the DFW Metroplex in the Division I era. A&M-Commerce is 2-0 on Tuesdays this season.
PLAYED AGAINST THE NATION'S BEST
On March 6, the Lions played at Oklahoma, who was ranked No. 1 in the coaches rankings entering the game, marking the first time the Lions 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 Sooners scored five in the first inning and won 9-0 in five. A&M-Commerce's
Tehya Pitts (Denton - Guyer) and
Tatum Wright (Frisco - Centennial) had a hit each.
MEEP MEEP
The Lions have stolen 71 bases thus far this season, which is tied for 27
th in NCAA Division I. Pitts has 18 on the season, which is tied for 54th in the country and
Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill) has 13, while
Isabella Arzola (Chino, Calif.) has 11, and
Diamond Sefe (Carson, Calif.) has 10.
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 Sefe went back-to-back in the season opener against UMass Lowell to put the Lions ahead. The duo has three home runs each this season, being tied for the team lead.
TOUCHING HOME PLATE
Thus far this season, the Lions have scored 93 runs at home, while having scored just 28 last season.
PITTS CATCHES ON FIRE AGAINST SIUE
In the three-game series against the Cougars, Pitts batted 7 for 11 (.636) to lead the Lions.
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 nine games against teams that played in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
The games against Power Five conference opponents include three-game series against Houston, and No. 20 Arkansas last weekend, 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 as did Wichita State and A&M-Commerce hosts 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 LADY DEMONS
Northwestern State enters this weekend with an overall record of 14-26, while being 2-13 in Southland play. A streak is going to be broken in the first game on Friday as the Lions have lost eight in a row coming into this week, while the Lady Demons have lost seven in a row. The Lions took two of three over NSU at home last season for one of their two series win in SLC play. Tristin Court is batting .333 with two home runs and team-high 26 RBIs. Both Taylor Williams and Ashlyn Walker has two home runs each. Maggie Darr is 5-13 in the circle with an ERA of 3.12, while Kenzie Seely has 84 strikeouts, having pitched to an ERA of 3.57.
-TAMUC-
