COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team hosts Houston Christian for the final three games of the season, including Senior Day on Friday evening.
LIONS' SCHEDULE AGAINST THE HUSKIES
HCU GAME NOTES
PROMOTIONS
This week's series is the Lion Spring Bash. Prior to Thursday's game, the athletic department holds a special graduation ceremony for track student-athletes that will miss normal graduation due to the conference championships.
In between the two games on Thursday, Lions host a senior day ceremony for track & field and golf seniors as well as a recognition for the women's golf team's second-place finish at the Southland championships.
Prior to the game on Friday, the Lions will honor graduating seniors
Anissa Arredondo (San Antonio - Warren),
Ashley Diaz (Chino, Calif.), and
Lencia Powell (Birdville).
ITS BEEN A LONG TIME
Due to weather and game cancelations, the Lions return to the diamond on Thursday after having last played on April 20 at Northwestern State, resulting in a 12-day hiatus.
PICKED UP A SLC WIN
The Lions took the first game of the conference schedule in the first game of the series at the Lady Demons, snapping an 18-game losing streak. The Lions are 1-20 entering the final series.
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 40
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 HUSKIES
Houston Christian is coming off a sweep of Northwestern State, which secured a bid into the conference tournament and will be the seventh seed in the SLC Tournament next weekend in Hammond, Louisiana. The Huskies are 20-24 with notable non-conference wins over New Mexico and North Dakota. Jasie Roberts is hitting .354 on the season with three home runs and 18 RBIs, while Haylie Savage is batting .295 with team-best seven home runs and 23 RBIs. Lyndie Swanson is 7-7 in the cirlce with an ERA of 3.10 with 71 strikeouts, while Ronni Grofman is 6-9 on the season with an ERA of 3.19.
-TAMUC-
