COMMERCE – Only eight games remain in the regular season for the East Texas A&M University softball team and all eight come at home, beginning with a three-game series against HCU this weekend.   

LIONS' WEEKEND SCHEDULE VS. THE HUSKIES

Day	Opponent	Time	Coverage
Friday	HCU	5 p.m.	Listen (Lion Sports Network) | Watch (ESPN+) | SLC International | Live Stats | Tickets
Friday	HCU	7 p.m.	Listen (Lion Sports Network) | Watch (ESPN+) | SLC International | Live Stats | Tickets
Saturday	HCU	Noon	Listen (Lion Sports Network) | Watch (ESPN+) | SLC International | Live Stats | Tickets

GOLD RUSH
All fans attending Friday's doubleheader against HCU are encouraged to wear gold for the Gold Rush game. The first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free Gold Rush rally towel. 

SPRING FEST
Saturday's game is part of Spring Fest. More information about Spring Fest can be found HERE.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE LIONS
The Lions welcomes UT Arlington and McNeese next week to close out the regular season.

A NEW ERA OF LION SOFTBALL BEGINS
East Texas A&M is now a full Division I member, achieving full member status a year ahead of schedule, and is eligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament this season.
The Lions also debut their new Nike uniforms, being the only school in the Southland that is outfitted by Nike.

STREAK SNAPPED AGAINST THE ISLANDERS
The Lions took the series finale over A&M-Corpus Christi on March 14 to snap a 20-game losing streak and pick up their first Southland Conference win of the year. With the win, East Texas A&M is now 4-2 against the Islanders over the last two seasons. It was also the first road win of the season and third for the Lions in the Division I era.  

CHALLENGED THE BEST OF THE BEST
On March 11, the Lions took on defending national champion and No. 3/3 Texas, falling in five innings. The Lions have now played the defending national champion in each of the past three seasons. The Longhorns are currently ranked in the top five across all major polls.  

PAST THE HALF-WAY MARK
East Texas A&M has six wins on the season following the series at A&M-Corpus Christi. The Lions' fifth win of the season came in the ninth game, which is the earliest the Lions have won their fifth game in the Division I era. East Texas A&M is past the half-way mark of equalling to last season's win total of 10 games, which is the most in a season in the Division I era.  

LIONS LOVE TURNING TWO
The Lions have turned 14 double plays this season, which is 102nd in the country and fifth in the Southland this season. The Lions turned 23 double plays in 52 games last season.  

STEAL AT YOUR OWN RISK
As a team, the Lions have caught 25 runners stealing, with Gracie Alejo (Waco - Connally) leading the way with 15 caught stealing by on the year, which is third in the country, while leading the Southland. 

SMALL BALL GETS THE JOB DONE
The Lions have 18 sacrifice bunts on the season, which is 131st in the country and fourth in the conference.
 
SHE'S SO FAST, SHE'S SO SAFE
KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.) has recorded three triples thus far this season, which puts her in a tie for 50th in the country. 

HOME RUN QUEENS OF THE SOUTHLAND
Last season, East Texas A&M hit 38 home runs, which led the Southland Conference. Tatum Wright (Frisco - Centennial) hit a home run against UIW to increase her season total to 13, which is 69th in the country, while also being second in the Southland.   

LOOKING TO REPEAT HISTORY
East Texas A&M is looking to return to the Southland Conference Tournament for the second year in a row. Last season, the Lions made their first ever postseason appearance in the Division I era and won 10 games overall, which is the most in the Division I era. The Lions must win five of its remaining six conference games to keep its postseason hopes alive. 

HELLO NEWCOMERS
This season's rosters features eight newcomers, with five being freshmen and three being transfers. All newcomers have appeared in at least one game this season.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
The Huskies come into Commerce this weekend having won two of its last five and increased his season record of 7-34 and 4-17 in SLC action. Outside of the four Southland wins, HCU picked up non-conference wins came against Lafayette, Prairie View A&M, and UTEP. The Huskies are 7-2 against the Lions over the last three seasons. 

Maddy Bailey is batting .289 with one home run and seven RBIs to lead the team, while Chloe Foster has 16 RBIs to lead the team. Cara Pitman has a team-best ERA of 6.45 with 32 strikeouts, while Addy Prasifka has 55 strikeouts to go along with an ERA of 7.30.