COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University softball team enters the final weekend of its season with a doubleheader against UT Arlington on Tuesday, which are the final two non-conference games of the season.
LIONS' SCHEDULE VS. THE MAVERICKS
FACULTY/STAFF APPRECIATION DAY
Tuesday is faculty and staff appreciation day. All East Texas A&M faculty and staff members can receive a free ticket to the game by contacting
LionTickets@etamu.edu.
TRACK & FIELD SENIOR DAY
Prior to the second game, the seniors from the track and field team will be honored with a special senior day ceremony.
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 17 double plays this season, which is 79th in the country and fourth 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 26 runners stealing, with
Gracie Alejo (Waco - Connally) leading the way with 16 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 149th 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 top 50 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 two home runs against HCU to increase her season total to 15, which is 51st in the country, while also being second in the Southland. She is now also fifth all-time in program history for most home runs in a single season.
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 MAVERICKS
The Lions and the Mavericks meet for the third straight season with both teams being 1-1 against each other, having won in their home parks. UTA is 21-21 on the season, having won three in a row over Utah Tech this past week. The Mavericks' notable non-conference wins include New Mexico State, Tulsa (twice), South Dakota State (twice), UTSA, and Baylor.
Valeria Feeney is batting .364 with 23 RBIs, while Mia McNulty has hit 12 home runs to lead the team, while also driving in team-best 38 RBIs. In the circle, Madi McDonnell has an ERA of 5.44 in 32 appearances.
-ETAMU-
