The 2020 season is underway with all 17 Lone Star Conference teams in action. Five teams – Texas A&M-Kingsville, UT Tyler, Lubbock Christian, Western New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico – are off to a perfect start.
A full schedule of non-conference games is on deck for this week.
LSC softball teams are playing a single round-robin conference schedule with a doubleheader (two games) against each league opponent. The LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games.
The single-elimination LSC Championship featuring the top 10 teams will be played April 30-May 2, at the No. 1 seed. The winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league’s automatic qualification into NCAA postseason.
LSC softball teams are 44-28 overall this season. In the NCAA Division II South Central Region, the group is currently 8-0 combined versus Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams.
LSC schedule and results available here:
http://www.lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=softball&&
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTER
Jaiden Johnson, Oklahoma Christian University, JR, Undeclared, Utility, Las Vegas, Nev., Coronado HS
Johnson had a spectacular debut for OC, leading the Eagles to a 4-1 week – which included dominant wins over three teams that made last year’s NCAA Division II tournament – in the Desert Stinger. In the five games, she hit .625 (10 of 16) with three home runs (including a grand slam), two doubles, 13 RBIs, 11 runs scored, a .684 on-base percentage and a 1.313 slugging percentage. She also stole seven bases in as many attempts. After one week, she leads the LSC in RBIs, hits and home runs and is second in stolen bases. Johnson set a school record with eight RBIs as the Eagles rolled past San Francisco State 17-4 on Friday, recording two run-scoring singles during a nine-run first inning and later adding a grand slam and a solo home run. OC scored 57 runs in its five games in the season-opening event, beating 2019 national-tournament qualifiers San Francisco State, Western Oregon (14-9) and Central Washington (11-3) as well as Regis (12-0).
PITCHER
Breanna Smith, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, SR, Animal Sciences, Pitcher, San Antonio, Texas, Winston Churchill
Smith accounted for half of the Javelinas' six wins during the season's opening weekend, tossing three complete game victories, all of them against ranked opponents, and pitching to a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings. In TAMUK's season opener against No. 7 Central Oklahoma, Smith allowed just one run on three hits with nine strikeouts in a 4-1 victory. The next day, against No. 14 Southern Arkansas, she put together seven innings, allowing three earned runs, and wriggled out of a jam in the final frame to preserve a 5-4 triumph. Smith capped off the weekend with six shutout innings at the expense of No. 21 Tarleton on Sunday to help her team secure a run-rule win, 8-0. In 20 innings, she held the opposition to a .141 batting average and totaled 15 strikeouts.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Hitter
F-3 Jaiden Johnson, Oklahoma Christian
Pitcher
F-3 Breanna Smith, Texas A&M-Kingsville
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Ashley Turner, Midwestern State University, opened the 2020 season with three straight multi-hit games. The sophomore finished 2-for-4 against both West Alabama and Mississippi College before recording a career-high three hits, including a triple, against Palm Beach Atlantic. Turner hit a gaudy .583 (7-for-12) and knocked in a pair of runs at the Gulf Shores Invitational.
Aracely Araiza, The University of Texas Permian Basin, hit a two RBI triple against Southeastern Oklahoma to give her team a 3-0 early lead. She got at least one hit in every game over the weekend going 5-9 in that stretch.
Clarissa Martinez, Lubbock Christian University, was vital at the plate in LCU's 3-0 week, which included wins over No. 9 Florida Tech and No.24 Valdosta State at the Gulf Shores Invitational. She hit .545, with at least one hit in all three games (two multi-hit games). Six of her at-bats came with the bases empty and she was 3-for-6 in those at-bats. She was also 3-for-5 in at-bats with runners on base and 3-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Martinez was 2-for-4 against No.9 Florida Tech and 3-for-3 in LCU's 8-0 win over Lee. Two of her hits on the week were doubles and she produced an RBI over Lee.
Alyx Cordell, West Texas A&M University, a Canyon, Texas native, was a force at the plate for the Lady Buffs in the opening weekend of the season. Cordell led WT’s offense with a .500 batting average, scoring seven runs and seven RBI. The senior recorded 12 at bats, tallying nine total bases with a .647 on-base-percentage. She set the tone for the Lady Buffs with her second career grand slam to lead the Lady Buffs to a 8-0 shutout over MSU-Billings at the Desert Stinger Invite.
Shelby Carter, Tarleton State University, enjoyed quite the collegiate debut as the freshman catcher from Robinson led the team with a .429 average in the opening tournament of the weekend. In arguably the toughest Division II tournament in the country, Carter recorded nine base hits in six games. She boasted back-to-back three-hit performances against Harding and Henderson State, including five total RBI in those two games. She also had a double and scored the first run of the game in Tarleton's comeback win over No. 1 Augustana Sunday afternoon. In the field, she had 39 putouts and an assist behind the plate.
Matisen Onofrei, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, swung one of the hottest bats for TAMUK as her team posted a perfect 6-0 record during the first weekend of the season. Against Pittsburg State on Friday, she smacked her first career triple and later came around to score the game's first run. Onofrei then had a banner day against Arkansas Tech on Saturday, starting the game with a first-inning grand slam and later adding an RBI double in a 12-7 triumph. She also scored three times against ATU. Onofrei finished the weekend by adding one more home run against Tarleton and two more hits off Minnesota Duluth. The Javelina catcher had at least one hit in all six TAMUK wins, hit .421 with four extra base hits, scored five times and drove in six runs.
Avery Williams, Texas Woman's University, led the Pioneers offensive attack at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational. The team went 2-3 on the weekend with wins over #1 Augustana and #7 Central Oklahoma. She scored runs in each of those games, both of which were 1 run victories.
Brittany Santellanes , Western New Mexico University, was a force at the plate notching 4 hits, including 2 homeruns in her Mustang debut. With their best start since the 2010 season, WNMU swept the Grizzlies of Adams State over the weekend, including a come from behind 12-4 win in game three. Santellanes tallied 5 RBIs on the weekend, to go along with 3 runs.
Madison Schaefer, Texas A&M University-Commerce, had several big hits for the Lions in their opening weekend, as she sparked the Lion offense as well as holding down the hot corner on defense. Against No. 7 Central Oklahoma, she had a three-run homer and also a sac fly, driving in four runs. She also had an RBI against Harding. Against Pitt State, she hit a solo homer and scored the game-winning run, as she scored twice and had two hits. She also had hits against both Minnesota Duluth and Augustana.
Abby Cousins, The University of Texas Permian Basin, held No. 7 Central Oklahoma to three hits and no runs in a complete game shutout. She allowed no extra base hits and no walks only allowing three base runners during the game.
Emily Otto, Texas A&M University-Commerce, picked up right where she left off her All-American 2019 season, as she picked up a pair of wins and a pair of saves for the No. 10 Lions last week. She started her season with a shutout of No. 7 Central Oklahoma, giving up just three hits. Later in the day, she picked up the save against Harding. On Saturday, she pitched another complete game shutout, as the team defeated Pitt State. She was again called on for the save against Minnesota Duluth and delivered. On Sunday, she went toe-to-toe with No. 1 Augustana, giving up just one run in the team's 1-0 loss. Over the week, she had a 0.34 ERA against some of the top teams in the nation, with 17 strikeouts and only one run given up in 20.2 innings.
Taylor Franco, Lubbock Christian University, was dominate in the circle, leading LCU to wins over No.9 Florida Tech and Lee University (LCU also beat No.24 Valdosta State on the week) at the Gulf Shores Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala. She pitched to 33 of the 34 batters Saturday against Florida Tech (Jordan Wehr faced one batter in a sac situation and Franco re-entered) and got the win in nine innings, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out five. Franco improved to 2-0 Sunday with a complete game shutout over Lee, as she struck out six batters in 5.0 innings. Lee was 0-for-3 getting runs across with the bases loaded and with runners on third base and less than two outs. She forced 20 (of 29) groundouts in balls put into play, and opponents to hit 3-for-22 (.136) with runners on base and 1-for-14 (.071) in two-out at-bats on the week.
Jordan Withrow, Tarleton State University, opened the 2020 season in mid-season form as the senior from Trenton boasted a 1.80 ERA in 23.1 innings of work and went 3-1 in the opening weekend. In arguably the toughest tournament in the country with eight nationally ranked teams in attendance, Withrow pitched in four of the games and started two. She opened the season with a complete-game win against Minnesota-Duluth with 11 strikeouts. She also came up big in the tournament finale against the No. 1 team in the country. After Augustana jumped out to three quick runs in the first, Withrow came on in relief and shut out the Vikings over the final 6.2 innings as the Texans knocked off the defending national champs. For the weekend, Withrow boasted 28 strikeouts in 23.1 innings of work.
Kyra Lair, West Texas A&M University, posted a 1.80 ERA as the Canyon, Texas native picked up three wins to lead the Lady Buffs to a 3-2 record in the opening weekend. The sophomore made an appearance in all five games to record 23 strikeouts through 23.1 innings, including a season-high seven strikeouts in a 10-2 victory over MSU-Billings at the Desert Stinger Invite.
Lindsey Stoeckel, Oklahoma Christian University, starred as both a pitcher and a hitter as OC went 4-1 in the Desert Stinger, posting dominant wins over three teams (Central Washington, San Francisco State, Western Oregon) that made last year’s NCAA Division II tournament. She recorded the pitching wins against San Francisco State and Western Oregon on Saturday, pitching a complete-game three-hitter in the first game (allowing only one earned run) and throwing the last four innings to preserve a 14-9 win in the second game. Stoeckel also allowed only one earned run in four innings in OC’s lone loss, a 7-3 setback to Montana State-Billings, finishing the week with 10 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched. As a batter, she hit .533 (8 of 15) with three home runs, a double, 12 RBIs, six runs scored, a .563 OBP and a 1.200 slugging percentage. Her homers came in wins over Central Washington (11-3), San Francisco State (17-4) and Western Oregon. She helped OC score 57 runs in the five games.
Bailey Tisdale, Texas Woman's University, seeing her first collegiate action in the circle, earned wins versus No. 1 Augustana and No. 7 Central Oklahoma. Both games were one-run victories.
Jalyn McClain, Western New Mexico University, helped the Mustangs to their best start to a season since 2010 with a 3-0 series sweep over Adams State. The El Centro, California native pitched a complete game in the series opener for her first win of the season, before stepping in to close out game three and aid the come from behind win to seal the sweep. McClain finished the weekend with a 2-0 record and a 2.71 ERA, allowing four runs on 13 hits, to go along with six strikeouts to hold her opponent to a .325 batting average.