Softball | 2/12/2015 12:10:00 PM

SAN MARCOS, Texas – After finishing with a 3-2 mark last weekend in the Hampton Inn & Suites Tournament, the Texas State softball team looks to pick up victories over Grand Canyon, Texas Tech, and UTSA in the CenturyLink Classic hosted at the Bobcat Softball Stadium.
 
A Look At The Competition
Grand Canyon
After winning the WAC championship in 2014, the first season of Division I softball at Grand Canyon, the Antelopes are off to a 4-2 start to the 2015 season.
 
The Antelopes were picked to finish second in the WAC behind New Mexico State.
 
After the first week of play, senior Kelsey Barak was named the WAC Hitter of the Week. Barak had a hit in each of the Antelopes' six games last weekend at the GCU Kickoff Tournament. She had nine hits in 20 at bats for a .450 batting average.
 
The Antelopes' team ERA is 3.33 and they have allowed just a .214 batting average for their opponents. As a team, Grand Canyon is hitting .310.
 
Texas Tech
Texas Tech enters the tournament with a 2-3 overall record. The Lady Raiders won their first two contests of the season before dropping the next three.
 
Jordan Bettiol leads the squad with a batting average of .563 after posting nine hits during the first weekend of play. Devon Thorney leads the team with six RBI.
 
In 32.2 innings pitched, the Lady Raiders have a team ERA of 5.79 and have held their opponents to a .316 batting average.
 
UTSA
The I-35 rival Roadrunners come up to the CenturyLink Classic with a 4-1 overall record with their only defeat coming against No. 18 Nebraska.
 
Vivian Tijerina finished last weekend with a .538 batting average after recorded seven hits, seven runs, four doubles, and a pair of home runs. The team started the weekend hitting at a .338 mark but allowed its opponents a mark of .333.
 
Michelle Cheatham is the head coach of the Roadrunners and is currently in her second season at the helm.
 
Bobcat Tidbits
Freshman Ariel Ortiz was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after having arguably one of the most prolific collegiate debuts in Texas State history.
 
The Waxahachie, Texas native finished the weekend going 11-for-17 with three home runs, one triple, five doubles, seven RBI, and nine runs scored, all of which marked team highs. She finished the weekend with 27 total bases and a slugging percentage of 1.588 percent. In addition to getting on the bases by way of hits, Ortiz drew six walks that attributed to a .739 on base percentage for the weekend. Ortiz recorded a hit in every game throughout the tournament and started in all five contests for the Bobcats.
 
The Bobcats as a team hit .350 for the weekend while recording eight home runs. Kelli Baker, Isabelle Barnes, Lexi Fryar, Kortney Koroll, and Sara Rupp all connected on pitches this weekend for their first home runs of the season.

Head coach Ricci Woodard is now just 13 games shy of her 500th career victory at Texas State. She is the winningest coach in the history of Texas State softball.

Bobcat Additions
After a fifth-place finish in its inaugural season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, the Texas State softball team looks to improve in 2015 with a solid group of newcomers, a core group of returners, and changes within its staff.
 
Two changes in the offseason for the Bobcats were the hiring's of two-time Olympians Cat Osterman and Kelly Kretschman as assistant coaches. Osterman, the reigning National Professional Fastpitch's Pitcher of the Year, will primarily work with the Bobcat pitching staff.
 
Kretschman, a .330 career hitter and six-time NPF Champion, will assist with recruiting in addition to coaching the outfielders and hitters.
 
Along with the changes on the coaching staff, the Texas State softball team welcomes seven newcomers to the 2015 roster. Isabelle Barnes, Allison Brascom, Braegan Hamilton, Ariel Ortiz, Randi Rupp, Sara Rupp, and Taylor Webb are all looking to make an immediate impact for the 2015 Bobcats.
 
In the summer of 2014, newcomer Randi Rupp was named the 2013-14 Gatorade Texas Softball Player of the Year after posting a 27-1 record in the circle along with a 0.45 ERA. In addition to Randi Rupp, Braegan Hamilton and Rupp's twin sister, Sara, were on the 32-1 Barbers Hill High School team that finished at the Class 4A semifinals last season.

Final Details
Fans can check out the tournament central page for full details of the schedule including links to live stats and live video that will be made available for each contest of the tournament. Live audio will also be available for Texas State contests.