Softball | 2/16/2017 8:36:00 AM

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State University softball program, coming off a successful 4-1 showing at its season-opening CenturyLink Classic, continues its early nonconference season at the DeMarini Desert Classic in Las Vegas this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 17-19).
 
TEXAS STATE'S DEMARINI DESERT CLASSIC SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEB. 17
Noon (CT) – Texas State vs. BYU
      LIVE STATS:  TXStateBobcats.com
4:30 p.m. (CT) – Texas Tech vs. Hawai'i

SATURDAY, FEB. 18
Noon (CT) – Iowa vs. Idaho State
2:15 p.m. (CT) – Texas State vs. Weber State

SUNDAY, FEB 19
11:00 a.m. – Abilene Christian vs. Utah State • Texas State opens the event facing BYU on Friday at Noon (CT). TXST leads the all-time series against the Cougars by a 2-1 margin with all three game having been played on neutral ground.
• Texas State and Hawai'i will play at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 17. The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 2-2. The Bobcats are 2-1 against the Warriors at neutral sites and 0-1 in Honolulu.
• On Saturday (Feb. 18) the Bobcats face a pair of first time opponents in Idaho State (Noon CT) and Weber State (2:15 CT).
• Texas State and Utah State are slated for an 11 a.m. (CT) first pitch on Sunday (Feb. 19). The Aggies lead the all-time series against the Bobcats by a 5-3 margin, including 2-1 at neutral sites.
  • Texas State went 4-1 in its own season-opening CenturyLink Classic. After falling to Abilene Christian 1-0 to start the tournament, the Bobcats reeled off four straight wins over Texas Tech, Iowa, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Abilene Christian.
• Freshman Haleigh Davis led the Bobcats at the plate with a .429 average, which included three hits, a run and two RBI. Also performing well for the TXST offense was Taylor Webb with her two home runs, including a grand slam.
• Texas State received stellar pitching performances from starters Jodi Paige Williams and Randi Rupp. Williams posted a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA, while striking out seven and scattering six hits through 12.0 innings of work. Rupp, who was the tough-luck loser in the loss to ACU, went 2-1 on the weekend with 24 strikeouts and a 1.58 ERA.
  • RHP Randi Rupp has started the 2017 season picking up where she left off in 2016. The junior, who finished last year with 335 strikeouts, started the 2017 campaign with an 11-strikeout performance against Abilene Christian.  She then totaled eight Ks against Iowa and five more in her second game against Abilene Christian (4.0 innings). Her 24 total strikeouts to open the season rank second in the Sun Belt and 14th in the NCAA.
  • Texas State hitters Jaelyn Young, Ariel Ortiz and Taylor Webb combined for four home runs in the season's first five games. Young and Webb hit the Bobcats first two of the season – going back-to-back for the only runs in the 2-0 win over Iowa. Ortiz hit hers in the 8-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Webb's second of the season was a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the first against Abilene Christian.
• The Bobcats' 0.8 home runs per game average ranks 47th in the NCAA and co-lead the Sun Belt with Georgia Southern and South Alabama.
  • For all of the latest news and information on Bobcat softball, visit TXSTATEBOBCATS.com. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TXStateSoftball along on Twitter (@TXStateSoftball) and Instagram (@TXStateSoftball).