Softball | 2/7/2018 9:00:00 AM

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State University softball program, coming off back-to-back 40-win seasons and a pair of trips to the NCAA Regionals, opens the 2018 campaign by hosting the Bobcat Classic at Bobcat Softball Stadium this weekend, starting on Thursday and ending on Friday (Feb. 8-11). Texas State will then host Boston College on Feb. 12 in a non-conference showdown.

Texas State returns 11 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last season's team that earned an at-large berth to the NCAA College Station Regional. Among those returning is 2018 Preseason Pitcher of the Year for the Sun Belt Conference, Randi Rupp along with 2018 Preseason Player of the Year for the conference, Ariel Ortiz. Overall, the Bobcats return seven of their top 10 hitters from 2017.

Texas State Hosts Bobcat Classic to Open Season
• Texas State opens the 2018 campaign as hosts of the Bobcat Classic at Bobcat Softball Stadium. The four-day event features the Bobcats along with Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big Sky's Portland State and former Southland Conference rival Sam Houston State.

Inside the Series
•Texas State will play Sam Houston State twice during the event, opening the classic with first pitch coming at 6 p.m. on Feb. 8. TXST will also square off with the Bearkats on Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. The Bobcats lead the all-time series against SHSU 57-47, including a 31-17 advantage in San Marcos.
• Texas State and No. 9 Florida State will play at 4 p.m. on Feb. 9. The Bobcats and Seminoles will also play on Feb. 10 at 12:30 p.m. The two games will mark the first two times these programs have met on the softball diamond.
• Finally, Texas State will take on Portland State on the final day of action, Feb. 11, with first pitch slated for 10 a.m. The Bobcats lead the all-time series against the Vikings by a 1-0 margin, defeating Portland State 7-6 on Feb. 21, 2004.

The Bobcats Square Off with The Eagles
• Following the Bobcat Classic, the Bobcats will host the Eagles of Boston College on Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m. The game will mark the first time Texas State and Boston College have played in softball. The Eagles finished 31-22 a season ago, including a 14-9 mark inside the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Texas State Tabbed Sun Belt Preseason Favorites
• Texas State was voted first in a preseason poll of the Sun Belt Conference's head coaches.
• Texas State received 95 points and six first-place votes to edge out defending regular season and tournament champion Louisiana. The Ragin' Cajuns were voted second, receiving 92 points and four first-place votes. Georgia State (80 points) was selected third, while South Alabama (72 points) was locked into the fourth spot. ULM was picked fifth with 46 points and was followed by UTA (42 points) in sixth. Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern tied for seventh place, each securing 38 points. Troy (34 points) was penciled into the ninth spot and Appalachian State rounded out the poll in 10th with 13 points. 

Randi Rupp and Ariel Ortiz Named Preseason All-Sun Belt
• Texas State senior right-handed pitcher Randi Rupp was named Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference and the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Senior shortstop Ariel Ortiz also earned a Preseason All-Conference Team nod and was honored with Preseason Player of the Year distinctions.
• Rupp, who earned her third consecutive Sun Belt Preseason Pitcher of the Year accolade, is a three-time first team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree, a two-time second team NFCA All-Central Region selection and was named second-team All-American by the NFCA in 2017. Rupp has amassed 953 strikeouts in 779 career innings pitched. She earned a decision in 38 of 39 starts a season ago, ending with a record of 28-10. Rupp struck out 325 batters in 264.1 innings in the circle, compared to only 56 walks. She yielded 46 earned runs, giving her a career-low 1.22 ERA for the season.
• Heading into her senior season, Rupp ranks in the top five in every career pitching stat at Texas State. She is second in both wins (82) and strikeouts (953), third in innings pitched (779), ERA (1.84), and shutouts (33) and is fourth in appearances (140) and complete games (75). She has two of Texas State's 15 no-hitters and spun one of the three perfect games in program history.
• Ortiz earned first team All-Sun Belt recognition a year ago after batting a team-best .343 with 47 RBI and 34 runs scored. Ortiz started at shortstop in each of TXST's 59 games in 2017. She set the new team record, smashing 15 home runs during her junior campaign and topped the career home run list with 33 career homers. Ortiz also led the Bobcats in hits (62), doubles (16), total bases (127), slugging percentage (.702) and assists (102).
• On top of the being the leader in career home runs, Ortiz also is top-10 in school history in career RBIs (second), doubles (fourth), runs scored (fifth) and walks drawn (fifth). She needs just one RBI to match Elizabeth Wissel's mark of 128 runs batted in from 1998-01.

For all things Texas State softball, be sure to follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.