SAN MARCOS, Texas – The 2023 season for Texas State softball has officially arrived.
 
The Bobcats will host the Texas State Tournament starting on Friday and runs through Sunday. In the three days, will play five games against the likes of Wichita State, Kent State and Villanova.
 
Texas State, which is coming off a 38-win campaign and narrowly missing an NCAA Regional as an at-large bid, was picked second in the Sun Belt coaches preseason poll. The Bobcats have finished in the conference's top three in the standings for three straight years, but the league has grown this year with three new teams: James Madison, Marshall and Southern Miss.
 
But the conference slate is over a month away, and the Bobcats will play their first 16 games of the season at home – starting with this weekend.
 
Texas State opens the season with a doubleheader against Wichita State (3 pm) and Kent State (5:30 pm) on Friday. It will then play a doubleheader on Saturday (Kent State, Villanova) before closing out the weekend against the Shockers on Sunday.
 
Wichita State was picked second in the AAC coaches preseason poll while Kent State and Villanova were picked sixth and second, respectively, in their conference preseason polls. Villanova has won the BIG EAST titles in each of the last two years.
 
All-tournament passes are available. The Texas State games on Friday and Sunday will be streamed on ESPN+ while the Saturday games for the Bobcats can be heard on KTSW 89.9.
 
WEEKEND MATCHUPS
2023 Texas State Tournament
Bobcat Softball Stadium | San Marcos, Texas
 
Friday, Feb. 10
Wichita State vs. Villanova – 10 am
Live Stats
 
Villanova vs. Kent State – 12:30 pm
Live Stats
 
Wichita State vs. Texas State – 3 pm
Tickets | ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
Kent State vs. Texas State – 5:30 pm
Tickets | ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
Saturday, Feb. 11
Kent State vs. Texas State – 10 am
Tickets | KTSW 89.9 FM | Online Audio | Live Stats
 
Villanova vs. Texas State – 12:30 pm
Tickets | KTSW 89.9 FM | Online Audio | Live Stats
 
Kent State vs. Wichita State – 3 pm
Live Stats
 
Villanova vs. Wichita State – 5:30 pm
Live Stats
 
Sunday, Feb. 12
Kent State vs. Villanova – 10 am
Live Stats
 
Texas State vs. Wichita State – 12 pm
Tickets | ESPN+ | KTSW 89.9 FM | Online Audio | Live Stats
 
GAME NOTES

• Texas State returns 12 players (11 letterwinners) from last year's team, including former All-Sun Belt players Jessica Mullins (pitcher), Sara Vanderford (third base), Ciara Trahan (outfield) and Hannah Earls (shortstop).
  • The Bobcats also return position players Claire Ginder, who played in all but one game last year, Anna Jones (52 games) and Piper Randolph (43 games).
  • Offensively, the Bobcats return 61 percent of their RBI from last year (146 out of 238).
  • In the circle, the Bobcats return Mullins, Karsen Pierce (26 appearances, 13 starts), Presley Glende (17 appearances, 3 starts) and Tori McCann (7 appearances, 2 starts).
  • Texas State returns 98 percent of its innings pitched from last season.
• Head coach Ricci Woodard will enter her 23rd season at the helm of Texas State softball.
  • A coach with 12 conference championships and 9 NCAA Regional appearances, Woodard enters the season with 762 career wins.
  • Woodard is 28th among active Division I coaches in career wins.
  • She has a shot this season to join the group of 26 active Division I head coaches with 800 career wins.
  • Among the top-30 NCAA Division I head coaches in terms of career wins, Woodard is one of only 13 coaches to accumulate their wins at one school. Others: Patty Gasso (Oklahoma), Jana McGinnis (Jacksonville State), Holly Hesse (Missouri State), Fran Troyan (Lehigh), Mary Ellen-Hall (Houston Christian), Jane Worthington (Eastern Kentucky), Deanna Gumpf (Notre Dame), Patti Gerckens (UC San Diego), Brian Kolze (Pacific), Chris Cannata (Albany), Gordon Eakin (BYU) and Lisa Costello (Towson).
• Only entering her junior year, pitcher Jessica Mullins has entered Texas State's all-time top-10 in several career categories.
  • Mullins ranks:
    • 4th in career ERA (1.76)
    • 6th in career wins (47)
    • 6th in career strikeouts (423)
    • 10th in career appearances (84)
  • She has the opportunity to move up the career strikeouts this weekend. She is 11 strikeouts shy of matching Ragan Blake (2007-08) for 5th on the all-time list. The next Bobcat she is looking to reach is Katie Ann Trahan (2003-06), who is 4th on the all-time list with 809 punchouts.
• In addition to Mullins, third baseman Sara Vanderford is also climbing the Texas State career lists.
  • The senior is 2nd in career batting average (.336), 7th in career doubles (36), 7th in career home runs (22), and 9th in career RBI (100).
  • Vanderford is within striking distance of 7th in the Bobcats' all-time career RBI list. Hailey Mackay (2018-21) and Kendall Wiley (2014-16) are tied for 7th.
  • Vanderford also needs one home run to match Ashley Wilson (2002-05) for 6th on the all-time career home runs list.
• Texas State has won 3 straight season openers entering 2023 and 4 of its last 5 (dating back to 2018).
  • This is the first year Texas State has opened a season at home since 2021.
  • In 2021, Texas State was slated to start its season in Arlington, Texas, but after the games were canceled, they opened the season at home on Monday, Feb. 22 and beat Abilene Christian in both games of a doubleheader.
• Texas State plays all of its home games in February at home and will look to maintain a winning record in the opening month for the 3rd straight year.
  • Texas State is 23-13 in February over the last 3 seasons.
    • 2022: 6-5
    • 2021: 6-2
    • 2020: 11-6

 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Wichita State
All-time series: Texas State trails, 4-10
Last meeting: Feb. 16, 2020 (W, 9-1, 6 inn.)
All-time in San Marcos: Texas State trails, 2-3
 
Kent State
All-time series: Texas State trails, 0-1
Last meeting: Feb. 7, 2009 (L, 0-1)
All-time in San Marcos: First meeting in San Marcos
 
Villanova
All-time series: First meeting