SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State softball will head to Waco for the first time since 2021 to face the Baylor Bears in a Wednesday night meeting. On the last visit to Waco the Bobcats came away with a 7-5 win against the Bears.

ABOUT THE BOBCATS:
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 conference has grown this year with three new teams: James Madison, Marshall, and Southern Miss.
 
The Bobcats returns 12 players 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 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.
 
In her junior year, pitcher Jessica Mullins has entered Texas State's all-time top-10 in several career categories.
 
-       4th overall for ERA (1.86),
-       8th for appearances (115)
-       8th for innings pitched (548.2)
-       6th for wins (63)
-       10th for shutouts (11).
-       T10th for complete games (42).
 
Third baseman Sara Vanderford is also climbing the Texas State career lists. The senior is third in career batting average (.328), 4th in career home runs (28), and 4th in career RBI (130). In Texas State's series with ULM Vanderford hit her 50^th double of her career, which ties her for first place in school history in the category.
 
Hannah Earls has made her way into the record book with 61stolen bases, good to be 3rd on the all-time list. Sophomore Ciara Trahan is in the record books with a .317 batting average in 331 at bats, good for second on the all-time list.
 
The Bobcats head into this week's game with a 29-19-1 record on the season. The Bobcats are on a three-game winning streak after a series sweep against ULM.

So far this season Earl's leads the team with a .331 batting average where she has 51 hits and 21 runs while tacking on 12 RBI. She has been walked 15 times this season and leads the team with 19 stolen bases. On her next stolen base, she will hit 20 which will have her at her third season with 20+ stolen bases in a season, one of just seven Bobcats ever to accomplish the feat.  Additionally, Ciara Trahan leads off for the Bobcats with a .295 batting average with 28 runs on 44 hits with 15 RBI.
 
The Bobcats boast three pitchers with 15+ appearances with ERAs under 2.60. Jessica Mullins has a 2.14 ERA and a 16-8 record. Additionally, Karsen Pierce has a 2.52 ERA with a 5-3 record, and Tori McCann has a 2.38 ERA with a 7-7 record.
 
Texas State sits in 6^th place in the Sun Belt.
 
ABOUT THE BEARS:
Baylor comes into the week with a 34-13 record on the season. The Bears are coming off a three-loss streak after a visit from the nation's leaders No. 1 Oklahoma last week where they won all three games. The Bears had beat Texas Tech 16-11 and 8-5 prior to the series with Oklahoma that put them on the three-game losing streak. 
 
Baylor has four batters batting above .300 this season Shaylon Govan, Sydney Collazos, McKenzie Wilson, Ana Watson. Govan leads the way with a .391 batting average with 15 runs and 43 hits in 110 at bats. She leads the team with 43 RBI.
 
Pitching for Baylor should Dariana Orme. Orme has a 1.62 ERA with 124 strikeouts and 33 earned runs in 142.1 innings pitched. Batters have a .200 average against her. 
 
LAST TIME OUT: 
The last time the Bobcats faced the Bears the Bobcats in Waco the Bobcats won 7-5. All time, the Bears have the upper hand in the series with a 42-19 record.

UP NEXT: The Bobcats will head to West Virginia for a three-game series with Marshall from April 28-30. This will be the Bobcats final road trip of the regular season before they return home to host James Madison to close out the 2023 regular season.