SAN MARCOS, Texas – Jessica Mullins was named the 2024 Sun Belt Preseason Pitcher of the Year while
Sara Vanderford was named Preseason All-Sun Belt alongside Mullins. Texas State softball was picked third in the preseason coaches poll as the Sun Belt Conference announced its honors ahead of the 2024 campaign on Wednesday.
Mullins is a senior out of Tarkington, Texas, who is coming off a 2023 season in which she was named All-Sun Belt First Team for the third-straight year and NFCA All-South Third Team. She finished the 2023 season with a 22-12 record, 1.88 ERA, 176 strikeouts, 17 complete games and four shutouts.
Vanderford, a 5
th year senior from Pasadena, Texas, started all 61 games for the Bobcats last season and hit .317/.380/.522 in 180 plate appearances. The third baseman also had 16 doubles, 7 home runs and a team-best 39 RBI.
Vanderford enters the 2023 season second in program history with a career .330 batting average, first in career doubles with 53, second with 29 career home runs, and second with 139 career RBI.
The Bobcats were selected third in the preseason coaches poll with 122 votes, trailing South Alabama narrowly with 127 The Ragin' Cajuns were a unanimous selection as the preseason favorite, earning all 12 first-place votes.
Texas State finished fifth in the Sun Belt standings last season after going 13-9-1 in conference play and 35-25-1 overall.
This is the third year in a row a Bobcat has earned an individual preseason honor from the Sun Belt. Mullins won the 2023 Preseason Pitcher of the Year award while Vanderford won the 2022 Preseason Player of the Year award.
Texas State will begin its 24 season on Thursday, February 8 with a doubleheader against UTSA (2 p.m.) and Northwestern State (4:15 p.m.) at Bobcat Softball Stadium. The two games are the first of five games in the Bobcats' opening weekend Texas State Tournament that runs through February 11 at Bobcat Softball Stadium.
Tickets, including season and single-game, are on sale now at TXST.com/tickets.
2024 SUN BELT CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
- Louisiana - 144 (12)
- South Alabama - 127
- Texas State - 122
- Troy - 98
- James Madison - 94
- Coastal Carolina - 81
- Marshall - 79
- ULM - 59
- Southern Miss - 49
- Georgia State - 35
- Georgia Southern - 25
- App State - 23
2024 SUN BELT CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Player of the Year
Mihyia Davis, Louisiana (So., OF – Lovelady, Texas)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Jessica Mullins, Texas State (Sr., P – Tarkington, Texas)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
Lauren Allred, Louisiana (So., 1B – Texarkana, Texas)
Taylor McKinney, Troy (Jr., 2B – Montgomery, Ala.)
Alexa Langeliers, Louisiana (Jr., 2B – Keller, Texas)
Sydney Bickel, Marshall (Sr., SS – Peoria, Ariz.)
Brooke Ellestad, Louisiana (Jr., SS – Kimberly, Wis.)
Sara Vanderford, Texas State (Gr., 3B – Pasadena, Texas)
Delaney Keith, Coastal Carolina (So., 3B – Nampa, Idaho)
Mihyia Davis, Louisiana (So., OF – Lovelady, Texas)
Mackenzie Brasher, South Alabama (Gr., OF – Orange Beach, Ala.)
Kayt Houston, App State (Sr., OF – Rock Hill, S.C.)
Sophie Piskos, Louisiana (Sr., C – Paris, Tenn.)
Iyanla De Jesus, Coastal Carolina (Gr., DP – Mill Creek, Wash.)
Jessica Mullins, Texas State (Sr., P – Tarkington, Texas)
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama (Sr., P – Walker, La.)
Sam Landry, Louisiana (Jr., P – Mont Belvieu, Texas)
