PHOENIX, Arizona – Texas State softball heads on the road for the first time of the 2024 season, going to the ASU/GCU Classic hosted by Arizona State and Grand Canyon in Arizona.
The tournament will start on Thursday which runs through Sunday. In the four days, the 'Cats will play six games against Arizona State, Grand Canyon, Ohio State, Seton Hall, Utah Valley and Idaho State.
Texas State embarks on its first road trip after starting the year with 12 home games and an 8-4 record from those games. The Bobcats have two run-rule wins over Sam Houston and Northern Colorado and a win over Big 12 foe Texas Tech already under its belt in addition to the wins against Southern Illinois, Creighton, UTSA, Kennesaw State and Northwestern State.
Visit here for the ASU/GCU Classic website.
WEEKEND MATCH UPS
Thursday, Feb. 15
Texas State at Arizona State | 6 pm
Streamed on the Pac-12 Network |
Live Stats
Friday, Feb. 16
Texas State vs Seton Hall | 11:30 am |
Live stats
Ohio State vs Texas State | 2:15 pm |
Live stats
Saturday, Feb. 17
Utah Valley vs Texas State | 11:30 am |
Live stats
Texas State vs Idaho State | 2:15 pm |
Live stats
Sunday, Feb. 11
Texas State at Grand Canyon | 12:30 pm
Streamed on ESPN+ |
Live Stats
GAME NOTES
- Texas State returned all 21 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 seniors Anna Jones, Piper Randolph and JJ Smith
- Offensively, the Bobcats return 100 percent of their RBI from last year.
- The only exception is Claire Ginder who anticipated returning to the team but had to get season-ending surgery to help with an injury before the season began.
- In the circle, the Bobcats return Mullins, Karsen Pierce (20 appearances, 14 starts), Presley Glende (11 appearances, 2 starts) and Tori McCann (26 appearances, 17 starts) and Analisa Soliz (eight appearances, one start).
- Texas State returns 100 percent of its innings pitched from last season.
- Head coach Ricci Woodard is in her 24th season at the helm of Texas State softball.
- A coach with 12 conference championships and 10 NCAA Regional appearances, Woodard has 805 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.
- In her senior year, pitcher Jessica Mullins has entered Texas State's all-time top-10 in several career categories.
- Mullins ranks:
- 4th in career ERA (1.77)
- 5th in career wins (73)
- 5th in career strikeouts (625)
- 5th in career appearances (132)
- In addition to Mullins, third baseman Sara Vanderford is also climbing the Texas State career lists.
- The 5th year is 3rd in career batting average (.328), 1st in career doubles (53), 2nd in career home runs (31), and 2nd in career RBI (148).
- To move into first on the career RBI list, Vanderford will need 17 RBI to surpass Ariel Ortiz (2015-18.)
- Vanderford would need 9 home runs to move into first.
- The Bobcats game this weekend with Seton Hall is the Bobcats first rematch with the members of the 2023 NCAA Regional in Austin that the Bobcats played in. The 'Cats are slated to play all three of the other school in that regional, Seton Hall, Texas and Texas A&M, again this season.
- The Bobcats will host Texas on Feb. 28, host Texas A&M on March 20.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Arizona State
All-time series: Texas State trails 2-5
Last meeting: Feb. 27, 2022 (W 2-0)
Seton Hall
All-time series: Series is tied 1-1
Last meeting: May 20, 2023 (W 4-3)
Ohio State
All-time series: First meeting
Utah Valley
All-time series: Texas State leads 1-0
Last meeting: Feb. 17, 2006 (W 11-2)
Idaho State
All-time series: First meeting
Grand Canyon
All-time series: Texas State trails 0-2
Last meeting: Feb. 27, 2016 (L 0-10)
