SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State softball returns home to face Penn State in a three-game series this week. The games will be March 7 at 6 pm, and a double header on March 8 at 4 and 6:30 pm. This will be the final series for the Bobcats before the start of Sun Belt Conference play.
All three games of the series will be streamed on ESPN+.
Texas State returns home with a 17-6 record so far on the season. The Bobcats are coming off a tournament at Texas Tech where they had two run-rule wins over New Mexico State and a perfect game tossed by
Jessica Mullins in a 7-0 win over UTEP. The Bobcats last home game was a one-run loss to #2 Texas.
GAME NOTES
ABOUT THE BOBCATS:
Texas State, which is coming off a 35-win campaign and an appearance in the NCAA Austin Regional as an at-large bid, was picked third in the Sun Belt coaches preseason poll. The team is 17-6 on the season so far.
The Bobcats returns 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 position players
Anna Jones,
Piper Randolph,
Karmyn Bass,
JJ Smith and
Katarina Zarate. The Bobcats return 100% of its RBI from last season.
In the circle, the Bobcats return its entire pitching staff. Mullins,
Karsen Pierce,
Presley Glende,
Tori McCann, and
Analisa Soliz round out the returners on the staff. The Bobcats also added freshman left handed pitcher Maddy Azua. Azua tossed a 12 strikeout game in her first appearance.
In her senior year, pitcher
Jessica Mullins has entered Texas State's all-time top-10 in several career categories.
- 4th overall for ERA (1.70),
- 5th for appearances (140)
- 8th for innings pitched (672)
- 4th for wins (78)
- 8th for shutouts (16).
In addition to Mullins, third baseman
Sara Vanderford is also climbing the Texas State career lists. The graduate student is third in career batting average (.334), 1st in career doubles (62), 2nd in career home runs (33), and 2nd in career RBI (157).
Hannah Earls has made her way into the record book with 70 stolen bases, good to be 3rd on the all-time list. Sophomore
Ciara Trahan is in the record books with a .326 batting average, good for third on the all-time list.
So far this season Trahan leads the team with a .394 batting average where she has 28 hits and 18 runs while tacking on 9 RBI.
ABOUT THE NITTANY LIONS:
Penn State comes into the week with a 15-2 record on the season, though with Baylor to place before the come to Bobcat Softball Stadium. Their two losses so far this season came from Liberty and #2 Texas. Penn State debuted at 16 in the RPI rankings this season.
Penn State has six batters batting above .300 this season. Leading the way Kaitlyn Morrison who's batting .372. She has 11 runs and 16 hits so far this season in 43 at bats. Among the top of the lineup is Haylie Brunson batting .333 and Gaby Garcia batting .333.
Bridget Nemeth has the most pitching appearances for the Nittany Lions this season, with 10 appearances. She has a 0.63 ERA on the season in 44.1 innings pitched. Mady Volpe has also tossed 38.0 innings this season for a 2.95 ERA.
LAST TIME THEY MET
UTEP
All-time series: Texas State trails 0-2
Last meeting: March 8, 1991 (L 1-6)
Texas State has never hosted Penn State in Bobcat Softball Stadium.
