Texas State softball (31-21-1, 11-8-1 Sun Belt Conference) will face off against James Madison University (27-16, 12-9 Sun Belt Conference) this Thursday to begin their final regular season conference series.
Moving into this series, the Bobcats come off of a hard-fought series against Marshall where they won two of three. On the other hand, James Madison is moving with momentum from their clean sweep over Appalachian State.
Texas State’s elite batters stepped up in their last series to help defeat Marshall. Showcasing some of their best offensive ability of the season, they posted 25 hits in those three games.
On the defensive side, the Bobcats’ bullpen also looks to be in full swing. Each of their pitchers who have pitched at least one inning per game holds an ERA under 2.53.
Junior pitcher Jessica Mullins enters this series with an ERA of 2 flat over an outstanding 160.2 innings pitched. In last week’s games, she pitched 13 innings and struck out 17.
Others who will likely appear on the mound this weekend include senior pitcher Tori McCann and junior pitcher Karsen Pierce who hold reputable ERAs of 2.35 and 2.52, respectively.
For JMU, freshman infielder KK Mathis leads the offensive charts with a .359 batting average. Over 131 plate appearances, she’s posted 12 homers and 41 RBIs. Graduate infielder Hannah Shifflett has also proven to be a threat, posting 17 home runs in 124 trips to the plate.
Senior infielder Sara Vanderford batted .454 in the Bobcats’ last matchup while charting two extra-base hits, proving the ability of the Texas State lineup.
On the basepaths, junior utility Hannah Earls has boosted the intensity of the Bobcats by accumulating 19 stolen bases this season, and will likely continue to display this aptness.
Overall, the form that The Bobcats’ softball has displayed in their recent performances has been clean. The close of the season is on the horizon, and they have buckled into an eager mindset. With the pitching ability of the Bobcats and the big bats of JMU, these two teams’ reflective records suggest a close matchup that could go either way.
The first pitch of the series is set to be thrown at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4. at Bobcat Softball Stadium in San Marcos.
Moving into this series, the Bobcats come off of a hard-fought series against Marshall where they won two of three. On the other hand, James Madison is moving with momentum from their clean sweep over Appalachian State.
Texas State’s elite batters stepped up in their last series to help defeat Marshall. Showcasing some of their best offensive ability of the season, they posted 25 hits in those three games.
On the defensive side, the Bobcats’ bullpen also looks to be in full swing. Each of their pitchers who have pitched at least one inning per game holds an ERA under 2.53.
Junior pitcher Jessica Mullins enters this series with an ERA of 2 flat over an outstanding 160.2 innings pitched. In last week’s games, she pitched 13 innings and struck out 17.
Others who will likely appear on the mound this weekend include senior pitcher Tori McCann and junior pitcher Karsen Pierce who hold reputable ERAs of 2.35 and 2.52, respectively.
For JMU, freshman infielder KK Mathis leads the offensive charts with a .359 batting average. Over 131 plate appearances, she’s posted 12 homers and 41 RBIs. Graduate infielder Hannah Shifflett has also proven to be a threat, posting 17 home runs in 124 trips to the plate.
Senior infielder Sara Vanderford batted .454 in the Bobcats’ last matchup while charting two extra-base hits, proving the ability of the Texas State lineup.
On the basepaths, junior utility Hannah Earls has boosted the intensity of the Bobcats by accumulating 19 stolen bases this season, and will likely continue to display this aptness.
Overall, the form that The Bobcats’ softball has displayed in their recent performances has been clean. The close of the season is on the horizon, and they have buckled into an eager mindset. With the pitching ability of the Bobcats and the big bats of JMU, these two teams’ reflective records suggest a close matchup that could go either way.
The first pitch of the series is set to be thrown at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4. at Bobcat Softball Stadium in San Marcos.
