#25 Texas State softball (33-12, 10-5 Sun Belt Conference) had a rough week, dropping a road matchup against #1 University of Texas (35-6, 14-4 Big 12 Conference) last Wednesday and going 1-2 versus conference rival #19 Louisiana-Lafayette (29-14, 14-1 Sun Belt Conference) last weekend.
Here are three takeaways from the Bobcats’ performance last weekend:
Louisiana-Lafayette is the best team in the Sun Belt Conference
Although Texas State ended the three-game series with a well-earned victory, the Ragin’ Cajuns shut down the Bobcats’ offense in games one and two, outscoring them 13-5. The series victory for the Ragin’ Cajuns resulted in them improving to #19 from #21 in ESPN’s Division One Softball rankings and the Bobcats falling to #25 from #22.
The bright side of the series is that Louisiana–Lafayette is no longer perfect in conference play. Still, it appears they will be the number one team in the Sun Belt heading into the conference tournament.
Senior pitcher Jessica Mullins doesn’t let a couple of hiccups affect her future performance
Mullins struggled against Texas on Wednesday and in game one of the series against Louisiana-Lafayette last Friday. Against the Longhorns, she allowed four earned runs on six hits and four walks in four innings. Against the Ragin’ Cajuns on Friday, she allowed five earned runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings.
Mullins didn’t let the two rough starts get to her head as she bounced back with a complete game shutout in game three of the series against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday. In the shutout, Mullins allowed four hits and two walks and struck out five in seven innings. While her first two starts last week weren’t ideal, it’s a good sign that she put them behind her.
Junior outfielder Ciara Trahan is missed
Sophomore outfielder Sydney Harvey has done a solid job filling in for Trahan, hitting .333 in a three-game set against Troy two weekends ago, making a spectacular diving catch, and collecting a hit against Texas last Wednesday.
However, she went hitless in the series against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Many signs point to Harvey being a full-time starter for the foreseeable future. Still, the Bobcats certainly miss Trahan’s presence in the lineup, especially after being shut out by the Ragin’ Cajuns twice. Trahan is third among Texas State hitters in batting average with .339, and her being out the rest of the season is a massive blow for the Bobcats.
