Texas State softball opened its 2025 campaign with an even 2-2 record at the Texas State Tournament. The Bobcats defeated San Diego 2-1 and Lipscomb 3-0, and the two losses came from Arkansas 3-1 and Bradley 7-3.
Here are three takeaways from opening weekend:
Maddy Azua and Emma Strood look like a promising pitching mix
Aside from giving up three solo home runs in her start against Arkansas, Azua finished the weekend with eight shutout innings. She collected her first save against San Diego when she came in relief of Strood and her first win against Lipscomb was good for seven strikeouts in six scoreless innings.
Strood made her Bobcat debut, and despite the three runs she allowed in 1.2 innings against Bradley, she only gave up one run in her other six innings.
Both pitchers seemed to mix well together and were the only two players to see any action in the circle during the first two games. Thus far, they seem to be Texas State head coach Ricci Woodard’s go-to arms.
The two pitchers saw a total of 21.2 innings this weekend in the circle, giving up 19 hits and seven runs and recording 16 punchouts. Expect to see the duo a time or two in the upcoming Bobcat Tournament, where the Bobcats have a six-game slate.
Hitting was the Bobcats’ kryptonite throughout the weekend
The Bobcats hit .173 at the plate and only had an on-base percentage of .299. The outlier was Karmyn Bass’ .500 batting average, team-leading two RBI and five hits. In both losses, Texas State left 18 runners stranded compared to their opponents’ nine.
The Bobcats’ problem was not failing to make contact but rather hitting right to the defense. Things could look a lot different if they can improve on getting base hits when needed.
Some new faces are active early
On opening weekend, all four transfer players saw playing time. Keely Williams, Aiyana Coleman, Kate Bubela and Strood are now expected to be regulars in the lineup. Williams and Coleman didn’t have appealing batting averages last week, but both were victims of hitting into the defense. Bubela scored a team-leading four runs and collected three hits.
Two freshmen, Erin Peterson and Mayson Garrett, started in all four games this past weekend. Both newcomers collected their first collegiate hit and stolen base. Multiple other freshmen saw playing time as pinch hitters or runners.
