Texas State (18-6, 3-0 Sun Belt) softball began conference play against Appalachian State (9-18, 0-3 Sun Belt) and came away with a three-game sweep. Friday, the Bobcats won 8-2, followed by a comeback 7-4 victory on Saturday and a 6-4 win on Sunday.
Here are three takeaways from the team’s performance:
Maddy Azua is the star of the show
It’s becoming a recurring theme that Azua is name-dropped in every week’s takeaways, but rightfully so. She just earned her second Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week honor in just the sixth week of the season.
Azua has appeared in 16 of the team’s 24 games and has started in eleven of them, bringing her win-loss total to 10-2 on the season. She ranks in the top 50 in multiple pitching categories across all of D1. That includes her wins (10), strikeouts (93), strikeouts per seven innings (8.6), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.20), earned run average (1.58) and hits allowed per seven innings (4.27). Azua’s 0.86 WHIP contributes to the Bobcats’ 1.05 total WHIP, which ranks tenth in the nation.
The performance this season from Azua has contributed to the team’s ranking as the number one pitching team in the Sun Belt. The Bobcats currently rank best in team ERA (2.29), hits allowed (130), strikeouts (173), opponent batting average (.219) and walks (34).
Bailee Slack may have earned a regular spot in the starting nine
Slack didn’t begin the season in the starting nine but has impressed lately, earning her three consecutive starts over the weekend. She started at designated hitter on Friday and then played right field in the final two games of the series.
This past weekend Slack performed exceptionally well and may have stamped herself into the lineup going forward. Slack collected four hits over the weekend, scored twice and tallied an RBI.
Not only did she show up at the plate, but all weekend, specifically Sunday, Slack made her case as the new right fielder after making multiple impressive plays. As the lineup continues to weed itself out, Slack has earned every ounce of playing time that comes her way in the future.
This team has a lot of potential
With only two seniors on the roster, Ciara Trahan and Presley Glende, a lot of younger talent has had to play and has shown progress on the diamond.
At one point, there were moments of struggles surrounding the Maroon and Gold offense, but their performance as of late would make you think otherwise. The 21 runs, 24 hits and 5 extra-base hits, including three home runs, show that the offense is very much awake.
The team’s clear strength has been its pitching, and as Emma Strood and Azua pitch more innings, they gain more experience and are more likely to improve their play. As previously mentioned, Texas State has the statistically best pitching staff in the Sun Belt, and it will be crucial that the team rides its success as it looks to repeat as Sun Belt Conference Champions.
Texas State will host Wichita State (13-13, 2-4 American Athletic) at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at Bobcat Softball Stadium. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
