Texas State (20-8, 4-2 Sun Belt) faced a competitive conference foe in the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (26-7, 3-3 Sun Belt). The Bobcats were shutout 6-0 Friday, fell short of a comeback 5-4 Saturday and spoiled a series sweep in a 14-12 bout Sunday.
A midweek contest against I-35 foe UTSA was halted when the Bobcats led 7-0 in the top of the fifth inning on Wednesday. That contest will resume when Texas State travels to San Antonio on April 15.
Here are three takeaways from the Bobcats’ recent performance:
One is better than none
Though Texas State had trouble against a high-powered Chanticleer offense, preventing the sweep is the best thing that could’ve happened Sunday. Not only does it prevent bad momentum, but it also keeps the Bobcats ahead of the Chanticleers in the Sun Belt standings.
After getting shutout Friday and failing to provide enough offense to complete the comeback Saturday, the Bobcats’ bats showed up ready on Sunday to close a five-run deficit.
Coastal Carolina is likely one of the biggest threats to spoiling Texas State’s quest to repeat itself as a Sun Belt Conference champion. Being able to walk away with confidence, knowing you can compete with a tough opponent, who is the nation’s 26th-best-ranked team in RPI, can pay dividends down the stretch.
When in doubt, hand Aiyana Coleman the bat
After two hitless games Friday and Saturday, Coleman brought the juice on Sunday with three hits, smashed two home runs and was good for five RBI. Coleman has continued her masterclass at the plate this season and still leads every major team offensive statistic that is not stolen bases.
On Wednesday, Coleman added three more RBI against UTSA, but those numbers will not be official until the contest is completed.
Coleman’s near .400 batting average, double-digit home runs, sixteen walks and 1.393 OPS are eye-catching if you love numbers.
Pitching can still improve
Nearly every week, the pitching gets mentioned in takeaways for only a rave, but it’s time for a rant. The Bobcats’ pitching has been superb in 2025, but when your goal is to play your best ball in May, you must find room for improvement down the stretch.
After facing one of the best offensive lineups in the nation, Texas State’s pitching staff allowed 10 home runs in just three games, including six on Sunday. It’s easy to expect the Chanticleers to mash every weekend, but to win the conference and win regional games, you have to be able to take away your opponent’s strengths.
Four of the five Bobcat pitchers saw action this past weekend, and that’s good in the long run, but you know you’re having trouble when you put four pitchers in the circle in one game compared to the usual one or two. So, if there’s anything Texas State’s pitching can do to improve, it’s to find ways to make the opposing team work a little harder for hits in the batter’s box.
Texas State has a tough road test ahead as they head to Huntington, West Virginia, to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd (19-13, 5-1 Sun Belt), who stand alone atop the Sun Belt.
The series kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by a Saturday doubleheader that begins at 2 p.m. The series will be available to stream on ESPN+.
