Up next on the schedule for Texas State Softball (20-8) is a road trip to Huntington, West Virginia, where they will enter a three-game series with the Marshall Bisons (19-13).
The Bobcats faced Coastal Carolina last weekend in their most recent Sun Belt series when they fell 1-2. Game three was a tightly fought battle between the teams, where Texas State ultimately came out triumphant, 14-12, avoiding a losing sweep.
Regardless of overall records, Marshall, with a 5-1 conference record, is the only team currently ranked above Texas State, which is 4-2 in the Sun Belt. Coming off a difficult matchup with Coastal last weekend, the Bobcats won’t be looking at anything different in their next series with the Bisons.
The Bobcats were up 7-0 against I-35 rival, the University of Texas at San Antonio, for a midweek matchup. However, due to inclement weather, the game was halted and rescheduled for April 15.
Looking ahead to the weekend, keep an eye out for Aiyana Coleman, who leads the Bobcats offensively across the board. Coleman leads the team in multiple offensive statistics, including a .391 batting average, 27 hits, a whopping 10 home runs and 27 RBIs. Five of those RBIs were accumulated alone in Texas State’s final game against Coastal.
The Bobcats will likely be watching out for a few key Marshall players, two of whom are ranked in the top ten of Sun Belt hitters. Diamond Leslie has a .405 batting average, followed by her teammates Brooklyn Ulrich and Chandler Hoskins, with .393 and .387, respectively.
On the pitching front, Texas State has an edge over Marshall, with Maddy Azua and Emma Strood proving to be two of the best pitchers in the Sun Belt. They are currently ranked No. 3 and No. 5 in the conference in ERA, respectively.
Texas State pitching has an ERA of 2.81 versus Marshall’s 6.39. The Bison’s current top pitcher is Jules King, who has a 4.63 ERA, while Texas State’s is Azua, who has a 2.16.
Marshall is currently on a six-win streak, as opposed to Texas State’s singular recent win. However, the Bison have yet to play a higher-ranked opponent in the Sun Belt, so far only facing James Madison University (No. 12) and the Louisiana Rajin’ Cajuns (No. 8).
The first game of the weekend is set for Friday, March 28, at 5 p.m. at Dot Hicks Field in Huntington, West Virginia. The Bobcats and Bison will return to the field for a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then at 5 p.m. for the final game.
All three games will be available to watch live on ESPN+.
