STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton TexAnn softball team will host a key three-game Lone Star Conference South Division series this weekend against Abilene Christian on Friday and Saturday, April 16-17.

The games are set to begin on Friday, April 16 with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. followed by a Saturday game at noon.

Tarleton will sign autographs for all fans in attendance on Friday night after the games. Also, several giveaways will be done throughout the series, and fans will be able to join the Tarleton Athletics Department and the Texan Club for a hotdog cookout on Saturday at 11 a.m. prior to the contest.  Free t-shirts will also be given out while supplies last.

The TexAnns are tied with Abilene Christian for fifth place in the South Division and both teams are vying for a spot in the LSC Championship Tournament in May. The top four teams of each division advance to the postseason event.

Tarleton is 18-22 this season and 3-6 in the LSC South Division. The TexAnns dropped a doubleheader on Tuesday at St. Edward's after losing three at West Texas A&M last weekend. 

The TexAnns are led by Julie Norris at the plate with a .377 batting average, 49 hits and nine doubles. Arianna Rodriguez (.342) leads the team with 28 runs batted in and seven home runs while Rebecca Wessels (.328) leads the squad with 27 runs scored. Victoria Kelly (.336) and April Gonzalez (.309) are also batting above the .300-mark while the team has a combined hitting percentage of .306 and opponents have a combined earned run average of 3.18.

In the circle, Norris tops the team with a 12-12 record and a 2.77 ERA. She has pitched in 149.1 innings and has allowed 39 walks while striking out 93. Katie Smith is second with a 4.86 ERA and a 5-9 record in 93.2 innings of action. She has walked 25 and struck out 45. Brandie Simmons has a 1-1 record and a 4.88 ERA in 18.2 innings. The staff has a combined ERA of 3.66 while opponents are hitting .283.

The Wildcats enter the weekend with an 18-24 record overall and are tied with Tarleton in the standings with a 3-6 division tally. However, the Wildcats are coming off a big weekend, taking two-of-three games from No. 17 Angelo State in Abilene. 

The Wildcats are led by Shawna Barrow with a .401 batting average, 36 runs scored and 59 hits. Melissa Mendoza is second in hitting with a .386 average as she leads the team with 27 RBI. Four other ACU players are hitting above the .300-mark, and the team has a combined average of .306.

Shelby Hall leads the pitching staff with a 4.41 ERA and a 9-13 record. She has pitched in 132.2 innings and has walked 34 while striking out 55. Brittany Rexroat has a 7-7 record and a 4.76 ERA in 96.1 innings. She has 42 walks and 48 strikeouts. The Wildcats have a combined ERA of 5.12 while opponents are hitting .300.

The two teams have played on 48 previous occasions, and Tarleton trails in the all-time series, 27-21.