STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton TexAnn softball team will host a very important three-game Lone Star Conference South Division series against Texas A&M-Kingsville this weekend. The two teams will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 2 followed by a single game at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 3.

The TexAnns need two wins in the three-game series to advance to the LSC Championship Tournament next weekend in Durant, Okla.

On Sunday, the Tarleton Texan Club will host the hotdog lunch at 12:30 p.m. and free t-shirts will be available as well. The TexAnn seniors will also be recognized after the doubleheader. Fans will also be able to win give-a-ways and kids in attendance will receive a coupon for a free ice cream cone from Sonic.

Tarleton is 21-24 overall and 6-8 in the LSC South Division after going 1-2 at Texas Woman's last weekend. 

Julie Norris leads the team with a .377 batting average, 55 hits, 11 doubles and 30 runs batted in. Rebecca Wessels (.336) leads the team with 30 runs scored while Arianna Rodriguez (.349) and Victoria Kelly (.329) are batting above the .300-mark. The TexAnns are batting .302 this season while opponents have a combined earned run average of 3.12.

Norris leads the squad in the circle as well with a 2.67 ERA and a 13-13 record. She has pitched in 162.1 innings while striking out 98 and walking 40. Katie Smith is 7-10 with a 4.31 ERA in 113.2 innings of work. She has walked 27 batters and struck out 55. The team has a combined ERA of 3.12 while opponents are hitting .279 this year.

The Javelinas are 21-21 overall and 7-8 in the LSC South Division. TAMUK lost three games at home to Angelo State last weekend.

The Javelinas are led by Cassie Anderson with a .400 batting average and 56 hits. Kaycee Bryan (.357) tops the squad with 33 runs scored while Dalia Marroquin (.365), Melssia St. Clair (.320) and Lindsey Brown (.311) are all batting above the .300-mark. The squad has a .304 batting average as a team while opponents have a 4.88 ERA.

Brown leads the team with 163.1 innings of work and a 13-14 record. She has a 3.60 ERA, 44 walks and 62 strikeouts. Amanda Arriaga is 7-3 with a 3.01 ERA in 76.2 innings of action. She has walked 17 and struck out 42. The team has a combined ERA of 3.70 while opponents are hitting .314.

The two teams have met each other since 1997, and the TexAnns lead the all-time series, 28-25.