GAME DAY INFORMATION

When: Monday, Feb. 2, 2015 | 3 p.m. (CST)

Where: Stephenville, Texas | Tarleton Softball Complex

TSU Probable Starter: Shelby Hedrick (0-0; 0.00 ERA)

SWOSU Probable Starter: Molly Vivo (0-0; 0.00 ERA)

Series: TexAnns lead 8-7 | Streak: TSU, Lost 1

Last Meeting: SWOSU 1, TSU 0 on April 2, 2011 in San Angelo

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STEPHENVILLE - Tarleton State is a place where success and routine come together to form tradition and that is not more evident than on the softball field.
 
After starting the program in 1996, the 2015 campaign marks the 20th season of TexAnn softball and 19th-year head coach Julie Mata is ready to lead her team to even newer heights this season.
 
"This team makes practice and game days fun," said Mata. "As a 19-year coach, I don't remember a season that I was enjoying practices more or as excited to get started as I am right now headed into it than this one."
 
Much of Tarleton's success comes from the stability of its program leader, Mata.
 
The Stephenville native and Tarleton State alumna, has amassed 507 wins over the last 18 years which places her No. 38 all-time in NCAA Division II.
 
"We forgot how important it was to keep growing. We didn't maintain because we didn't keep growing, so we've dropped the ball – as a coach, I dropped the ball – the last couple of years, but we are now we are back to a place where we're growing in a positive direction every day," said Mata. "We are absolutely bringing the pride and confidence back into this program that we had for over 14 years here."
 
Despite a sub-.500 record last season, Tarleton State still qualified for the postseason for the 13th time in 19 years. For Mata, however, simply making the tournament is step one, but advancing deep into the postseason is the ultimate goal and her 2015 squad gives Tarleton a chance at reaching it.
 
"We are learning every single day and making strides toward where we want to be," said Mata. "We are bringing back a championship culture to our softball program. Every day they are learning a little a lot more."
 
Despite having just one senior on the roster, Tarleton State returns a slew of battle-tested players including all-conference selections Katelyn Conlee, Melody Mayse and Mikayla Stogsdill. Conlee earned second-team status after a breakout campign in which she hit .384 for the season and .469 in conference play while Mayse and Stogsdill claimed third-team honors.
 
The TexAnns have also added some key pieces all around the diamond, including transfers Shelby Hedrick, Taylor Fitzgerald, Kaitlyn Thomas, Rebeka Allen, Kady Crow and Savannah Stech. Hedrick, Fitzgerald, Crow and Thomas join Tarleton from Division I teams while Stech and Allen come to Stephenville following stellar junior college careers at Temple and Seward County, respectively.
 
Joining the transfers is a handful of talented freshmen including Haley Freyman, Delaney Wayland and Nyka Wood, who are expected to compete for starting nods right away.
 
"This group has fun on the field together," said Mata. "We've established our core values and they are living up to them daily, which means they are putting discipline, loyalty, drive and respect together daily. We have a little thing we call 'SAWUBONA!' which means 'we see you and respect you." This lends itself to great team chemistry and succeeding on the field and off."
 
The TexAnns will open the season at home for the first time since 2007 when Tarleton hosts Southwestern Oklahoma on February 2 for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.