THE GAMES
No. 20 Tarleton will head to Canyon this weekend for the Lone Star Conference softball opener, which puts the only two LSC teams in the NFCA top-25 poll on the same field against each other. The TexAnns will square off with No. 1 West Texas A&M for a four-game series beginning Friday at 5 p.m. at Schaeffer Park.
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THE SERIES
Tarleton and West Texas A&M have met on the softball diamond 31 times since the Lady Buff program started in 2006. The TexAnns broke a 15-15 tie in the series last May in one of the biggest wins in school history when Tarleton defeated the Lady Buffs 2-1 in the opening round of the NCAA Regional Tournament in Canyon to take a 16-15 advantage in the series. Tarleton is 7-11 all-time in Canyon and has not played them in Stephenville since 2012.
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THE OPPONENT
West Texas A&M is off to a 16-0 start this season and recently jumped 21 spots to claim the top spot in the national coaches poll released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association last week. The Lady Buffs are hitting .446 as a team and boast a 2.05 ERA as a pitching unit, which is second in the LSC behind Tarleton's 1.91 team ERA.
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LAST TIME OUT
Tarleton is coming off a 3-2 weekend at the Rattler Invitational in San Antonio, highlighted by
Haley Freyman's first career complete game shutout in the tournament finale against Oklahoma Christian.
Nyka Wood had one of the best weekends of her young career in San Antonio as the sophomore catcher hit .474 in five games with five of her nine hits going for two bases. Her three doubles in Saturday's win over Central Oklahoma made her the fourth TexAnn in school history with three two-baggers in a single game. Wood drove in six RBIs in Tarleton win over the Bronchos Saturday as well. Meanwhile,
Haley Freyman continued to deal as the Lone Star Conference's leader in ERA. In 26.0 innings of work last weekend, Freyman boasted an ERA of 1.88 with 11 strikeouts. Her complete game shutout of Oklahoma Christian was a four-hit effort.
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FINDING THE BARRELS
Tarleton has had at least five hits in every game this season, including five games with at least 10 base hits. The TexAnns are 5-0 in games with at least 10 base hits; including an 8-1 win over No. 12 St. Mary's where Tarleton stroked 12 hits.
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TRIO OF TEXANN TRIPLE HITTERS
Tarleton enters this weekend with the top-3 triple hitters in the Lone Star Conference –
Melody Mayse (3),
Mikayla Stogsdill (2), and
Lauren Powers (2).
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FREYMAN LEADS THE WAY
Haley Freyman is making an early season case as the league's top arm. The sophomore right-hander from North Richland Hills is currently leading the Lone Star Conference with a 1.19 earned run average while also leading the league with 82.1 innings pitched. Her workload is 24.1 innings more than the next highest pitcher in the LSC through the first part of the season.
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UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
The TexAnns will return home next weekend for their first LSC series of the season on the field at the Tarleton Softball Complex. Tarleton will host Texas Woman's beginning next Friday at 5 p.m. for a four-game series.
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