The Teams: Tarleton Texans (12-24, 1-2 WAC) vs. California Baptist Lancers (15-21-1, 3-3 WAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Tarleton Softball Complex (Friday-Saturday)
Times: 4:00 p.m. / 6:00 p.m. CT (Friday); 12:00 p.m. CT (Saturday)
 
TEXAN SOFTBALL GAME DAY
For just the third homestand this season, Tarleton is ready to take the field at the Tarleton Softball Complex when the Texans play host to California Baptist this weekend in the first home WAC softball games in program history. The Texans and Lancers are set for a 4 p.m. doubleheader Friday afternoon and a 12 p.m. single game finale on Saturday.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• For the first time since the season-opener, Tarleton will have a full week to focus on their weekend opposition as the Texans play host to California Baptist for their only action of the week. The Texans and Lancers will do battle on the diamond in Stephenville with a doubleheader Friday at 4 p.m. and a single game for the series finale Saturday at noon.
• This weekend will be the first home WAC series in program history for the Texan Softball team.
• Both Tarleton and California Baptist have rich traditions as members of NCAA Division II. CBU was a longtime member of the PacWest Conference and qualified for the NCAA Division II West Regional every year from 2014-18 before making the jump to Division I. Meanwhile, Tarleton was a member of the Lone Star Conference and qualified for the South Central Regional Tournament in every year under head coach Mark Cumpian before making the leap to Division I. CBU is in its third year of transition while the Texans are in year one.
• This will be the first-ever meeting between the Lancers and Texans.

 
QUICK HITS

• Tarleton has only played three home games so far this season and just five since 2019. Jordan Dickerson and Morgan Medford are hitting .500 (3-6) at home this year. Tristan Bridges is 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA.

 
NEW DIVISION WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE

• WELCOME TO THE WAC: After being a part of NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference since its inception in 1996, Tarleton Softball is on the move to the Western Athletic Conference and NCAA Division I. The softball program is the only active program at Tarleton with an NCAA-only history.
• WAC PRESEASON POLL: Tarleton was chosen to finish seventh in the WAC Preseason Poll released on February 3. The Texans received eight total votes, which was four votes behind fellow transition school Dixie State in sixth place.
• PRESEASON ALL-WAC: Georgia Capell and Destiny Crumpley's reputation of dominance has carried over to the next level as the Texan tandem was named to the Preseason All-WAC Team.
• CUMPIAN: "MAYBE WE WILL": Following the WAC Preseason Poll, Tarleton head coach Mark Cumpian had this to say: "Judging by last year's standings, I'm not sure I would have picked us seventh. I know we're new to NCAA Division I and the WAC and we need to earn our place, but the tradition we've built here speaks for itself. I know that needs to translate at the next level before we can expect the same kind of preseason respect we had at Division II. And it's hard to say how the season will play out. Maybe we will finish seventh – but I can guarantee, if we do, we will be the toughest, most competitive seventh seed the WAC has ever seen."

 
STRONG SCHEDULE
Tarleton has put together one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the WAC and currently has the highest Strength of Schedule ranking in the league based on the NCAA rankings. RPI is the rating percentage index. It is a quantity used to rank sports teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule. Tarleton is the only WAC school with a strength of schedule ranking in the top half of Division I softball. The complete WAC RPI rankings are below:
 

#	School	SOS Rank	RPI Rank
1.	Tarleton	112	186
2.	NM State	162	127
3.	California Baptist	190	197
4.	Seattle U	195	137
5.	Dixie State	203	168
6.	Grand Canyon	209	184
7.	Utah Valley	238	207

 
 
NOTABLES

• ROAD WARRIORS: Since the 2019 regular season finale against West Texas A&M on April 27, Tarleton has been the very definition of weary travelers. Tarleton Softball has played 64 games since the beginning of the 2019 postseason and 59 of those have been away from Stephenville. The Texans are 28-31 in road games since May 3, 2019 and 5-0 at home.
• RECORD RETURNER: Georgia Capell has put together a Hall of Fame worthy resumé – and it's only been two and a half years. Capell enters the weekend as the program's all-time home run leader (48) and total bases (396) and is top 5 in program history in five other offensive categories: runs scored (167), RBI (154), doubles (50) and hit by pitch (41). She's also on pace to be among the all-time leaders in batting average and slugging percentage.
• TOUCH 'EM ALL: Georgia Capell continues to move up the all-time offensive record lists at Tarleton. This season, she has passed Arianna Rodriguez for the second-most runs scored all-time. Capell enters the week with 167 career runs scored and is eight shy of tying Melody Mayse (175) for the program record.
• DRIVE 'EM HOME: Georgia Capell has moved into sole possession of second place on Tarleton's all-time RBI list. She is 37 RBI shy of tying Nyka Wood for the program's top mark.
• RACKING UP THE BASES: Georgia Capell has added another all-time record to her Hall of Fame worthy resumé – and it's only fitting she used a home run to do so. With her sixth-inning home run in the series opener against Dixie State last weekend, Georgia Capell passes Arianna Rodriguez for the most total bases in Tarleton Softball history. She is now four bags away from becoming the first Texan in program history with 400 total bases in her career.
• EYES ON FIFTY: In the history of diamond sports (baseball and softball) at Tarleton State University, there has only ever been one person to hit over 50 home runs while wearing the purple and the white. Texan Baseball star Mike Cantu is the program's all-time home run leader with 58 roundtrippers from 1988-91. Capell (48) is two homers shy of becoming the second Texan in university history from either baseball or softball to hit 50 home runs in her career.
• RIGGS STEPPING UP: Bailee Riggs has started 13 of the last 14 games for the Texans since debuting in the starting nine against #10 Texas on March 13. Since March 17 against ACU, Bailee Riggs has been a mainstay in the lineup and is one of the team's leading hitters this season with a .308 average. Since her first career start, she is a .316 hitter with five runs scored.

 
SCHEDULE UPDATES

• NORTH TEXAS: Tarleton was originally scheduled to host North Texas for a single game on April 21. When weather cancelled an earlier meeting between the two at UNT's tournament, that game shifted to a doubleheader in Stephenville. The game times are now set at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• UTAH VALLEY: The game times for Tarleton's series at Utah Valley have been slightly altered due to graduation ceremonies on campus. The new start times for the final series of the season are 3 p.m. CT (DH) on May 7 and 11 a.m. CT on May 8.

 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will head west to Las Cruces, New Mexico for a three-game series against perennial WAC leader New Mexico State. The Texans and Aggies will begin with a Friday twin bill at 3 p.m. and wrap up Saturday at 1 p.m.