The Teams: Tarleton Texans (26-17, 11-7 WAC) vs. SFA Ladyjacks (23-18, 10-2 WAC)
Where: Nacogdoches, TX
Stadium: SFA Softball Field
Times: 1 p.m. / 3:30 p.m. CT (Friday); 12 p.m. CT (Saturday)
Video: ESPN+ (Friday only)
TEXAN SOFTBALL GAME DAY
Coming off back-to-back series sweeps, the Texans are ready to take their momentum southeast to Nacogdoches for a three-game series with Stephen F. Austin. It will be a showdown of the WAC Southwest Division's top two teams.
Live stats will be available for all three games of the series while video will only be available Friday on ESPN+. Links can be found at the softball schedule on TarletonSports.com.
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Tarleton head to Nacogdoches for a three-game series against Stephen F. Austin. It's the first road series at SFA in program history and the second meeting as WAC rivals.
- The teams met twice in Denton at the North Texas Invitational in 2021 and split the first two meetings. SFA won the first meeting 6-0 but Tarleton got the last laugh of the weekend with a 2-1 victory. Julia Wernet fired a complete game, one-run performance in the 2-1 win against Stephen F. Austin last season. Katy Schaefer enters the weekend with great success against the Lady Jacks. She is 4-7 in two career games against SFA.
- SFA swept the series in Stephenville earlier this season.
QUICK HITS
- With two more victories, Mark Cumpian will win his 350th game while part of the Tarleton coaching staff. He enters the weekend with a combined record of 348-251-1 between his time as an assistant and head coach since 2011.
- With her next base hit, Georgia Capell will tie the school's all-time hit record (260).
- Georgia Capell leads the team and the WAC with 13 home runs. She also leads all Division I reclassifying players in home runs. This marks her third career season with 13 or more long balls.
- Austin Germain enters the weekend having reached base safely in 12 straight games. Over the last 12 games, Germain is leading the team with a .484 average. She has two doubles, two triples, and six runs over that span as well.
- Georgia Capell and Austin Germain have been versatile for the Texans defensively this season. Capell has played 32 games in the outfield and 15 games at first base, while Germain has logged time at first, second, third, and designated player – but no matter where they play in the field, both players continue to thrive at the plate. Capell is hitting .400 when she plays the outfield and .391 at first base. Germain is hitting over .300 at three of the four defensive spots.
- Tarleton enters the weekend having swept back-to-back conference series for the first time as a member of the WAC and the first time since sweeping three straight league foes in 2019 in the LSC before the season ended on March 6.
- Reagan Chism enters the weekend as the Southwest Division's ERA leader (2.33) and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 straight games.
CAPELL LOOKING TO REWRITE THE RECORD BOOKS
Georgia Capell has put together a Hall of Fame worthy resumé. Capell enters the weekend as the program's all-time leader in home runs (63), runs (211), total bases (515), RBI (204) and doubles (63). She is also closing in on the all-time hits record (259), as well as on pace to be among the all-time leaders in batting average and slugging percentage.
| Hits |
| # |
Player |
Seasons |
Total |
| 1. |
Melody Mayse |
2013-16 |
260 |
| 2. |
Georgia Capell |
2018-22 |
259 |
| 3. |
Nyka Wood |
2015-18 |
258 |
| 4. |
Arianna Rodriguez |
2010-13 |
208 |
| 5. |
Alicia Petersma |
1999-02 |
192 |
BRIDGES CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME STRIKEOUT LIST
In addition to her longevity in the circle,
Tristan Bridges has also moved into the Tarleton top-10 list for strikeouts. The junior enters the weekend with 285 career strikeouts and passed A.J. Bristow at No. 8 on the list. She now has her sights set on Brooke Saulters at No. 7 with 320.
| Strikeouts |
| # |
Player |
Seasons |
Total |
| 1. |
Jordan Withrow |
2017-20 |
676 |
| 2. |
Carla Geeslin |
2001-04 |
521 |
| 3. |
Randi Fentress |
2011-14 |
445 |
| 4. |
Caryn Holbrook |
1997-00 |
384 |
| 5. |
Samantha Swanda |
2011-12 |
349 |
| 6. |
Haley Freyman |
2015-18 |
333 |
| 7. |
Brooke Saulters |
2007-08 |
320 |
| 8. |
Tristan Bridges |
2019-22 |
285 |
| 9. |
A.J. Bristow |
2003-05 |
280 |
| 10. |
Jill Ratliff |
1999-02 |
276 |
WALK-OFF WIZARDS
Since April 9, 2021, Tarleton's home victories have been done mostly in dramatic fashion. Tarleton has had 11 walk-off wins since that span. Six of Tarleton's 10 home wins this season came in the last at-bat. The 11 Tarleton walk-off wins since April 9, 2021 are:
| Walk-Off Home Wins since April 9, 2021 |
| April 9, 2021 – 14-5 (5) vs. CBU |
| April 10, 2021 – 3-2 vs. CBU |
| April 21, 2021 – 4-3 vs. UNT |
| April 23, 2021 – 2-1 vs. Seattle |
| May 1, 2021 – 11-1 (6) vs. GCU |
| Feb. 18, 2022 – 2-1 vs. Syracuse |
| Feb. 18, 2022 – 10-2 (6) vs. Prairie View A&M |
| March 1, 2022 – 5-3 vs. Texas Southern |
| March 1, 2022 – 10-2 (6) vs. Texas Southern |
| March 12, 2022 – 4-3 vs. Sam Houston |
| March 13, 2022 – 8-7 vs. Sam Houston |
NOTABLES
- HOME RUN QUEEN OF TARLETON: With a three-run home run against ACU on March 19, 2022, Georgia Capell hit her 59th career long ball to set the Tarleton State University record for most home runs in the school's diamond sport history (baseball and softball). She became the first Texan ever to reach 60 career home runs with a solo home run against Baylor on March 22.
- IT'S A FAMILY THING: Newcomer Ashlee LaRue joins Tarleton after spending one season at Ole Miss. LaRue is a native of Blanco, Texas and has quite the family history with baseball and softball. Her father, Shaun, played professionally with the Cincinnati Reds system. Her aunt, Brooke, played three years for Tarleton from 2007-09. Her uncle, Jason, played 12 years in Major League Baseball for Cincinnati, Kansas City, and St. Louis.
- FOLLOWING IN HER FOOTSTEPS: After earning an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M, Hannah Mayo has transferred to Tarleton where her mother was a trailblazer for the beginning of the Tarleton Softball program. Hannah Mayo's mom, Heather, was part of the first two teams to compete in fastpitch softball at Tarleton in 1996-97. Heather was the winning pitcher for the first victory in program history on Feb. 19, 1996 against Schreiner College 3-2 in extra innings. She was also an All-LSC First Team and Academic All-LSC award winner for the Texans in 1997. Daughter, Hannah, made her home debut last weekend against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and pitched five innings in a 5-4 win over the Islanders.
- WINNING SEASON: With only nine games left on the docket, the Texans' next win will guarantee a winning season for the program. It will be the 21st winning season in Tarleton's 27-year history.
- EYEING 30 WINS: Tarleton is four wins away from securing a 30-win season. It would be the 12th 30-win season in Tarleton history and the fourth in six seasons under head coach Mark Cumpian.
- SCORING 10: The Texans have scored 10 or more runs nine times this season, topping their entire total of 10-run games from the 2021 season (6).
- LEADOFF ON LOCK: There is only one position in the Tarleton lineup that has not changed this season – the leadoff spot. Morgan Medford has started all 43 games in the No. 1 position of the Texan lineup.
- LET THE STICKS DO THE TALKIN': Tarleton is 24-3 this season when scoring three or more runs in a game. Within those games, the Texans are 16-1 when scoring six or more.
- WINNING IN THE CIRCLE: Tarleton is 23-9 this season when allowing five runs or fewer, including an 13-1 mark when allowing two runs or less.
- FAMILIAR FACE IN THE CIRCLE: Tristan Bridges has entered elite Tarleton pitching compay. The junior southpaw has moved into the top 10 in four categories that are a testament to her career durability. She enters the weekend among the top-10 pitchers in program history in pitching appearances (86), innings pitched (414.1), complete games (40), and games started (73).
- BRIDGES COMPLETES A SOLID TRIO: Since 2015, Tarleton has developed three of the top pitchers in the history of the program. The combination of Haley Freyman, Jordan Withrow, and Tristan Bridges have combined to start 258 of the 401 games (64%) Tarleton has played in those eight seasons.
- GOOD LUCK STOPPING THEM: The Tarleton trio of Morgan Medford, Georgia Capell, and Katy Schaefer were tremendous in the series sweep of Sam Houston. The trio combined for an average of .690 with 20 runs scored and 21 RBI across last weekend's games. Medford hit .700 with nine runs scored. Capell hit .714 with seven runs scored and nine RBI. Schaefer hit .667 with four runs scored and 12 RBI. Capell and Schaefer both had 7 RBI games last weekend.
- RECORD-SETTING RUN SCORER: Morgan Medford set a new single-game school record with five runs scored against Sam Houston on April 9.
- D1SOFTBALL.COM FEATURE STORY: Graham Hays wrote a feature story entitled "Division II or Division I, Tarleton State's Georgia Capell Defies Labels" which was featured by @NCAASoftball on twitter. The story talks of Capell's success at Tarleton. Check out the entire story, at D1Softball.com. To read the entire story, click here.
- LOVIN' THE LONG BALL: Tarleton is 10-0 this season when they hit two or more home runs in a game.
SCHEDULE UPDATES
- UNT: Tarleton and UNT will now play only a single game on Wednesday. The game will begin at 6 p.m.
- HBU: Tarleton's season-finale doubleheader against Houston Baptist will now begin at 12 p.m. CT in Stephenville.
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will head to Denton on Wednesday for a single game against North Texas at 6 p.m. The Texans will then come home for the final five games of the season against Lamar and Houston Baptist.
