BEAUMONT, Texas – Tarleton State heads back on the road for a midweek clash with the Lamar Cardinals as they are riding a nine-game win streak dating back almost a month most recently including a 4-0 week with a 6-3 win over a powerful North Texas and a 3-0 series sweep of WAC foe Utah Valley.
 
In the last 14 games the Texans have outscored their opponents 92-35 averaging just over 6.57 runs per game. Across the 14 matchups, Tarleton State has scored five or more runs eight different  times.
 
This past Wednesday, the Purple and White remained ranked in the top-25 as they were ranked No. 24 in D1 Softball's Week 9 mid-major rankings.
 
With the Texans at No. 24, the WAC has just one other member ranked in the top-25 through nine weeks of play. Grand Canyon sits in the No. 4 spot while Seattle U dropped out after sitting at No. 17 in week eight. Tarleton State is responsible for a combined four conference losses for the Lopes and Redhawks. Seattle U dropped out of the rankings after dropping a Friday night doubleheader with California Baptist before picking up their lone win of the weekend on Saturday to avoid the sweep.
 
In week seven of the season, the Texans headed west to Phoenix for the first time since 2023 looking to avenge their last trip to the Lopes when they fell in the series 1-2. No. 24/RV GCU came into the three-game series with a perfect conference record of 2-0 after game three of the Lope's series with Utah Valley was cut short due to winter weather. The squad from Phoenix finished the weekend with a conference record of 3-2 and an overall record of 23-6.
 
Tarleton State handed Grand Canyon bookend losses shutting out the Lopes 3-0 in Game 1 followed by an impressive 5-2 rubber match victory in Game 3 to secure the series. The 3-0 win in Game 1 marks just the second time the Lopes have been shutout this season with the first coming at the hands of then No. 8 Oregon on Feb. 15, 2025, when they were shutout 4-0. Both shutouts this season have come on home turf for the squad from Phoenix.
 
After securing the series win with the 5-2 victory, the Texans not only earned their first ever conference series over the Lopes but handed GCU their first home series loss since 2022 and their first conference series loss (home or away) since 2023.
 
With a successful road trip out west complete, Tarleton State returned home to the friendly confines of the Tarleton State Softball Complex. The Purple and White welcomed the Red and Black from Seattle U to town and gave Texan Nation plenty to cheer about. The Redhawks came into the weekend with a perfect 6-0 conference record but the Red and Black didn't leave the Ville with a perfect conference record.
 
After a combined 18 runs in Game 1 of the series, Seattle U took the opening game of the series moving to 7-0 inside Western Athletic Conference Play. With a Game 1 loss, the Texans had to win two straight to secure their second-straight conference series. Tarleton State did just that handing Seattle U their first two conference losses as the Purple and White took Game 2 4-2 followed by a 10-2 (5) run-rule walk-off in Game 3 to secure series wins over the top-two teams in the conference in back-to-back weeks.
 
Last time the two teams met they split a pair of games at the Cowgirl Classic hosted by McNeese State. The all-time series between the two is all tied up at five games each. The Texans do however hold the lead in all-time runs scored 51-37 averaging 5.1 runs per game across the 10 matchups so far.
 
The trip to down south for the Purple and White marks just the second trip to Cardinal territory for Tarleton State with the last meetings coming almost three years ago. During that 2022 trip the Texans took the opening game 8-1.
 
Through 10 weeks, the Texans have multiple athletes leaving their mark nationally. Austin German currently sits fifth in the nation in doubles with 17 on the season and leads the WAC. With her 17 doubles through 39 games, she ranks fourth in doubles per game in the nation. With all the offensive power from Germain, she is the fourth toughest to strike out in the nation as she strikes out just once every 61 plate appearances. Germain sits 49th in the nation in batting average hitting .443 and sits No. 4 in the WAC.
 
Other Texans top in the nation include Kalyn Hill who has caught 16 base runners stealing which puts her fifth in the nation and leads all of the WAC. Hill also sits 43rd in the nation in batting average hitting .445. Hayden Fox sits 29th in the nation in sac bunts per game at 0.24 as the nation's leader is at 0.44 in Kayla Falterman of Louisiana. Fox is also 66th in the nation in on base percentage.
 
On the pitching side of things, Shelby Schultz continues to pound the strike zone as she sits 30th in the nation in strikeouts with 123 thus far and leads the WAC. She also ranks 22nd in strikeouts per seven innings at 9.0 and leads WAC. Schultz also sits 22nd in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
 
In the WAC, the Purple and White continue to hold two of the top-four spots in batting average as Hill leads the Texans ranking third in the conference hitting .445. Germain sits fourth hitting .443. As a team, Tarleton State is in the top-three of 21 different statistical categories in the WAC. The Texans lead the WAC in team strikeouts per seven innings (6.82) and walks (162).
 
First pitch on Tuesday is set for 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The doubleheader will air live on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available. Tickets are available for the midweek series for Texan Nation looking to support the red-hot team in person.
 
Following the Texans midweek matchup with the Red and White, Tarleton State will head back on the road to Abilene Christian for another weekend WAC series.
 
For the latest news on the Texans, follow Tarleton Softball on Facebook, Instagram and X @tarletonsoftball.