STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Softball kicks off their 11-game home stretch this weekend with their annual Whataburger Invitational.
The tournament will welcome the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks, and the Colgate Raiders.
The Texans' home opener will take place on Friday with back-to-back games against South Dakota State (3 p.m.) and Colgate (5:30 p.m.).
Tarleton State's opener will mark the sixth all-time meeting with South Dakota State, dating back to March 3, 2023. The Texans are currently 1-4 vs. the Jackrabbits, winning their last matchup 10-1 in six innings in 2025.
Tarleton State will continue their opening day immediately after, facing Colgate for the first time in program history. The Texans will play Colgate again on Saturday with their first pitch set for 7 p.m.
The Whataburger Invitational will wrap up on Sunday with two Purple and White faceoffs against Stephen F. Austin. Game one of the doubleheader will take place at 12 p.m. with game two set to start at 2:30 p.m. Tarleton State and SFA didn't play last season after four straight years of facing each other, with 14 meetings between 2021-24.
Tarleton State Softball started its 2026 season with a 5-0 sweep at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic in North Carolina on opening weekend. This marks the second time the Texans have started a season 5-0 in their NCAA Division I era, their first since 2022 when they started 10-0, as well as the fifth time in program history. Tarleton State also scored a record-setting 53 runs on the weekend, marking the most runs scored in opening weekend since 2017, the second-most all-time runs through the first five games and the most in the D1 era through the first five games.
Game times may change due to impending rain overnight Friday and Saturday morning.
Whataburger Invitational tournament passes and single-day passes are available for purchase at www.tarletonsports.com/tickets. An all-tournament pass is $40 for reserved seats and $30 for general admission. There are also single-day passes available, priced at $30 for a single-day in reserved seating, and $20 for a single-day in GA. Fans can also call the Tarleton State Athletics Ticket Office to purchase at 254-968-1832.
This weekend's games will be streamed on ESPN+ and WAC International. For the latest news on the Texans, follow Tarleton Softball on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
