Softball 3/26/2026 4:08:00 PM

Texans open WAC play with weekend series at UT Arlington

The Teams: Tarleton State Texans (21-14, 0-0 WAC) at UT Arlington Mavericks (13-16, 2-1 WAC)
Where: Arlington, Texas
Stadium: Allan Saxe Field
Days and Times: Friday at 5 p.m. | Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Streaming Platform: ESPN+

SERIES NOTES

Tarleton State will open conference play this weekend, while UT Arlington is three games into conference. UTA opened WAC play against ACU on March 20-21, claiming the series 2-1.
This marks the 11th, 12th, and 13th all-time meetings with UT Arlington dating back to April 29, 2023. The Texans are currently 6-4 vs. the Mavericks.
This marks the fourth time that the Texans have made their way to Arlington since traveling for the first series meeting in 2023. The Texans won that series 3-0.
The Texans have outscored the Mavericks 55-36 in 10 meetings.
UTA leads the WAC conference in five different statistical categories, including double plays (18), home runs (31), and scoring (6.62).

QUICK HITS

Tarleton State Softball welcomed the second-ranked team in the nation to Stephenville on Tuesday night, battling in front of a sold-out crowd and a record-setting attendance at the Tarleton State Softball Complex as the Texans fell 12-0 to No. 2 Texas Tech.
After an outstanding weekend in the circle, Shelby Schultz was named D1Softball's Mid-Major Pitcher of the Week.
Head coach Mark Cumpian earned his 300th victory at the helm of the Texans on Friday, March 20 against Rhode Island. This is Cumpian's 10th season as Tarleton State's head coach, replacing the winningest coach in program history, Julie Mata, in 2017. Mata earned her 300th win in her 11th season.
The Texans and Rams squared off in a four-game series last weekend, with Tarleton State claiming the series 3-1. Tarleton State hadn't played a four-game series in eight years, last hosting Western New Mexico for a similar four-game series (DH Friday, DH Saturday) on March 23-24, 2018. The Texans swept that series 4-0, allowing just two runs across the four games with two shutouts.
Tarleton State scored 22 runs across two games and scratched across 25 runs over the four-game series against Rhode Island. When the Texans score six runs in a game, they are 20-1 this season. When scoring five runs or fewer, they are 1-13.
Shelby Schultz dominated in the circle last weekend, going 2-0 with two complete games. Schultz allowed just two runs on nine hits across 12.0 innings while striking out 18 and posting a 1.17 ERA.
Tarleton State finished tournament play 18-12. The Texans have the second most wins across WAC programs thus far (21-14), trailing only California Baptist at 24-12.
Tarleton State has one of the best offenses in the country, scoring 6.40 runs per game, 54th in the nation and third most in the WAC. They are 22nd in total hits (299, first in the WAC), 27th in runs (224, first in the WAC), 28th in RBI (200, first in the WAC), 42nd in on-base percentage (.417, second in the WAC), 44th in doubles (52, first in the WAC), and 56th in batting average (.324, second in the WAC).
Macie Vickers leads the team in doubles on the year with 10, the 61st most in the country and third most in the WAC.
Hayden Fox has been plunked 11 times this season, 16th most in the country and fourth most in the conference.

Team Comparison (Tarleton State vs. UT Arlington)

Batting Average (.324 to .278)
Slugging Pct. (.464 to .464)
BB/SO (128/138 to 98/134)
On-Base Pct. (.417 to .371)
SB-Att (16-19 to 33-42)
HR (21 to 31)
2B (52 to 42)
3B (7 to 7)
Runs (224 to 191)
ERA (5.65 to 6.71)
WHIP (1.93 to 2.24)
Opp. Batting Avg. (.318 to .350)
SO/BB (135/120 to 54/135)

BIG CROWD, BIG TEST

Tarleton State welcomed the second-ranked team in the nation to Stephenville on Tuesday night, battling in front of a sold-out crowd and a record-setting attendance at the Tarleton State Softball Complex as the Texans fell 12-0 to No. 2 Texas Tech. In the program's marquee home matchup of the season, Tarleton State matched up with one of the nation's premier arms in NiJaree Canady and showed resilience throughout the night, recording two hits to break up both the no-hit bid and the perfect game in front of a packed house.

MID-MAJOR'S BEST

After an outstanding weekend in the circle, Shelby Schultz was named D1Softball's Mid-Major Pitcher of the Week for week seven. This honor marks Schultz's first weekly award this season and makes her the first Texan to earn a D1Softball weekly honor in 2026.

Schultz dominated in the circle against Rhode Island, going 2-0 while tossing two complete games. The Temple, Texas, native allowed just two runs on nine hits across 12.0 innings pitched while striking out 18 batters and walking only three. She held the Rams to a .231 batting average and posted a 1.17 ERA.

Schultz has been a key piece in the circle for the Texans all season, leading the team with 52 strikeouts. The sophomore has logged 69.0 innings across 19 appearances with 12 starts, four complete games, seven wins and two saves. She has also limited opponents to a .295 batting average.

WIN NO. 300 FOR THE SKIPPER

Head coach Mark Cumpian earned his 300th victory at the helm of the Texans on Friday, March 20 against Rhode Island, where TSU defeated the Rams 11-1 in a five-inning run-rule victory. This is Cumpian's 10th season as Tarleton State's head coach, replacing the winningest coach in program history, Julie Mata, in 2017. Mata earned her 300th win in her 11th season.

Cumpian earned his 275th career win on April 22, 2025 vs. Prairie View A&M with a 7-2 win and earned his 250th earlier in the season with 10-2 run-rule walk-off win over Houston Christian (Feb. 14, 2025).

200 KS AND COUNTING FOR SCHULTZ 

Sophomore pitcher Shelby Schultz struck out her 200th batter while at the UNCG Tournament in North Carolina. The ace reached the milestone in the Texan's first all-time meeting against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on March 13 where they got the win 8-1. Schultz pitched 2.0 innings, allowing only two hits with no runs while striking out three. The Temple, Texas, native finished her rookie season at Tarleton State with a total of 173 strikeouts.

ON THE NATIONAL RADAR 

Tarleton State has one of the best offenses in the country, scoring 6.40 runs per game, 54th in the nation and third most in the WAC. They are 22nd in total hits (299, first in the WAC), 27th in runs (224, first in the WAC), 28th in RBI (200, first in the WAC), 42nd in on-base percentage (.417, second in the WAC), 44th in doubles (52, first in the WAC), and 56th in batting average (.324, second in the WAC).

As of March 4th, the Texans were nationally ranked within the top 25 in 10 statistical categories, including 12th in the nation in hits (206) and 19th in triples (7). TSU also led the WAC in nine categories.

As of Feb. 17, Tarleton State was nationally ranked top five in seven different statistical categories. The Texans were 3rd in both runs and RBI behind SEC schools Oklahoma and Florida. TSU also ranked fifth in batting average (.400) and on base percentage (.507), fourth in RBI per game (9.80) and scoring (10.80), and were tied for fifth in walks (54). Hayden Fox was leading the nation in runs (20), ranked second in on base percentage (.730), tied for second in runs per game (2.00), and ranked ninth in batting average (.600). Mikayla Wilson and Mariah Debose were each tied for first in different categories, with Wilson leading in hits (20) and Debose leading in triples (3).

RECORD-BREAKING START 

Tarleton State Softball started their 2026 season 9-1, earning their second-best start through 10 games in the D1 era. Their best start came in 2022 when the Texans went 10-0. In their first game against Colgate, the Texans also set a new program record of 21 hits, beating their previous record of 20 hits set in 1997 and 2004. TSU also broke several opening weekend records during their season-opener at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic. The Texans have now earned their second-best start through 25 games in the D1 era with a record of 16-9 and their best start through 30 games in the D1 era at 18-12.

WIN NO. 375 FOR THE DUO 

Mark Cumpian and Stefanie Phillips reached their 375th win together after the Texans' game against Houston Christian during the UNM Invitational, dating back to when they were both assistant coaches at Tarleton State.

VICKERS TABBED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK 

Sophomore catcher Macie Vickers was named WAC Player of the Week for week two, becoming the first Texan to earn a WAC weekly honor this season. Vickers started all five games during the Whataburger Invitational, catching for two and hitting as the designated for three. She averaged .438 on the weekend, tallying three runs on seven hits and driving in 10 runs in 16 at-bats, and had three extra-base hits totaling a pair of doubles and a triple. Behind the plate, Vickers did not have a single runner attempt to steal a base on her.

The Escalon, Calif., native, notched three multi-hit games in the Whataburger Invitational, including a three-hit game against Colgate on Feb. 14. She also tallied a pair of multi-RBI games. Against Colgate on Feb. 13, she recorded a 5-RBI game with a pair of extra-base hits in part of a 14-5 run rule victory.

Through the first 10 games of the season, Vickers started every game for the Texans. In the first two opening weekends, she totaled six runs on 12 hits on 34 at-bats. She posted a team-best 16 RBI which led the WAC and was ranked 17th in the NCAA this season. She also totaled four doubles this season which was tied for the fourth most in the league.

WILSON AMONG ELITE COMPANY 

Mikayla Wilson earned a spot on Michella Chester's Lineup of the Week for Week 1 alongside some of the nation's best. The freshman from New Braunfels High School

started all five games for the Texans in right field during opening weekend, kicking off her collegiate career batting .650 (13-for-20) with a team-high 11 RBI in five games. She also tallied seven runs and 16 total bases with a slugging percentage of .800. As of Feb. 8, Wilson led the Texans in five different offensive categories: at-bats (20), hits (13), RBI (11), total bases (16), and was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases.

FRESH IN THE CIRCLE WITH A DUB 

Freshman pitcher Taylor McKean pitched her first complete collegiate game during opening weekend, leading the Texans to a 7-2 win over Furman and keeping Tarleton State in control throughout the game. She finished the weekend with a 1.91 ERA and allowed only five hits and two runs on 27 at bats. McKean is the third Texan since Jordan Withrow (Feb. 3, 2017) to earn the win in their collegiate debut following Shelby Schultz and Sadie Beck.

MID-MAJOR RANKING 

Tarleton State was ranked #25 in D1Softball's Mid-Major Rankings for week two. The Texans were the only team from the WAC to be including in the list.

STARTING OFF STRONG 

The 2026 Tarleton State Softball season hardly could've started any better. The Texans (5-0) swept their run at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic in North Carolina 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. This is the first time Tarleton State has averaged +10 runs through the first five games since 1997 when they averaged 13.4.

PRESEASON HONORS 

For the first time in program history, Tarleton State was ranked No. 1 in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Texans received four first place votes, ranking five points ahead of California Baptist.

Following a big year and her WAC Freshman of the Year selection, Shelby Schultz earned three more honorable titles: Preseason Co-Player of the Year, Preseason Pitcher of the Year, and Preseason All-WAC Team. She helped lead the Purple and White to their WAC Tournament appearance, pitching 8.1 innings in the title game against Grand Canyon.

During her breakout season, the sophomore pitcher appeared in 33 games while starting 21. She finished the season nationally ranked 13th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.81), 21st in strikeouts per seven innings (8.4), and 30th in overall strikeouts (173), while leading the WAC in all three categories.

WOOD RETURNS TO THE COWBOY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD 

Following a handful of years away from Stephenville, Nyka Wood has made her return to Tarleton State as an assistant coach for the Texans. Wood returns to the Cowboy Capital of the World after most recently coaching at Akron from 2022-24. The former four-year standout backstop is no stranger to Cumpian's staff as she served as a Graduate Assistant for the Texans in 2019 after wrapping up her playing career from 2015-18.

SCHULTZ SISTERS 

For the second time in program history, the Texans have a set of twins on their roster, Shelby and Casey. The twins started their second season with the Purple and White in the season-opening Runnin' Bulldog Classic in Boiling Spring, N.C. Shelby is a left-handed pitcher while Casey is an infielder. They are mirror image identical twins as Shelby is left-handed and Casey is right-handed.

BETTER TOGETHER 

Mark Cumpian and Stefanie Phillips have reached the decade mark of time spent together. The two joined forces as assistants in 2014. They spent three seasons as assistant coaches together before Cumpian took over as head coach. They have been together for 672 games with a record of 384-288 together. The pair reached their 650th game together in Tarleton State's matchup again Pitt during their annual Texan Classic on Feb. 20, 2026. Game No. 2 of the doubleheader against Grambling in 2023 was the duo's 500th game together on the Tarleton State coaching staff. The second game of Tarleton State's sweep at UTA on April 29 was the duo's 300th victory together on the coaching staff.

CUMPIAN AMONG THE NATION'S BEST 

While reclassifying programs are not counted among the national records and yearly record books, Tarleton State head coach Mark Cumpian would be considered among the elite coaches in the nation. The tenth-year head coach enters the week with a career record of 302-209 for a win percentage of .591 and 30.2 wins per season.

CUMPIAN AMONG TARLETON STATE ELITE 

It didn't take long for Mark Cumpian to climb to elite status of Tarleton Athletics coaches. With his 200th career win vs. Texas A&M Commerce on Feb. 19, 2023, Cumpian is the eighth head coach in Tarleton Athletics history (seventh with NCAA wins during the tenure) to reach the 200-win milestone. He is the fourth-fastest coach at Tarleton State to reach the milestone and the fastest among baseball or softball coaches to reach the plateau.

No. of Games to

Coach Sport reach 200 Wins

1. Jan Lowery (all NAIA) W. Basketball 277

2. Ronnie Hearne W. Basketball 299

3. Lonn Reisman M. Basketball 307

4. Mark Cumpian Softball 316

5. Jack Allen Baseball 330

Julie Mata Softball 330

LET'S GET PERSONAL
All of the Tarleton State players have great stories and unique things about them -- here are some of the most notable...

#00 Taylor McKean

Loves to run and read — favorite genre is romance
Majoring in biomedicine – wants to be a Physician's Assistant
Chose Tarleton State because of the traditions, rooted in the backstory – didn't know about TSU before being recruited
Her best friend is Mikayla Wilson, didn't know each other before Tarleton State

#1 Mikaila Gilliland

Likes to read, liked to watch documentaries, especially serial killer ones
Stephenville reminds her of home, as it's about the same size of home, a cowboy town
She likes to rides horses
Her uncle, Craig Smith, played shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers
Is an avid Fortnite player

#2 Addison Wittram

Likes shopping and watching a good Netflix show. Likes crime shows the most.
Bakes a little bit, makes a great cream cheese pound cake

#3 Hayden Fox

Enjoys baking, has a famous chocolate chip cookie recipe 
Fishes in the summer time
Is Greek
Loves watching TV shows with her family, like White LOTUS, The Office, cartel shows
One reason she chose Tarleton State is it's close to her family, so they can come to the games
Her plan postgrad is to become a registered dietician after getting her master's degree

#4 Madison Runyan

Transferred to Tarleton State to live closer to her family and is able to hang out with them more
Loves watching movies, has started cooking a lot more – loves watching comedy movies, any Adam Sandler movie especially. Her favorite Adam Sandler movie is Grown Ups

#6 Braylin Pannill

Is a first generation Tarleton State attendee, the first in her family to attend college and the first to play college softball (of course)
Likes to go to the beach a lot
She's a cleaner
Likes to play Fortnite
Really likes Jessie Murph
She's a dog mom, Willow Grace, a golden Aussie Doodle

#10 Hannah Reed

Is the aunt of three (two nieces, one nephew)
Likes to rope whenever she's bored
Likes to shop, go on walks
Loves watching shows, the Summer I Turned Pretty, mystery shows, Netflix surfs
Loves coffee, drinks a lot of it
Chose TSU – a lot of her family went to Tarleton State, although she is the first athlete
Will pursue her MBA – wants to do something in marketing, might start a business with sister in marketing postgrad – possibly social media management

#11 Mikayla Wilson

Likes to go on runs – has a dog, a Frenchie, Rufus
Chose TSU because it felt like home, girls were really welcoming, has the small town field
Involved with FCA at TSU

#14 Avery Pemberton

Loves watching shows, favorite show is One Tree Hill
Her Great-great-great grandfather invented Coca Cola, John Pemberton

#15 Gracie Riney

Likes to take her dog, Cash, a corgi, on walks and play frisbee, got him in May
Likes to watch tv series with her roommates, Molly Cochran – just finished Stranger Things, likes Landman
Is Native American, Osage Tribe on her mom's side
Chose TSU because close to home and loves the family aspect and traditions – always wanted to know she wanted to come, and on visit, knew she had to come

#16 Katherine Brunner

Likes hunting and fishing when not playing softball
Likes lifting and going to the gym
Involved with FCA

#18 Gisele Rayngay

Likes to do nails and likes to bleach dye hoodies, likes to craft a lot
Likes her dogs and playing with her brothers, has two dogs, loves her grandma
Chose TSU because close to home and likes the environment
Plan postgrad, wants to become a sports physical therapist and have her own business

#19 Alyson Higginbotham

Likes to line dance
Watches Teen Wolf
Has changed major three times, now business

#20 Alyssa Budisalovich

Has a 2 year old puppy, Owen
Is really good at Fortnite and baking – banana bread and corn bread
Chose TSU because of the town and area, community

#23 Jaelynn Duke

Is a great Fortnite player
Has a dog, Beaux, doxie, long hair Dotson
Really likes Jessie Murph

#24 Isabella Bojkovic

Likes to go to the gym, wants to go law school, wants to be a sports lawyer postgrad
Likes to cook or watch The Office
Chose TSU, is big on family, family oriented ran program, close to home – parents are able to come to most games

#25 Abigail Dowell

Loves to sew, likes to hang out with friends or her brother at home, family time and spending time at the church
Sews things on sweatshirts
Plan postgrad is to go to school radiology, will need to go to 2-year course.

#28 Riley McDaniel

Likes to hang out with teammates, bible study together, likes to cook – has a pasta "Riley's Surprise"
Likes to watch reality TV, Secret Lives of Mormon Lives and Dance Moms
Brother plays high school baseball, uncle golfed at Grand Canyon, rest of her family went to CBU
Was the 20th person in her family to go to CBU, grandma was on the first volleyball team there after Title IX
Plan postgrad, wants to get certified for strength and conditioning, interning with Tarleton State Athletic Performance

#30 Alex Aguilar