The 2002 Javelina softball team, led by head coach Brady Tigert, set the original bar by which all others who followed were measured. The team finished with a record of 46-18, which set a new benchmark in wins, followed up with a Lone Star Conference Championship off a shutout of Central Oklahoma and ended up in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament.
TAMUK started off the year with a 10-1 record that began with three wins at the Border City Classic in Texarkana, Texas. The team added a two-game sweep of Schreiner on February 12, and ended with four wins in the LSC First Pitch Tournament in Irving, Texas.
The Javelinas closed the LSC South Division schedule with an 11-5 mark after taking a four-game sweep of Angelo State to finish second in the regular season standings. The team extended the winning streak to eight games after clinching the LSC Championship and took the title with a flawless run through the conference tournament.
The Blue and Gold started with a 6-0 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State in the opening round, followed up with a 5-0 shutout of SEOSU, and capped off the weekend by besting the Bronchos twice, first by a count of 8-0 and again at 5-0 in the championship game.
The streak wound up at 10 games as TAMUK blanked Texas Woman’s at 8-0 to start the regional tournament in San Antonio, and added yet another shutout of UCO at 1-0 in the second round. The team dropped their first game after the Rattlers took a 6-2 decision, but battled back with a 4-0 win over the Bronchos to make it to the regional final.
The Javelinas fell 10-5 to StMU in the championship to bring the season to a close but still had plenty to celebrate. The seven-game shutout streak still stands as the longest in program history and the 46 wins stood as the program record for 16 years until the 2019 softball team surpassed it with 52.
Members of the 2002 Javelina softball team:
| Michelle Bartch |
OF |
Sr. |
Copperas Cove, Texas |
| Mariana Casarez |
OF |
Sr. |
Beeville, Texas |
| Melissa Falcon |
OF |
So. |
Rio Grande City, Texas |
| Stacey Fleming |
OF |
So. |
Lake Jackson, Texas |
| Maria Gutierrez |
P |
Sr. |
Pearland, Texas |
| Ria Hoog |
INF |
So. |
Castroville, Texas |
| Kelli Huston |
SS |
Jr. |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| Meghan King |
P |
Fr. |
Dumas, Texas |
| Shawna Lawless |
INF |
So. |
Austin, Texas |
| Sarah Norman |
1B |
Jr. |
Galveston, Texas |
| Janelle Ortega |
OF |
So. |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Rachel Poslick |
INF |
Jr. |
Enid, Okla. |
| Amanda Sustaita |
2B |
Sr. |
Pasadena, Texas |
| Jessica Thigpen |
C |
Fr. |
Victoria, Texas |
| Brandy Thompson |
OF |
So. |
Waller, Texas |
| Wendy Wagster |
C |
So. |
Harlingen, Texas |
| Lesley Zambrano |
OF |
Sr. |
Carrizo Springs, Texas |
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| Head Coach: Brady Tigert |
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| Asst. Coach: Jennifer Painter |
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