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KINGSVILLE, Texas (Softball) – Texas A&M-Kingsville (14-22-1, 5-14-1) makes a trip to Stephenville, Texas to take on fellow Lone Star Conference member and No. 10 in the NCAA regional rankings Tarleton State (22-18, 9-9 LSC) for a key four-game series this weekend. Saturday's doubleheader is slated to begin at 4 p.m. and Sunday's first pitch will take place at 1 p.m.
 
The Javelinas are still in the running for a spot in the conference tournament for the first time since 2009. They are four and a half games back of the sixth place TexAnns and will host Midwestern State, currently seventh in the standings, next weekend. The Mustangs are three games behind TSU and one and a half games up on the TAMUK.
 
All-Time Series vs. TSU
The TexAnns lead the all-time series 40-28 with a 15-9 record at home. Last season the teams split the season series. The Javelinas won once at home (2-1) and in Wichita Falls, Texas during the LSC Showcase (4-1). TAMUK has not won in Stephenville since May 2, 2010 by the score of 11-0 in five innings.
 
Scouting Texas A&M-Kingsville
Rachael Longoria leads the Blue and Gold with a .383 batting average and is one of three players hitting over .300. The other two are Haley Boyett (.301) and Loren Donaldson (.339).
 
Pacing the Javelinas in RBI with 19 is Valerie Ramirez. She and Donaldson have both hit a team-high four home runs. Donaldson has plated 18 runs this year and Longoria enters Tuesday with 16 RBI.
 
Boyett's 25 runs and 13 stolen bases are the most on the squad.
 
In the circle, Karri Smith is 5-12 with a 5.77 ERA in a staff-high 114.0 innings. She also leads TAMUK with 52 strikeouts and 15 complete games, tied for second in the Lone Star Conference. Making 15 appearances with nine starts is Bella Rosas. She enters with a 4-6 record, 5.92 ERA and 30 strikeouts.
 
Scouting Tarleton State
Katelyn Conlee goes into the series leading the team with a .386 batting average and 42 RBI, tied for the 10th most in the LSC. She is second on the TexAnns with seven home runs. Hitting a team-high eight homers is Erika Menchaca, who is also hitting .384. Also hitting over .300 are Melody Mayse (.349), Savannah Stech (.348), Mikayla Stogsdill (.304) and Nyka Wood (.362).
 
Mayse has come around to score 42 times, the most on the squad. She also paces TSU with 20 stolen bases which is the fifth most in the conference. The next closest player in the steals department is Kaitlyn Thomas at nine and followed by Delaney Wayland's eight.
 
Haley Freyman is the ace of the staff with a 16-10 record, team-low 3.28 ERA, 70 strikeouts and eight complete games. She has made 34 appearances but started only 14 games. Alyssa Ringhausen (1-2, 4.43 ERA) has made eight starts while seven games have been started by Shelby Hedrick (0-4, 8.29 ERA) and Brenna Hennan (4-2, 4.17 ERA).
 
Historic Tie
The Javelinas recorded a tie for the second time in school history in the series finale against Texas Woman's. The game ended 1-1 with an out in the top of the sixth. It just so happens that the first tie came against the Pioneers in Denton, Texas on Mar. 17, 2006 by the score of 2-2 in 10 innings.
 
Season Split vs. SEU
For only the second time since 2011, TAMUK split the season series with St. Edward's. The Hilltoppers won the first game of each the two twinbills the teams played and the Javelinas took the second contest. The last time the Blue and Gold split the season series against SEU was in 2013.
 
Clark Named LSC Pitcher of the Week
With her performance last week on the rubber, Clark was named the Lone Star Conference's Pitcher of the Week. She went 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA, 13 strikeouts, three complete games and one shutout. It is the first weekly conference award for the sophomore.
 
Sweep of Zias
Texas A&M-Kingsville entered into the hunt for a spot in the LSC Tournament with a sweep of Eastern New Mexico. It was the first time the Javelinas took every game in a series in conference play since March 12-13, 2010. That series also took place at Hubert Field against the Zias.
 
Home Sweet Home Part 1
The Javelinas love to play games at Hubert Field. This season they are 11-1 after sweeping the four-game series from ENMU. TAMUK is batting .370 and averaging 5.7 runs a game. On the rubber, Javelina pitchers have combined for a 2.36 ERA, 65 strikeouts and a .275 opponents' batting average.
 
Home Sweet Home Part 2
Clark has dominated in the circle at Hubert Field in 2015. In six starts, she is 5-0 with five complete games, two shutouts, a 1.41 ERA and 38 strikeouts.
 
K-Town
Clark has been a strikeout machine at home this season. Of her 46 strikeouts, 38 of them have come in the circle at Hubert Field. In the season opener against Texas A&M International, she struck out eight. She followed with nine versus Huston-Tillotson, including the first three batters of the game on the minimum nine pitches, and another eight against Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
Castro's Plunked Mark
Back on March 13 in the second game of the day at Cameron, Castro was hit by a pitch to reach base. With that plunk, she was hit for the 23rd time in her career to move into sole possession of first place on the school's all-time list. The previous record holder was Kenna Gipson who played for the Javelinas in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
 
Winning February
Texas A&M-Kingsville completed February with a 6-5 record. It was the first time they have finished the first month of the season with a winning record since 2009 when they went 14-6. The 2012 Javelinas came close, going 8-8 in the first month of the season.
 
Bombs Away
TAMUK blasted four homers in the final game of the Southeastern Regional Invitational against Southwestern Oklahoma State. The home run total is the most by the Javelinas in a game since also hitting four at Eastern New Mexico on March 25, 2011.
 
Live stats and video will be available for the entire series. Links can be found on the softball schedule page.
 
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