KINGSVILLE, Texas – Coming off their most successful season in nearly a decade and with coach Craig Nicholson heading up a new coaching staff, the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team is at the starting gate and ready to begin its 2018 season at the Texas A&M International Tourney, where TAMUK will take on two teams and play five games in three days.
The season begins with two games on Friday. First, the Javelinas will tussle with the tournament's host school, Texas A&M-International, at 10 a.m. At 3:15 p.m., they'll battle Central Oklahoma and the Hoggies and Bronchos will play again the next day at 10 a.m. before TAMUK has a rematch with the Dustdevils at 12:45 p.m. The final contest of the event for Kingsville is on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Central Oklahoma.
In 2017, the Javelinas totaled 27 wins against 24 losses and went 14-14 in conference play. The overall record was the team's best since 2009, while they posted the best win percentage in the Lone Star Conference since going 15-9 in 2007, the last time the Javs made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. TAMUK will also be attempting to capture the conference title for the first time since 2002. Prior to the start of this season, the LSC's preseason poll placed the Javelinas seventh, exactly where they finished 2017.
Craig Nicholson was given the keys to the TAMUK softball program on June 16th, 2017. This year will mark his first season guiding a collegiate team since 2015, when he was the head man at Arizona State. Over the course of 20 seasons coaching softball, Nicholson has put together a record of 1046-286-1 for a win percentage of .785. During his time in Tempe, the Sun Devils made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament and were led by All-American Amber Freeman. Freeman was also one of seven players to earn a spot on the All-Pac 12 roster during Nicholson's time at Arizona State. The Wilfred Laurier University graduate has also spent time as the head coach at Ball State University, winning four conference titles in seven years, and Central Arizona, where he won four NJCAA National Championships.
Nicholson has the luxury of getting back the Javelinas' top position player and top pitcher from a year ago. Victoria Schoonard-Saborio spent the 2017 season laying waste to the best made plans of pitchers all over Texas, especially in the LSC. The California native posted a batting average of .447, a new TAMUK record, and that mark improved to .465 against conference opponents. Schoonard-Saborio also broke her own school record with a .539 on-base percentage, tied the record for runs scored in a season with 46 and posted the second-best slugging percentage in Javelina history at .693. Her rewards included a spot on the All-LSC first-team and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-South Central Region second-team.
Three other all-conference honorees, Haley Boyett, Roxy Chapa and Rachel Longoria, are also back on campus. Boyett and Chapa both batted .358 last season, Boyett led the squad by swiping eight bases and Chapa tied Schoonard-Saborio in home runs with a team-high eight. Boyett also earned a Gold Glove for her efforts patrolling center field. Longoria's 43 runs scored were TAMUK's second-most and she also earned the title of her team's most patient hitter, taking 29 walks, which placed her in the LSC's top 10.
Sophomore Breanna Smith figures to be a fixture in the circle for coach Nicholson. Her initial season in the Blue and Gold was good enough to garner the San Antonio native a spot on the All-LSC third-team. She paced the Hoggies with 10 wins, finishing in the conference's top 10 in that category, as well as in shutouts with three and strikeouts with 90. Senior hurler Sarah Gilbert, who crafted a record of 7-4 in 2017 to go with a 3.77 ERA is also likely to see plenty of action.
Texas A&M International, the first team the Javs will face this season, ended last year at 19-35, but went 12-9 in the Heartland Conference to finish fourth. They are attempting to recover from the loss of their leading position player, Brenda Parnin, who was a three-time all-league selection, but pitcher Delainy Thompson is back in uniform for one final season after concluding 2017 on the All-Heartland first-team. Her 2.08 ERA was sixth-best in the conference.
One season ago, Central Oklahoma fielded one of the best softball teams in the country and this fact was borne out by a record of 48-11, a Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association title and a ranking as high No. 16 in the country. Coach Cody White fielded a team that included nine All-MIAA players, including the conference player of the year, Carrie Abrams, who has returned for her senior season. Abrams pounded out a .429 batting average and finished in the MIAA top 10 in hitting, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits and triples. For her efforts, White was given the nod for MIAA Coach of the Year.
At the end of each day in Laredo, check in with Javelinaathletics.com for a comprehensive recap of all the action. To keep up with Javelina softball all season long, you can follow the team on Twitter @TAMUKSB, like /JavelinaSports on Facebook and subscribe to the Javelina athletics YouTube channel.
