KINGSVILLE, Texas – One week after their first series victory over a top 10 in team in a decade, the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team is faced with another challenge, this one in the form of the nation's No. 2 team, the A&M-Commerce Lions, who'll visit Kingsville for a three-game series beginning with a 6 p.m. matchup on Friday night, followed by a Saturday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas.
"I think we're prepared," said coach Craig Nicholson. "We played Commerce four times last year, so I think we have a pretty decent understanding of what they do well. Make no mistake, they're a good ballclub. We're going to have to play at a high level to compete in this series."
The Lions (17-3, 6-0) used a 4-1 week that included a road sweep of UT Permian Basin to jump from fifth to second in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association rankings. That stands as their highest ranking in program history. They also received four first-place votes and finished just three points behind Saint Anselm for the No. 1 spot.
Much of the Lions' success is due to the left arm of sophomore Emily Otto, who leads the conference in wins, ERA and opponents batting average. Against the Falcons, she hurled a pair of complete game shutouts, with just seven hits and one walk against her while striking out 11. She also tossed a five inning no-hitter against MSU Texas on Feb. 16th.
Her fantastic start to the season has already gained her plenty of recognition. Otto has twice been named Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week and she also collected the first Fastpitch News National Pitcher of the Week award on Feb. 19 in the aftermath of a week that included her no-hitter.
The Commerce offense, which is third in the LSC in runs scored and enters the weekend batting an even .300, is led by an equally formidable player in infielder Bri Sims. Her eight homers and 29 RBIs are both among the best totals in the nation and she's driven in multiple runs in a game eight times. Her most impressive performance came against New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 8th, when she homered and drove in six in a 27-3 win for A&M-C. The Lions lineup also features senior Kayla Kilcrease who's third in the LSC in runs scored, and junior Jodie Hill, who's tied for 7th in RBIs.
"The big thing with Commerce's lineup," said Nicholson, "is you have to be really aware of where you miss. If you're missing in the middle of the plate, even in our ballpark, which is a lot different from their ballpark, you can get hurt. We have to work ahead, we really have to pound the strike zone, but we have to be in good pieces of the strike zone and make sure that, when we get ahead, we're making them hit what we want them to hit."
The unranked Javelinas are not without their own top-notch performers, both in the batter's box and in the circle. The two student-athletes right behind Otto on the conference ERA leaderboard both wear Javelina Blue and Gold. Junior Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) owns a 1.55 ERA and right behind her is freshman Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) at 1.76. Castillo was key figure in her team's series victory over No. 8 Tarleton, serving as the winning pitcher in both TAMUK triumphs, once as a starter and once in relief. Her 75 strikeouts are far and away the most in the LSC and place her fourth in the country.
A cast of many has contributed to TAMUK's offensive attack, which has crafted a .308 average through 18 games. Six Javelinas are batting over .300 led by freshman Jory Cervantes (Pflugerville, Texas) at .414. Of the 15 players in the conference hitting .400 or better, no one has more at-bats than Cervantes' 58 and she's also tied for third in the conference in hits and is second in stolen bases with 10.
"I'm not really surprised," said Nicholson. "[She's] a super-talented kid. When she comes to play and is locked in on what she's doing, she's really good. I don't think anything she's done this year is a surprise to me. I think she needs to continue to grow and keep getting better, but so far she's done a good job for us."
Right behind Cervantes is freshman Amber Reyes (Edinburg, Texas) at .393 and she's matches her teammates hits total with 24 to go with a team-high 15 runs scored. Senior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) has been her team's top run producer, with four long balls and 21 RBIs, both in the LSC's top 10. Those totals include her fourth career grand slam, which she blasted on Saturday against Tarleton. Sophomore Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) continues to wreak havoc on the bases with 17 steals. Only four players in Division II have more.
Links to live stats and video for all three games are available on Javelinaathletics.com and a comprehensive recap of each contest can also be found at the same place. To stay up-to-date with Javelina softball all year long, follow @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter, @JavelinaSports on Instagram, like Javelina Sports on Facebook and visit Javelinaathletics.com.
