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TAMUK’s College World Series starts against fifth-seeded Lakers

First pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Thursday

DENVER – In a year that has included individual accomplishments and program milestones too numerous to mention, the fourth-seeded and No. 3 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team arrived in Denver, Colo. at the Division II College World Series attempting to add one more piece of hardware to their trophy case in the form of the program's first-ever national championship.

The Javelinas begin the tournament's eight-team, double-elimination bracket on Thursday when they'll face fifth-seeded and No. 7 Grand Valley State at 2:30 p.m. CT at the Regency Athletic Complex at MSU Denver.

TAMUK has rolled through the postseason thus far, winning all seven games including a sweep of Cameron for the first South Central Regional title in program history. Through the team's first three postseason games, they allowed only one run and pitchers Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) and Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) both pitched shutouts, Smith against No. 19 Tarleton, Castillo over Oklahoma Christian.

In their last four games, the Javelinas have fallen behind and benefitted from a number of clutch hits that've enabled them to come back in each instance. Two of those big hits were provided by sophomore Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas). Her two-run single in the sixth inning of her team's rematch with Oklahoma Christian in the regional final put the Javs ahead for good in a 5-4 triumph. In the first game of the Super Regional, she blasted a two-run homer in the third inning that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead and jump-started a nine-run frame in a 12-8 win.

In the clinching win over the Aggies, it was a pair of freshmen who landed the biggest blows for the Blue and Gold. Makenzie Mays's (Conroe, Texas) fourth-inning grand slam pulled the Javelinas out of a four-run hole and Veronica Chavez's (Tempe, Ariz.) single in the seventh, combined with an error, tallied the run that would prove to be the game-winner. Those two wins over Cameron put TAMUK's record at 48-8, the highest win total in program history.

The hottest bat on Coach Craig Nicholson's roster is currently being swung by senior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas). She's reached safely in every postseason game and is currently riding a 12-game hit streak. In seven games since the start of the Lone Star Conference Tournament, Chapa has 10 hits in 24 at-bats with four doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs. Against the Aggies, she also threw out three of five attempted base-stealers.

Chapa and her teammates will be tasked solving a pitching staff that includes one of the top hurlers in the nation in Allison Lipovsky. GVSU's senior right-hander has been named a finalist for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year award due to a stat line that includes the nation's second-best ERA at 0.84. She's also second in the NCAA in victories with 31 and atop the country in strikeouts with 326. Lipovsky has started and completed her team's last eight games and will carry a 14-start win streak into her next outing.

The Lakers' lineup has posted the best batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Complex. No one in the conference has driven in more runs than the 62 totaled by Nikoma Holmen and Lydia Goble, a mark that also puts each student-athlete int the top 15 in the nation.

Links to complete coverage of every game the Javelinas play at the College World Series, including live video, live stats and postgame recaps and press conferences can be found at Javelinaathletics.com and NCAA.com.

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Players Mentioned

Roxy Chapa

#5 Roxy Chapa

C
5' 10"
Senior
R/R
Anastasia Leibas

#23 Anastasia Leibas

1B/3B
5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
Breanna Smith

#00 Breanna Smith

LHP/UT
5' 11"
Junior
R/R
Makenzie Mays

#2 Makenzie Mays

3B/1B
5' 4"
Freshman
Veronica Chavez

#7 Veronica Chavez

INF
5' 4"
Freshman
Saidi Castillo

#12 Saidi Castillo

P
5' 5"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Roxy Chapa

#5 Roxy Chapa

5' 10"
Senior
R/R
C
Anastasia Leibas

#23 Anastasia Leibas

5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
1B/3B
Breanna Smith

#00 Breanna Smith

5' 11"
Junior
R/R
LHP/UT
Makenzie Mays

#2 Makenzie Mays

5' 4"
Freshman
3B/1B
Veronica Chavez

#7 Veronica Chavez

5' 4"
Freshman
INF
Saidi Castillo

#12 Saidi Castillo

5' 5"
Freshman
P