KINGSVILLE, Texas – After seeing the last two tournaments on their schedule canceled, the No. 23 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team will finally get back on the field again for a busy week that will start at home, where the Javelinas will play four games during the Kingsville Tournament, which will be held Saturday through Monday at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas.
The Javs will play twice on Saturday, first taking on the Tabor College Bluejays at 1 p.m., then battling the Columbia College Cougars at 5 p.m., followed on Sunday by a 1 p.m. rematch with the Cougars and on a 5 p.m. meeting with the St. Mary's Rattlers. After a day off on Monday, the Blue and Gold will travel to Arkadelphia, Ark., where they'll play the Henderson State Reddies on Tuesday in a doubleheader that will begin at 3 p.m. at Dee White Field. One day later, the Javs will be in Magnolia, Ark., for two games against the No. 1 Southern Arkansas Muleriders, scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch at Dawson Field.
These games will also be the first for TAMUK since they earned a spot in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, which was released on Wednesday. The Javelinas received votes in the NFCA's preseason rankings, but a 2-0 opening weekend helped them garner the attention of the voters.
The Javs 2-0 start was mostly accomplished on the strength of the team's pitching staff, which allowed only two runs and 10 hits in 17 innings. Freshman Lizette Del Angel (Robstown, Texas) started the year with 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball to pick up a win over No. 9 Angelo State and sophomore Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) followed that with a nine-inning, three-hit effort against St. Mary's as TAMUK took a 2-0 decision in extra innings. In each game, senior Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) played the role closer, saving both contests. She's one of only three pitchers in the nation with multiple saves in 2021.
The year's first offensive blow for the Blue and Gold came from sophomore Matisen Onofrei (Mesa, Ariz.) who homered in her first at-bat of the season and later added a double in the victory over StMU. The hottest bats in year's first weekend were swung by junior Claire Chernosky (Sugar Land, Texas) and freshman Kayla Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas). Chernosky logged five hits in her first eight at-bats, including a 4-for-5 night against the Rattlers. Gonzalez started the year 4-for-7 and her third-inning, RBI double drove in the final run in TAMUK's 4-2 upset of ASU.
TAMUK's list of opponents during this stretch of eight games in five days include a St. Mary's team that owns a 12-7 record against the Javs over the last five seasons and an SAU team that was recently ranked No. 1 in the NFCA poll for the fourth consecutive time. The Muleriders hit .446 as a team and scored 29 runs in a season-opening series against Delta State that saw SAU win both games via the run-rule.
Links to live video and stats for every Javelina softball game can be found on Javelinaathletics.com, where a recap will also be published at the end of each day. Stay current with Javelina softball by following @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on both Twitter and Instagram, liking the Javelina Sports Facebook page, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
