KINGSVILLE, Texas – For the first time since 2008, the No. 18 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team has gotten off to a 4-0 start in Lone Star Conference play, but they'll put that record and their national ranking on the line during a road trip that will include seven games in five days.
TAMUK will begin its week in Lawton, Okla., where they'll take on the Cameron Aggies in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. on Friday at the McMahon Field Athletics Center. Two days later, the Javs will take the field against the No. 10 Oklahoma Christian Eagles for two games that will begin 12 p.m. at Tom Heath Field in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Javs will then stay in the Sooner State for 2 p.m. matchup in Durant, Okla., against Southeastern Oklahoma State on Monday at Southeastern Softball Field. The week will conclude in Magnolia, Ark., where the Javelinas will clash with the nation's No. 1 team, the Southern Arkansas Muleriders a in twin bill on Tuesday at Dawson Field at the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex on Tuesday.
No one in Division II with at least 30 at-bats has a better batting average than freshman Kayla Gonzales' (San Antonio, Texas) .581 clip and she's also tied for 10th in the nation in doubles with and her 17 RBIs are tied for 22nd nationally. In her team's doubleheader sweep of St. Mary's on Sunday, Gonzales has four hits in five at-bats and collected six RBIs, the sixth time in 2021 she's driven in multiple runs in a game.
Gonzales has helped the Javs craft a .346 team batting average, second-best in the LSC and 18th in the country. Eight Javelinas own averages above .320, including sophomore Matisen Onofrei (Mesa, Ariz.), who's at .435 and has hit a team-high three homers and driven in seven runs in her last three games. Junior Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) is at .333 in 36 at-bats with 10 steals, tied for the ninth-highest total in country.
This will be the first time the Javelinas have faced the Eagles and the Aggies since the 2019 postseason, when they went through both clubs to reach the College World Series. Two of Cameron's best players during their run to the NCAA Super Regionals were infielders Brenna Busby and Khmari Edwards, both of whom were named All-Americans at the end of the year. Through 14 games in 2021, both players are hitting a combined .372. The Eagles have pitched to a 1.94 ERA in 94 innings led by sophomore Kali Crandall, who's 7-1 and has allowed more than one earned run only once in 10 appearances.
Links to live coverage of every game during TAMUK's road trip, including live stats and live video, can be found on Javelinaathletics.com, where a recap will be also be posted at the conclusion 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.
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