KINGSVILLE, Texas – The No. 14 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball program is preparing to embark on the longest road trip of the regular season, one that will bring them first to Odessa, Texas on Friday for a doubleheader with the UT Permian Basin Falcons, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., then they'll take a bus ride to Silver City, N.M., where the Western New Mexico Mustangs will host the Javelinas for two games on Sunday with a first pitch time of 12 p.m.
"Those two teams play a lot better at home," said coach Craig Nicholson, "and we better be prepared for the fact that they are better when they're are home. Part of it is that whoever is coming to play them has a long road trip. We have to be prepared to go in there and play at a high level."
The last time the Javelinas were in Odessa was at the end of the 2019 regular season and they swept the Falcons to lock up a Lone Star Conference Championship. Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) and Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) combined to allow just one earned run over 19 innings in that series and so far in 2021, they've contributed to a pitching staff that owns an ERA of 2.00, third-best in the Lone Star Conference. In the series history between these programs the Javelinas have a 13-3 advantage that includes six straight wins over UTPB.
The Mustangs have had a little more success against the Blue and Gold, but the Javs still possess an 11-9 record against WNMU and have taken eight of the last 10 meetings. The last time these squads met was in Kingsville in 2019 and the Javelinas took three straight via the run rule and permitted five total hits in the series. TAMUK took three of four from the Mustangs in Silver City in 2018.
The pitching staff that Smith and Castillo have helped turn into one of the best in the LSC also includes two freshman, Beth Montes (San Antonio, Texas) and Lizette Del Angel (Calallen, Texas) both of whom have ERAs under 2.00. Montes already has a no-hitter and a one hitter to her credit and is coming off her third shutout of the year, which came against Eastern New Mexico on Friday. Del Angel hasn't allowed more than one run in any of her last six outings. For the season she's struck out 24, walked only six and owns a 1.75 ERA.
The top batting average in the Lone Star Conference still belongs to the Javs and their .353 clip is third-best in the nation among teams that have played at least 20 games. Freshman Kayla Gonzales (San Antonio, Texas) continues to swing the stick to the tune of a .515 average, tops in the nation for players with 50 at-bats or more. With sophomores Jory Cervantes (Pflugerville, Texas) and Matisen Onofrei (Mesa, Ariz.) hitting .408 and .407, respectively, the Javs are the only team in the LSC with three players batting above .400.
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