KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team is preparing to commence with its final regular season doubleheader of the 2021 season and it matches them against the team one spot behind them in the most recent regional rankings, the Texas A&M International Dustdevils, who will be at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas for two games on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown at 1 p.m.
The Javelinas will also be using this weekend as an opportunity to honor their senior class of Claire Chernosky (Sugar Land, Texas), Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) Makenzie Mays (Conroe, Texas) and Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas). The Senior Day ceremony for these four student-athletes will be held after the conclusion of both games.
This group has put together a long list of memorable moments since they arrived in Kingsville and each one played a role in the program's run to a regional title in 2019.
Chernosky had one of her best games of the year in the regional tournament against West Texas A&M, picking up two hits including a game-tying single in the sixth inning of a come-from-behind victory. One day later, in the regional clincher, Leibas drove in three runs, including the game-winner in the sixth inning, which also broke the program's single-season record for RBIs.
The biggest hit in the super regional series came from Mays, who tied up game two with a fourth inning grand slam and Smith, who started the 2019 postseason with a one-hit shutout against Tarleton in the conference tournament, earned the win on that day to lock up the program's first regional title.
TAMUK's four seniors will be attempting to make their final weekend at home a memorable one, but they'll be battling a Dustdevil team that will be attempting to strengthen their claim for the final spot in the South Central Regional Tournament.
With only six teams reaching the NCAA Tournament's first round instead of the eight that would normally be chosen, the Javelinas were the team in possession of the No. 6 spot in the poll released on Wednesday. That final tourney bid may hang in the balance when TAMUK and TAMIU meet on Saturday.
The Dustdevils stand at 24-17 overall and 17-11 in the Lone Star Conference. They've already clinched the program's first winning season since 2011 and they're attempting to make their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Two of players who've played the most significant role in TAMIU's success in 2021 are outfielder Darrian Smith and pitcher Erika Cortez. Cortez's first season in Laredo has seen her pick up a pair of LSC Pitcher of the Week awards and she was named National Pitcher of the Week in April after tossing the first perfect game in program history. Her 13 wins and 2.46 ERA both have her in the top 10 in the LSC.
Smith has bashed nine homers in her first year as a Dustdevil, tying her for ninth in the conference. She spent the first two months of the season hitting .395 and she'll be attempting to bounce back from a 1-for-12 week during TAMIU's last homestand.
Live video and stats will be available for both games on Saturday, as will a recap at the end of the day, all of which can be found at Javelinaathletics.com. 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.
Get the Official Javelina Athletics Mobile App presented by Whataburger today! Download on the App Store or Get It on Google Play to keep up with all the news, scores and updates of your favorite Javelinas
