Kingsville - With four games left on its schedule, the Texas A&M - Kingsville softball team remains two games outside of a Lone Star Conference Tournament spot, needing to win out - and get a little help - to secure a spot in the postseason.

Thursday, April 24th:
Doubleheader VS St. Mary's
4 p.m. & 6 p.m.

Projected Starters:
TAMUK Game One: Arianna Alaniz (Fr. RHP) - (12-11), 3.04 ERA, 136.0 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 115 H, 59 ER, .222 oAVG, 188 Ks
STM Game One: Madeline Bloom (Sr.) - (10-7), 2.27 ERA, 104.2 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 96 H, 34 ER, .238 oAVG, 51 Ks
TAMUK Game Two: Esther Martinez (Fr. LHP) - (4-11), 4.30 ERA, 109.0 IP, 1.83 WHIP, 139 H, 67 ER, .308 oAVG, 48 Ks
STM Game Two: Ariella Saenz (Jr. RHP) - (3-7), 4.86 ERA, 67.2 IP, 1.64 WHIP, 94 H, 47 ER, .316 oAVG, 30 Ks

Sunday, April 27th:
Doubleheader VS St. Edward's
12 p.m. & 2 p.m.

Projected Starters:
TAMUK Game One: Arianna Alaniz (Fr. RHP) - (12-11), 3.04 ERA, 136.0 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 115 H, 59 ER, .222 oAVG, 188 Ks
SEU Game One: Lisette Urquidez (Sr.) - (9-9), 3.69 ERA, 110.0 IP, 1.39 WHIP, 116 H, 58 ER, .272 oAVG, 49 Ks
TAMUK Game Two: Esther Martinez (Fr. LHP) - (4-11), 4.30 ERA, 109.0 IP, 1.83 WHIP, 139 H, 67 ER, .308 oAVG, 48 Ks
SEU Game Two: Kylen Padgett (Jr.) - (9-8), 3.66 ERA, 97.2 IP, 1.53 WHIP, 97 H, 51 ER, .253 oAVG, 57 Ks

Kingsville will be riding all kinds of momentum after a 2-0 sweep of Texas Woman's on Senior Day last weekend. The day included a walk-off winner from graduate student left fielder AJ Jasso in the bottom of the seventh. The day capped off a weekend that saw the Javelina bats start to get warm again, with the team posting nine different multi-hit performances on Friday. Now in must-win mode, the team turns its attention to two teams, the Rattlers and the Hilltoppers, that it split with when they met earlier this season.

In the Javelinas' first matchup with the Rattlers, exactly one month ago, St. Mary's pulled out a tight, 3-1 win in game one before TAMUK posted a five-run inning late in game two to pull off a comeback win and split the doubleheader.

Much like the Javelinas, the Rattlers enter the weekend with an outside shot at a spot in the LSC Tournament. They will need to reverse their fortunes quickly, having lost five straight games entering Thursday's matchup. Their offense certainly has the capability to be very potent, as they've collected the fourth-most hits in the LSC so far this year with 424.

St. Mary's pitching staff, however, has struggled this year. The crew slots in the bottom half of the conference in staff ERA, hits, and oAVG. The team has yielded at least seven runs in three straight games and at least five in seven of its last 10. Despite those teams numbers, however, Bloom ranks 12th in the LSC in oAVG, yielding just .244 to opposing batters. Her ERA is top-notch as well, boasting a 2.53 number on the season, the ninth-best in the conference.

TAMUK Notes:
As a team, the Javelinas are seventh in the Lone Star in on-base percentage with .373 and fourth in walks with 175
Graduate student outfielder Lindsey Evans enters the weekend hitting .425, the sixth-best mark in the LSC
The Hogs' team pitching staff boast the sixth-best earned run average in the conference with a 3.73 ERA
Graduate student outfielder AJ Jasso is tied with Evans for the team lead in RBIs with 33 (33rd in the LSC), just behind her is sophomore Dakota Martinez with 28 - the team has six different players with at least 19
Freshman right hander Arianna Alaniz's 18 strikeouts are the second-most in the LSC and the twelfth-most in the NCAA this year - she ranks ninth in the nation in strikeouts per seven innings with 9.67
Alaniz has already won multiple LSC Pitcher of the Week awards in her young career, having thrown a five-inning no-hitter against No.22 Lubbock Christian - she has already posted four games this season with double digit strikeouts, and has thrown three complete-game shutouts
Kingsville has four players, Laney Doelitsch, Martinez, Evans, and AJ Jasso with at least four homers on the season - Evans leads the team with eight
Jasso ended her Senior Day with a bang, riffling a walk off-winner through the infield to give the Javelinas a sweep