Kingsville - Following a six-game homestand (4-2), the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team is hitting the road for a pair of Lone Star Conference doubleheaders, beginning its weekend on Friday against UT-Permian Basin (4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.), and ending it on Sunday against No.9 Angelo St. (1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.). 

The six games that the Javelinas played in their homestand were also the first six in LSC play for the squad, who now sits in a five-way tie for fifth place in the early-season conference standings. They will now be heading to the first road Conference games of their season with matchups against the Falcons and Rambelles.

"Heading into this weekend's conference series, we are looking to get back on track and continue to grow as a team offensively, defensively, and on the mound," Head Coach Orlando Salinas said. "We had a good run of nine straight victories and then we had a minor setback on Sunday against UT-Tyler, but we feel very good with the direction of our ball club and going into this coming weekend."

"These two opponents that we will be playing are both very well-coached and very good teams," Salinas said. "Every conference series is a war and we look forward to great competition this coming weekend."

Scouting the Competition: The UT-Permian Basin Falcons (8-5, 1-3 LSC)
- @ Odessa - 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.

The Falcons cruised through non-conference play, beginning their year with a 7-2 record that included four straight wins over Northwestern Oklahoma State. LSC play has been a different story, however, as Permian has lost three of its first four conference matchups, and given up at least nine runs in all three of those losses.

While their hitting crew has struggled, sophomore RHP Jessica Cantrell will hope to continue an excellent season and lead the Falcon from the mound. She bring the third-best opponent batting average in the LSC (.215) into the weekend, and is coming off of a complete-game shutout of Midwestern St. last weekend. Her ERA (2.15) is the fourth-lowest in the Conference, and her strikeouts (49) are the second-most in the LSC and tied for the 11th-most in the nation. 

Scouting the Competition: The No.8 Angelo St. Rambelles (15-4, 4-0 LSC)
- @ San Angelo - 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.

The top-10-ranked Rambelles are the only undefeated team left in LSC play, entering the weekend after sweeps of Midwestern St. and Lubbock Christian. They will put that four-game winning streak on the line against TAMIU on Friday before facing off with Kingsville on Sunday.

So far this season, the top-10-ranked Rambelles have been the very best pitching team in the LSC, boasting a 2.43 team ERA (28th in the nation), and a 3.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio (15th in the nation). Among a number of dangerous pitchers, junior Addy Ewing stands out. She boasts a 1.77 ERA, the third best in the LSC, and an elite .94 WHIP. Her .170 opposing batting average paces in the Conference.

Javelina Quick Hitters:

• After a slow start full of tight, late losses, the Javelinas have been on a tear, winning nine straight games before a pair of losses to the reigning National Champions on Sunday - the streak ended as the longest for the program since 2022
• Senior RHP Andrea Martinez has stepped into a starting role for Kingsville and has been excellent, striking out the ninth-most batters in the LSC while pitching in fewer innings than four of the eight pitchers above her on that list
• Sophomore LHP Esther Martinez has been equally good, boasting the 11th-lowest ERA in the conference (2.49) while having pitched in more innings than eight of the 10 pitchers above her - she is also one of just nine pitchers in the LSC this year to record a save
• Early in the season, sophomore outfielder Lainee Ballin had a stellar weekend at the Southern Colorado Crossover, hitting .588 with three home runs, keying Kingsville to the first five of nine straight wins and earning the Lone Star Conference's Hitter of the Week award
• Freshman outfielder Victoria Vargas has had a phenomenal start to her collegiate career - she is hitting .417, the 15th-highest number in the conference (5th among freshman)
• As a staff, the 72 batters that Kingsville pitchers have struck out are the second-most in the LSC this season
• Kingsville as a squad is third the conference in walks, having drawn 69 on the season, and hold the eighth-highest on-base percentage in the LSC - they have also been extremely efficient bringing those base-runners home, having stolen the fourth-most bases and scored the seventh-most runs in the conference