Texas State Softball Travels To No. 21 Baylor For Midweek Wednesday

by, Jen Lawson

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State softball team will take on its third nationally ranked opponent this season Wednesday as the Bobcats travel to Waco to take on No. 21 Baylor. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest. This is the 13th consecutive season that the two I-35 teams have gone head-to-head.

Game Info: Texas State at No. 21 Baylor

Site: Getterman Stadium – Waco, Texas

Dates: Wednesday, April 20

Time: 6 p.m.

The Series

Baylor holds a 37-16 series lead over the Bobcats, where the Bears have won the last five meetings. The last Texas State victory was on Feb. 25, 2012, where the ‘Cats earned a 1-0 victory. Head Coach Ricci Woodard posts an 8-15 record in her coaching career against the Bears.

Last Meeting

In Texas State’s Strikeout Cancer game in 2015, the Bobcats fell 6-1 to the Bears. The Bears got off to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning after a Baylor single to left center drove in the first run of the game. Texas State responded in the bottom of the third, thanks to a Kelli Baker triple which scored Kimberlin Naivar to even the score 1-1. While Texas State responded, Baylor proved to be too much for the Bobcats, putting up five more runs in the match-up.

Bobcat Tidbits

Texas State enters Wednesday’s contest 27-16 overall and 6-9 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Bobcats are coming off of a SBC series win over the Troy Trojans, where the ‘Cats took games one (2-1) and three (8-0).

At the plate, sophomore Taylor Webb leads the team with a .311 batting average while senior Kelli Baker has racked up a team-leading 41 hits. Baker has three triples and has stolen eight bases this season. Corrina Liscano and Kendall Wiley each have five home runs on the season and after a solid weekend offensively against the Trojans, Liscano has raised her batting average over .300. The Bobcats carry a .245 batting average and have sent 18 balls out of the park this season.

In the circle, Randi Rupp leads the staff with a 19-8 record. In 164.1 innings, Rupp has recorded 234 strikeouts, which ranks her fourth in the NCAA. The sophomore standout tossed her fifth complete game shutout of the season against Troy last weekend.

After pitching 16.1 innings without allowing an earned run, Rupp was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week. She finished the week with 34 strikeouts, a 3-0 record, and just seven hits allowed.

Junior transfer Quincy Charleston leads the staff with a 1.71 ERA. Charleston and Rupp each have two saves on the season.

The Bobcats are led by head coach Ricci Woodard, who is in her 16th season at the helm for Texas State. Woodard coached in her 900th game Sunday afternoon against the Trojans. She is 543-356-1 all-time at Texas State.

A Look at the Competition – Baylor

No. 21 Baylor enters the midweek game with a 35-12 overall record and 7-4 record in Big 12 Conference play. The Bears have taken on six Bobcat opponents: Northwestern State, Mississippi Valley State, Texas, UL Lafayette, Oklahoma State and Lamar. On April 5, the Bears pulled out a 5-4 victory over the Lamar Cardinals and overall the Bears are 9-2 against similar opponents.

At the plate, the Bears have hit 38 home runs, 10 of which coming from Linsey Hays. The senior has 43 hits and 12 doubles on the season. Sophomore Jessie Scroggins leads the team in hits (58) and doubles (16) and has stolen 14 bases this season. The Bears have a .314 team batting average and have generated 400 hits.

In the circle, senior Heather Stearns and sophomore Kendall Potts have seen the most action. Stearns leads the staff with a 16-6 record and a 1.94 ERA with Potts following close behind (12-1, 1.95 ERA). Stearns has tossed 144 innings and collected 174 strikeouts so far this season. The pitching staff carries a collective 2.46 ERA while holding opponents to a .209 batting average.

Head coach Glenn Moore is in his 16th season at the helm for the Bears.

Looking Ahead

After Baylor, the Bobcats return home to play a weekend conference series with South Alabama and a midweek game against No. 16 Texas A&M next Wednesday.

Jen Lawson

Texas State University