2019 was a storybook season for the Javelina softball team. The Blue and Gold rewrote their own record books and racked up enough trophies to po- tentially alter the trajectory of the pro- gram’s future. Wins at the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Championships, NCAA South Central Regional and NCAA South Central Super Regional afforded them the opportunity to com- pete in the NCAA Division-II Wom- en’s College World Series in Denver, Col. But the arrival of 2020 leaves them no time to rest on their laurels.
For the second-straight year, TA- MUK will open up their spring sched- ule in Conroe, Texas, at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational. Each day of the three-day affair will see the Blue and Gold face off with a pair of differ- ent teams, making opening weekend a six-game round-robin.
Friday, Jan. 31, the Javelinas open-up with No. 7 Central Oklahoma (UCO). UCO finished 48-8 in 2019. Their run commenced in the Super Regional by Augustana (who would go on to de- feat the Javelinas in the World Series Championship). Friday evening, they take on the Pittsburg State Gorillas.
The Javelinas kick off day two in Conroe with a contest against No. 14 Southern Arkansas, before taking on the invitational’s host No. 21 Arkansas Tech. The final day of play sees TA- MUK taking on 21st-ranked, LSC-foe, Tarleton State and the Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth.
Four of the Javelina’s six opponents are ranked in the top-25, and the half-dozen foes racked up a combined record of 240-100 in 2019.
Despite the stout competition ahead, third-year Head Coach Craig Nichol- son assured Javelina Athletics that his team is as prepared as ever.
“The team’s going to be ready to go,” said Nicholson. “We had a really good camp and got six days of practice be- fore school started. It’s been one of the best camps I’ve seen any of my teams have. The girls came back ready and I think we’re in a good spot right now.”
Eleven return to the diamond for the Blue and Gold. Four of the returning players, outfielder Loren Kelly, short- stop Anastasia Leibas, and pitchers Breanna Smith and Saidi Castillo, were named to the 2019 All-LSC First-Team.
Castillo and Smith dominated op- posing offenses, combining for a 49-9 record. Their individual winning per- centages earned them the first and second spots in school record books. Castillo topped the LSC with 226 strikeouts and 27 wins. Smith was close behind with 22 wins of her own.
Kelly’s 41 stolen bases landed her atop the TAMUK record books in 2019. She enters her junior season just 19 shy of Cassie Anderson’s career record of 90 stolen bases.
The Blue and Gold were selected as the preseason LSC-front-runner and the No. 2 team in the nation by the Na- tional Fastpitch Coaches Association. Eleven of their 2020 opponents are ei- ther ranked in the national polls or re- ceiving votes.
TAMUK recorded a 15-4 record against ranked teams in 2019.