The 2013 season for the Texas State softball team began with promise and high expectations but has since been filled with distractions, injuries and poor play.

The team had just come off a Southland Conference regular season title and a championship before ending their 2012 campaign by getting bounced in the NCAA tournament by Texas A&M.
The Bobcats began the next season by playing the National Pro Fastpitch All-Stars in the fall of 2012 and lost in extra innings by one run. The outing was so impressive that All-Stars Coach Jim Beita said the Bobcats were “the toughest battle” they had seen all year.

The Bobcats were be picked by WAC coaches in January to win the conference and had two preseason All-WAC selections in senior pitcher Anne Marie Taylor and senior second baseman Anna Hernandez.

The Texas State softball team came into its contest 0–9 in extra-inning games this season. It turned the trend around Tuesday, however, holding on to a 5–4 victory in 10 innings against Lamar University.

Texas State (13–33) was able to withstand an early 2–0 deficit when Courtney Harris, sophomore third baseman, hit a double to drive in seniors Anna Hernandez, second baseman, and Haley Lemons, first baseman, in the fifth inning.

In the next inning, freshman catcher Katie Doerre hit a two-run homer to give the Bobcats a 4–2 advantage heading to the bottom of the sixth and later the seventh.

The Cardinals (21–30) responded in the seventh when junior center fielder Candyce Carter hit an RBI single to bring Lamar within one run. Two batters later, freshman left fielder Jenna Holland doubled to center field to even the contest at four and send the game into extra innings.

Senior second baseman Anna Hernandez attempts a double play April 19 at the Bobcat Softball Stadium.

The Texas State softball team fell to 0–9 in extra-inning games over the weekend when they dropped two of three against first place New Mexico State University.

The team came into the series against the Aggies tied for third in the conference. The Bobcats (12–33) are now tied for fifth in the WAC with Louisiana Tech University, posting a 7–8 conference record.

The Texas State softball team will try to win a third straight WAC series this weekend when it takes on first-place New Mexico State University at the Bobcat Softball Stadium.

The Aggies come into San Marcos winning 14 of their last 15 contests. New Mexico State (30–14) has an 11–1 record in conference play and holds a five game advantage over Texas State (11–31, 6–6) in the WAC standings.

“Right now they kind of have that feeling underneath their belt that they can’t be beat,” Coach Ricci Woodard said. “They are going to be a hard team to beat. We are going to have to do a lot of things well to keep ourselves in the ball game and give us a chance to win. They’ve obviously been playing well in the WAC. We’re just going to have to do a good job on all aspects of the game.”

Senior second baseman, Anna Hernandez, turns her back to A&M's Taran Tyler as she rounds the bases at the Bobcat Softball Complex after a homerun. Texas State was defeated 14-0.

Illegal pitches and home runs burned Bobcat softball multiple times in front of 824 spectators against the Texas A&M Aggies in a 14–0, run-ruled shutout through five innings at Bobcat Softball Stadium Tuesday night.

“Today was an embarrassment for us,” said Coach Ricci Woodard. “To have this kind of crowd show up and watch a ball game and us not competing is not a good spot for this program to be in right now.”

After going 1-18 against schools from Texas this season, the Texas State softball team was able to take two out of three games against the University of Texas-Arlington this past weekend.
The Bobcats (11-30, 6-6) shutout the Mavericks (18-21, 3-9) in both of Friday’s contests but came up short on Saturday, losing 1-0.

“Any time you can go on the road and take two out of three it shows that you are headed in the right direction,” said Coach Ricci Woodard. “I felt like we pretty much dominated Friday, and then Saturday we just let things slip away from us.”

The ball club lost on Saturday in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly hit by UTA junior third baseman Taylor Zink. Texas State collected five hits for the game with freshman left fielder Kelli Baker going 2-3 and drawing a walk. Baker hit .500 for the weekend series in addition to scoring a run and getting three RBI.

At the base of the 8-foot bronze statue of John Wooden that stands guard outside Pauley Pavilion where the University of California-Los Angeles plays, a plaque is inscribed with one of the legendary coach’s favorite sayings:

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable of becoming.”

It is a wonderful thought. It is one that Danny Kaspar, the latest caretaker of the Texas State men’s basketball team has to prove to the university and students. Kaspar has an overall record of 438-188 as a head coach and can take solace in the fact that he has been successful everywhere he has instructed.

Texas State softball will try to avoid being the first 30-loss team the program has seen in 13 years under Coach Ricci Woodard when they face the University of Texas-Arlington this weekend.

The Mavericks are former Southland Conference foes of the Bobcats and are currently in a seven game losing streak after winning their first two conference games against Seattle University.

“We played them last year and even earlier this year,” said sophomore third baseman Courtney Harris. “We know what they have and it’s nothing special. We just need to go out and play our best and if we do that, we will come out on top.”

The Bobcats (9-29) have taken two of the last three contests against UTA, outscoring them 8-4. The Mavericks have a 17-19 record overall and sit tied for seventh in the WAC posting a record of 2-7.

The Texas State softball team lost its fifth straight nonconference game and second contest to Baylor University this season, 7-3 at home Tuesday night in 10 innings.

The Bears’ sophomore shortstop Jordan Strickland hit a one-out, two-run home run in the top of the 10th to give Baylor the lead and clinch the game.

Sophomore right fielder Kaitlyn Thumann added an RBI in the top of the 10th to push the lead, 6-3. Redshirt first baseman Holly Holl hit a double deep to center field to drive in the final run for Baylor, giving them the 7-3 advantage. She had four RBI for the Bears.

All three Bobcats who came to the plate in the bottom of the 10th struck out swinging to end the game.

The Texas State softball team won its first home WAC series of the season over this past weekend, claiming the final two games of the matchup from Louisiana Tech University.

The ball club now posts an overall record of 9-28 and currently sits fifth in the conference standings with a 4-5 WAC record.

“I think we’re in a good spot right now,” sophomore third baseman Courtney Harris said. “We’re on the right track. We definitely have momentum up and our ultimate goal is to be in the right spot by the conference tournament.”

The Bobcats blew a 6-1 lead in the top of the sixth and fell 7-6 in game one but bounced back to take the series with 7-3 and 8-3 victories Friday and Saturday.

The team was led by senior second baseman Anna Hernandez over the weekend. Hernandez hit .500, drove in three RBI and had a run in the Bobcats’ two wins.