Anna Hernandez, senior second baseman, has started 166 games for Bobcat softball. Hernandez was also voted an All-Southland Conference player last season.

Senior second baseman Anna Hernandez is no rookie. Her 167 games in a Texas State uniform reflect that. Her 166 starts, including 53 her freshman year, prove it.

Hernandez still has plenty to play not only for herself, but for her teammates, even after all the games, starts and wins.

“I try to lead by example. That has really been the motto for me this year,” Hernandez said. “I just try to be a leader off and on the field for these girls. I try to lead not just for the underclassmen but try to be an overall team leader.”

Senior guard Diamond Ford moved up to fourth all-time on the scoring list as the Bobcats split the weekend’s matchup with a win against New Mexico State University and a loss to the University of Denver.

Ford led the team in scoring both games, recording 21 points in each game. The senior guard is the conference’s leading scorer, earning 21.1 points per contest. She has now accumulated a total of 1,706 points in her four years of playing at Texas State.

“It feels great.” Ford said. “It’s a really big accomplishment for me and for the rest of these games that we have. I can just continue to grow up.”

For her career, Ford has averaged 16.1 points per contest. She has led the Bobcats in scoring the past three seasons. Coach Zenarae Antoine has a great appreciation for Ford’s game and all that she has accomplished at Texas State.

This weekend the Texas State women’s basketball team will look to avenge 3-point losses to the University of Denver and New Mexico State University suffered at the beginning of conference season.

This season the ball club has been outscored by their opponents by an average of 4.2 points per contest. The team has lost four games by 7 points or less this season, three of those games coming in WAC play.

“When you fall short against a team, I think that just builds your intensity and your intent to win the next time,” said junior guard Kaylan Martin. ”You don’t want to lose again especially when you got so close to getting that win.”

It took Denver overtime to beat the Bobcats at Strahan Coliseum on Jan. 3. With 20 seconds left in the game, the Pioneers hit two free throws to send the game into extra time and won in OT 73-70.

Jasmine Baugus, junior guard, shoots Jan. 27 against Seattle University. Texas State lost 70-58 at Strahan Coliseum.

The Texas State women’s basketball team was unable to capture wins at home this weekend against the University of Idaho and Seattle University, extending their home losing streak to five games.

The Bobcats have lost nine out of the last 10 games, and have not won at home in 41 days. Their last home win was against Kennesaw State University on Dec. 18. The Owls recently joined Division 1 in 2009 full-time.

“One of the positives I really like about this team is that we keep fighting,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine. “The leadership is starting to arise. It’s these tough breaks we keep getting. It hurts as a coach more so for your team than you personally.”

The Texas State’s women’s basketball team is looking to end their three-game losing streak at home when they host the University of Idaho (7-11, 4-3) on Thursday.

The Vandals come into Strahan Coliseum hitting 8.3 three-point shots per contest, which is ranked eighth best in the NCAA. The team connects on 33 percent of their shots that come from behind the arc each game, a WAC best.

Idaho will be led by the combo guard-forward Alyssa Charlston. The 6-feet-1-inch junior averages 14.4 points per contest and 7.9 boards per game, leading the Vandals in both categories. Coach Zenarae Antoine recognizes that the Bobcats will have to contain the “savvy” Charlston to find success in this game.

Women’s basketball missed 17 free throws on Saturday in a 56-46 loss to Interstate 35 rival University of Texas-San Antonio, making it the team’s seventh loss in the last eight games.

“We executed our game plan with the exception of the free-throw line,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine. “That is the name of the game.”

The ball club went 30 percent from the field making 15 baskets the entire way, and made 13-30 free throws. The Bobcats shot 27.3 percent from behind the three-point line, connecting on three out of 11. All three came in the second half.

Freshman point guard Ayriel Anderson may be small, but her energy is big.

“You’ve seen that commercial with the ever-ready batteries in the bunny? That’s Ayriel,” said Suzie Oelschlegel, Anderson’s high school coach. “She was just everywhere and just kept going on and on, like the Energizer Bunny.”

“The Energizer Bunny” is the nickname Anderson earned while playing basketball in Irving, Texas at MacArthur High School. Listed at just 5 feet and 3 inches, Anderson is the shortest player on the Bobcat team by three inches, but that does not discourage her from playing hard with intensity.

Coming off their first WAC win this season, the Texas State women’s basketball team will look to ride that momentum into a matchup with Interstate 35 rival University of Texas-San Antonio.

“We know it’s a big game,” said junior guard Jasmine Baugus. “We know we have to get this win because we need to start winning and keep winning because it’s a big win against a big rival that we need to get.”

The Roadrunners (9-8, 3-3) come into Strahan Coliseum looking to build on the two-game win streak they currently have in conference play. UTSA will be led by sophomore guard Kamra King, who leads the Roadrunners with 10.5 points and 2.1 steals per game.

Texas State soccer struggled in the early part of the season. The team had a scoreless span of four straight games and did not capture a win in six straight matches, going 0-5-1.

The Bobcats were able to gain momentum when they entered their first and only season of WAC play. They defeated the University of Idaho 2-1 in their first conference game by scoring two goals in the last nine minutes of the contest.

Texas State finished conference play with a 4-4 record, finishing third in the WAC. The club earned a spot in the WAC tournament as the No. 3 seed.

The Bobcats played the Vandals in the first round of the WAC tournament and beat them 2-1 in overtime. They advanced to the second round but lost to the University of Denver.

Texas State gave up 30 offensive boards and was out-rebounded for the fourth time in five games this year in a 90-55 defeat at the hands of No.17 Oklahoma State University Wednesday night.

“Rebounding is just something that we are just going to have to do to compete and win games, period,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine after her team was outrebounded 67-34. “We have to make up for our lack of size and depth in a particular position of the four spot. It’s obvious that teams are going to try to figure out where we’re weak at and take advantage of that.”

The women raced out to an early lead with freshman forward Erin Peoples outscoring the Cowgirls 8-2 in the first four minutes of the game. Peoples would end the game with 16 points, six rebounds, a block and a steal.

The Bobcats maintained a lead of 25-20 before the Cowgirls went on an 18-6 run to take the 38-31 lead into halftime.