SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State softball team, coming off a 4-0 weekend, is looking to continue their winning ways on the road this upcoming weekend as they travel south to face Texas A&M International on Friday (noon doubleheader) as well as on Saturday (11 a.m.) in a non-conference matchup before ending the weekend with #7 Texas A&M-Kingsville (noon doubleheader).
The Rambelles ranked 11
th in the latest version of the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, are 29-7 overall on the season and 14-6 in conference play. They swept road doubleheaders against Midwestern State and Texas Woman's last weekend.
The Rambelles homered six times this past weekend as they continue to lead Division II in that category, with 55 on the season. They also remain patient at the plate, drawing 148 walks this season, third in the country.
Maleya Burns helped lead the Rambelles' offense this past weekend, hitting a team-high .500 and recording her first collegiate multi-homer game. A slow start offensively saw her go 2-for-31 (.065) at the plate. Since the UT Tyler series, The Washingtonian has recorded nine hits in her last 21 at-bats (.429).
Paxton Scheurer continues to be the standout player in the Rambelles' lineup, leading the team with a .422 batting average. She has 19 home runs this season and 61 RBIs, ranking second nationally in both categories. Her .991 slugging percentage puts her fourth in the country, and her 19 home runs are tied for second-most in a single season in the program's history.
Ashlyn Lerma is fourth in the country and second in the LSC in stolen bases with 35 this season, and she leads the conference with 1.14 runs scored per game.
In the circle,
Torrey Hogan picked up three wins last weekend. The Lubbock native is one of three pitchers in the conference to start 19 games this season, most in the LSC, while her teammate
Genesis Armendariz is second in the LSC with 24 appearances in the circle this season.
Hogan has a 12-4 record and 79 strikeouts in 100.2 innings, while Armendariz has a 15-3 record with a 2.02 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 100.1 innings pitched.
SCOUTING THE DUSTDEVILS
Texas A&M-International is 14-26 overall on the season and 7-13 in conference play.
The Dustdevils and the Rambelles, who have played each other three times this season, will play three times this weekend, with the Friday doubleheader counting as conference games, while Saturday's game will be non-conference.
In their three previous meetings, the Rambelles won all three times as a part of the Angelo State Invitational. In their first meeting, the Dustdevils' Darrian Smith did an excellent job in the circle holding the Rambelle offense at bay; the Rambelles walked off Smith and the Dustdevils 3-2 on February 18
th.
On the season, Smith is 10-9 with a 3.35 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 106.2 innings.
SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS
Texas A&M-Kingsville, the seventh-ranked team in the country, is 33-6 overall and 15-5 in conference play, one game ahead of the Rambelles and one game behind a four-way tie for first place in the standings.
Against ranked teams this season, the Javelinas are 3-3, with two wins over No. 9 Texas A&M-Commerce and a win over No. 2 UT Tyler, with losses against UT Tyler and a pair of losses to No. 6 West Texas A&M.
The Javelinas lead the conference with 87 doubles, and their pitching staff owns a 1.79 team ERA, the best in the LSC.
Outfielder Loren Kelly is tied for the most stolen bases in the country with 37, having not been thrown out once this season on the base paths.
Following this weekend, the Rambelles are off for Easter weekend before returning to action the following weekend at home to face St. Edward's and St. Mary's.
