SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State softball team opens their fourth successive season in Conroe at the Scrap Yard Sports facility as they compete at the DII First Pitch Invitational.
All five Rambelles opponents this weekend are teams they have previously faced in Conroe over the past three seasons.
The Rambelles went 5-1 on their opening weekend last season, only falling against No. 19 Rogers State while claiming wins over No. 17 Wingate, Central Washington, MSU Denver, Arkansas Tech, and Colorado Mesa.
Head coach
Travis Scott returns 13 players from last season's team and adds five newcomers - three freshmen and a pair of transfers - to a team that was ranked 11th in the NFCA Preseason Poll.
The top returners into the ASU lineup include LSC All-Conference selections in outfielder
Tatiana Trotter, and infielders
Laylonna Applin and
Averie Gunther. Trotter, who was also an NFCA All-Region selection, hit .353 and recorded a new program-record nine triples, while Applin hit .304 in her freshman season, and Gunther led the Rambelles with a .456 on-base percentage.
The Rambelles also return outfielder
Carter Smith and infielders
Erin Plunkett and
Zoey De Baca, all three of whom played in 50 or more games last season for the Rambelles.
Newcomers to the Rambelles lineup include a pair of Division I transfers,
Paris Brienesse and
Blake Holtorf, who come to Angelo State from UT Arlington and Charleston Southern, respectively.
Utility Bri Waters, outfielder
Kamryn Loeffler, and catcher
Amaya Cabrera are the three new freshmen into the fold for this season.
The Rambelles return four pitchers from a staff that was one of the best in Division II, led by Second Team All-American
Cheyenne Floyd. Floyd, the LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, had a 1.89 ERA last season and went 20-10 as she struck out 167 batters in 163 innings. She held opponents to a .207 batting average.
Matie Wolkow had a 1.91 ERA in 26 appearances last season as she recorded five saves.
Amelia Hatthorn (3.15 ERA, 5-0 record) and
Averie Gunther (3.14, 4-1 record) also return in the circle, and redshirt freshman
Raegan Sucher and Waters join the returning quartet.
DII First Pitch Invitational
Scrap Yard Sports
The Rambelles' five opponents were 187-96, good enough for a .661 winning percentage. Their opponents won three conference titles last season, and three qualified for the NCAA Tournament last spring.
No. 11 Angelo State vs. Regis
Friday, January 31st, 11 a.m.
Regis, the reigning RMAC Tournament Champions, went 33-26 last season and qualified for the South Central Regional, where they upset top-seed West Texas A&M 4-3 in the opening round. The Rangers return four hitters from last season's lineup that hit .320 at the plate. They also return their top two pitchers, Kylie Harpman and Ava Edwards, who combined for a 24-14 record in the circle. Harpman threw 199.2 innings in the circle, striking out 151 batters and holding opponents to a .281 batting average. The Rambelles have won all three matchups against Regis, defeating the Rangers twice last season at the ASU George and Ola McCorkle Challenge.
No. 11 Angelo State vs. RV Pittsburg State
Friday, January 31st, 1:30 p.m.
Live Stats
Pittsburg State, the reigning MIAA Regular Season Champions, went 53-8 last season as they were the top seed in the Central Region in the NCAA Tournament. The Gorillas are receiving votes in the NFCA Preseason Poll. Last season, the Gorillas hit .348 as a team and stole 104 bases. They return top hitter Heather Arnett, who hit .454 and stole a team-high 51 bases. They also bring back Courtney Storey, who hit .325, and Kadyn Trochim, who had a .402 on-base percentage. The Gorillas return top pitcher Ava Laurent, who went 19-1 last season with a 1.98 ERA. Laurent struck out 201 batters in 169.1 innings, holding opponents to a .203 batting average. The Rambelles are 2-1 all-time against the Gorillas, with Pittsburg State claiming the last matchup, 3-2, in Conroe in 2023.
No. 11 Angelo State vs. No. 21 Colorado Mesa
Saturday, February 1st, 11 a.m.
Live Stats
Colorado Mesa, ranked 21st in the country in the NFCA Preseason Poll, went 46-11 on the season and 41-3 in RMAC play as they won the RMAC Regular Season Championship and qualified for the NCAA South Central Regional. The Mavericks bring back six of their top hitters from a lineup that hit .349 in 2024 and hit 123 home runs, averaging 2.2 home runs per game. Myah Arrieta hit .470 with 28 home runs and 68 RBI as she was named a First Team All-American. The Maverick pitching staff features returner Preslee Christensen, who led the Mavericks with a 2.32 ERA and went 19-5 in the circle. She struck out 120 batters in 138.2 innings as opponents hit .250 against the senior pitcher. The Rambelles are 6-2 against the Mavericks and claimed a 7-6 win last season over the Mavericks in Conroe to close out the weekend.
No. 11 Angelo State vs. Colorado School of Mines
Saturday, February 1st, 1:30 p.m.
Live Stats
Colorado School of Mines went 29-23 last season and 25-17 in RMAC play. The Orediggers return five hitters from last season's team, led by Kendall Aragon, who led the team with a .398 batting average, and Kellan Ton, who hit .347 and stole 25 bases on 27 attempts. The Orediggers return four of their five pitchers from last season, most notably Kat Miller, who had a 3.93 ERA in 76.1 innings inside the circle. The Rambelles are 6-0 all-time versus the Orediggers, with the Rambelles winning the last matchup, 6-1, back in 2022 in Conroe.
No. 11 Angelo State vs. Southeastern Oklahoma
Sunday, February 2nd, 12:30 p.m.
The Rambelles' final opponent of the weekend, Southeastern Oklahoma, went 26-28 last season. The top returning bat for the Savage Storm is Sage Harlow. Harlow batted .326 with 13 extra-base hits and only struck out 14 times in 193 plate appearances. The Savage Storm return their top pitcher, Emily Simmons, from last year's team. Simmons went 9-8 in the circle with a 3.07 ERA, striking out 100 batters in 125.1 innings. She held opponents to a .264 batting average. The Rambelles are 14-3 all-time against the Savage Storm, winning the last matchup 8-5 in 2022 in Conroe.
