SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State softball team seeks to build momentum as they continue to jockey for Lone Star Conference and South Central regional play this weekend, as they welcome Western New Mexico and Sul Ross State to Mayer Softball Field.
 
The Mustangs and the Rambelles will play at 4 p.m. on Friday before the Lobos and the Rambelles square off at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Rambelles took three out of four games last week against UT Permian Basin. In Odessa, the Rambelles won both games by 13-8 and 10-0 scorelines. The Rambelles dominated game one in San Angelo, 17-2 in a five-inning run-rule, before the Falcons staved off the sweep with a 3-2 win in the final game of the week.
 
RAMBELLES NOTCH 1,000th ALL-TIME WIN
The Rambelles' 18-0 win on Friday, February 20th, over Midwestern State was the 1,000th all-time win for the Angelo State softball program since they started competition in the 2002 season. They join St. Edward's, which also recorded its program's 1,000th win on Friday, February 20th, and St. Mary's, which has 1,120 wins, most coming under the guidance of the legendary Donna Fields, who led the Rattlers for 27 seasons, as the only programs in the conference to win more than a thousand games.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN NEW MEXICO
Western New Mexico enters the week with a 16-20 overall record and a 12-14 conference record. The Mustangs are 5-7 on the road this season but have only won one of their past six games away from Silver City.
 
The Mustangs are hitting .301 this season, averaging 6.2 runs per game. Six Mustangs hit above .300, with Hannah Martinez's .354 and Ciara Spencer's .353 averages pacing the lineup. Three Mustangs have hit eight home runs this season as their team ranks second in the LSC with 51 bombs this season.
 
The Mustangs' pitching staff has a 6.67 ERA and has struck out 112 strikeouts in 231 innings. Opponents are hitting .335 against the Mustangs. Alixe De Anda leads WNMU with a 4.31 ERA and has a 6-7 record this season. The junior has thrown eight complete games this season. Labraida Tenorio leads the team with 47 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.
 
The Rambelles are 25-1 all-time against the Mustangs and are 11-0 in San Angelo.
 
SCOUTING SUL ROSS STATE
Sul Ross State is 6-27 overall and is 4-22 in conference play. The Lobos are 2-10 on the road this season.
 
The Lobos are hitting .252 this season, averaging three runs per game. Two Lobos hit above .300, led by Samantha Bustos' .327 average. Jenna Leanos is hitting .315 and leads the team with two stolen bases. Andrea Apodaca leads the team with four home runs.
 
The Lobos' pitching staff has a 7.58 ERA and has struck out 112 strikeouts in 193 innings. Opponents are hitting .347 against the Lobos. Jaclyn Pate leads the pitching staff with a 6.90 ERA; she, Addison Castilleja, and Janelle Leanos each have two wins inside the circle this season. Castilleja leads the team with 53 strikeouts in 56.1 innings and has an opponent batting average of .294.
 
The Rambelles are 4-0 all-time against the Lobos, with last season marking the first time the two teams have met.
 
ZOEY 1 O' 1
Rambelles third baseman Zoey Sifuentes has earned four weekly awards this season, the most in the LSC. She has been named the LSC Freshman of the Week three times and the LSC Hitter of the Week once for her play during the Rambelles' trip to Florida. The Kinesiology major is tied for the conference in doubles (17), third in RBI (51), batting average (.446), and slugging percentage (.835).
 
TROTTER NAMED LSC PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rambelles senior outfielder Tatiana Trotter was selected as the conference's preseason player of the year, as voted on by the league's coaches, SIDs, and media members. Trotter, an Intelligence and Analysis student from Lubbock, is coming off a season in which she hit .330 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI. She slugged .648 and had a .449 on-base percentage. Trotter also notched seven assists from the outfield en route to being named an LSC Golden Glove winner. The senior was also a third-team Academic All-American selection last season. Trotter has hit 17 career triples, making her the active Division II leader in that category. Trotter's 17 triples are the most in ASU's program history.
 
RAMBELLES PICKED THIRD IN LSC PRESEASON POLL
The Rambelles were picked to repeat their third-place finish in the LSC Preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches, SIDs, and media members. The Rambelles received a pair of first-place votes and tallied 753 total points. Two-time defending champions UT Tyler were picked to repeat as conference champions with 849 total points and 39 of 51 first-place votes. West Texas A&M received eight first-place votes and 817 total points. Oklahoma Christian and Lubbock Christian each received a first-place vote to round out the top five. Cameron, Eastern New Mexico, St. Edward's, and St. Mary's round out the top nine in what would fill the spots for the LSC Tournament.
 
25 YEARS OF RAMBELLES SOFTBALL
The Angelo State softball program is playing its 25th season of Division II softball this season. The Rambelles hold a record of 1,018-371-1 dating back to the 2002 season. In that time, the Rambelles have qualified for 19 NCAA Tournaments, won six South Central regional championships, won the 2004 National Championship, and finished as National Runners-Up in 2017.
 
RETURNING STATS
The Rambelles' lineup only returns 364 of their 1,535 at-bats from a season ago, with Tatiana Trotter and Abby Brand the only mainstays returning from last season's lineup. In the circle, Bri Waters is the lone holdover from last season's pitching staff. All in all, 14 new faces will suit up for the Rambelles in 2026.