Ladyjacks Journey to Corpus Christi for First Time Since 2015, Wrap Up Four-Game Road Trip

Friday, March 29

Corpus Christi, Texas

1 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

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Photo by: SFA Athletics

Ladyjacks Journey to Corpus Christi for First Time Since 2015, Wrap Up Four-Game Road Trip

3/28/2019 10:47:00 PM | Softball

Softball seeks third-straight Southland series victory, second consecutive sweep of host Islanders

By: Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – For the first time in four years, the SFA softball team will be playing games in Corpus Christi, Texas, as the Ladyjacks are set to take on the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a three-game Southland Conference series this weekend. Having not played in Corpus Christi since 2015, SFA (19-13, 6-3 Southland) will battle A&M-Corpus Christi (4-27, 1-8 Southland) in a doubleheader from Chapman Field Friday, March 29 starting at 1 p.m., before facing the Islanders in the final game of the series Saturday, March 30 at 12 p.m.

Each game of this weekend's Southland road series will be streamed live via the Islanders Digital Network, while in-game statistics can be followed by visiting GoIlslanders.com. Tickets for the weekend can be purchased here.

The Ladyjacks are attempting to claim their third-straight league series win and earn their second consecutive sweep against A&M-Corpus Christi after taking all three games from the Islanders at SFA Softball Field in Nacogdoches last March. SFA is seeking its first conference series win in Corpus Christi since 2007 as the Ladyjacks look to improve upon their four-game win streak following Wednesday's 10-4 non-conference road victory at Prairie View A&M.

In 2017 when SFA took its most recent trip to Corpus Christi, all three games of the Ladyjacks' series with the Islanders were canceled due to inclement weather and unplayable field conditions.

HOT HITTING ON "THE HILL"
The bats were hot for SFA Wednesday afternoon in Prairie View, Texas, as the Ladyjacks tallied a season-high 15 hits to defeat the host Lady Panthers in convincing fashion, 10-4. The victory over Prairie View A&M marking SFA's 13th non-conference triumph of 2019, the Ladyjacks scored in nearly every inning for their best offensive performance thus far this season. SFA got outstanding performances at the plate from a handful of Ladyjacks, including sophomore second baseman Bryana Novegil, senior first baseman Margarita Corona, senior third baseman Lauren Becker, junior left fielder Madison Clements and junior catcher Lindsay Gregory. Going 3-for-5 at the plate, Novegil finished the afternoon with three RBI singles to right field and a run scored, while Corona went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, two runs and two walks. Becker turned in a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI, run and a walk as Clements was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Gregory also had a strong offensive outing by picking up two RBI and scoring twice.

WILLING WILBUR
Freshman right-hander Kassidy Wilbur is off to a fantastic start to her collegiate career, seemingly gaining additional attention with each passing week. The Bridge City, Texas (Bridge City HS), native picked up her second-straight and third Southland Pitcher of the Week plaudit of the season Monday afternoon after posting a 0.86 earned run average last week with 27 strikeouts in 24 and 1/3 innings inside the circle. Giving up just three earned runs in three appearances and two complete games, Wilbur tossed a total of 23 scoreless innings over the week to claim a 2-1 record with a shutout. Holding opponents to a .153 batting average, Wilbur began the week by striking out 10 in relief while facing 42 batters in 10 and 1/3 innings at Southeastern Conference stalwart Texas A&M. Keeping the Aggies scoreless until the final 1/3 of the bottom 15th inning, she was one of the key reasons why the game was the longest (time wise) among all Southland teams this season and the longest game for Texas A&M since 1994. Wilbur then closed out the week with her fourth complete game shutout of the season, allowing just three hits against HBU Saturday afternoon. Fanning eight of 25 total batters faced and walking just one, Wilbur notched her 10th complete game victory of the season and 11th overall. She began the series with the Huskies by tallying nine strikeouts and giving up just three hits in 31 batters faced. Wilbur currently ranks sixth among all NCAA Division I pitchers with 149 strikeouts on the year, while leading the conference and ranking 21st in the nation in complete game shutouts (4) and 34th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.6). Her 1.90 ERA and 2.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio also rank among national leaders as her 11 victories are the most in the league and 39th-most in the nation. Wilbur was also named Southland Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 12 and March 18. After going 4-0 over the opening weekend with a two-hit complete game shutout of then 24th-ranked Mississippi State, Wilbur became SFA's first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week. Not allowing an earned run in three games starts and 22 innings across her first weekend as a Division I softball player, Wilbur set the program record for most strikeouts by a Ladyjack making her debut with 15 in the season-opening win over Valparaiso (6-2).

DEALING IN THE CIRCLE
Wilbur is not the only Ladyjack who has been impressive this season inside the circle as SFA's pitching staff ranks among the top 10 nationally in total strikeouts (256) and is among the top 50 in the nation and tops in the Southland with a 2.61 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Junior Ashley Kriesel, who owns three complete game wins in 2019 and six total, has already collected a no-hitter (Feb. 16 versus Jackson State) and a save (Feb. 20 against Texas Southern) in her first year as a Ladyjack. The right-hander was efficient last Wednesday at Texas A&M, striking out three and not allowing a run in the opening four and 1/3 innings. On Wednesday, Kriesel collected the win on the rubber after not allowing a hit in four and 1/3 relief innings and retiring all 13 batters faced with nine strikeouts. She ranks among the top 50 nationally with 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings and ranks first in the Southland in that category. Kriesel also ranks among conference leaders in total strikeouts with 84 in 67 and 1/3 innings of work. Fellow junior Jordan Llinas has provided a steady arm from the bullpen this season as well. The righty owns a 2-0 record in 25 and 1/3 innings pitched and has notched 22 strikeouts in eight game appearances.

NEED FOR SPEED
After ranking 10th in the Southland a season ago in stolen bases and going 20-for-26 on steal attempts, the Ladyjacks have drastically gotten faster on the base paths. SFA has already stolen 29 bases on 31 attempts and is averaging nearly a stolen base per game to rank seventh in the league and among the nation's top 170. Senior shortstop Emily Wolfe leads the team with eight steals on eight attempts, while freshman right fielder Alex Hedspeth (7-for-7), Novegil (5-for-5) and freshman Cassidy Tucker (3-for-3) have also showcased their speed and have yet to be thrown out this year.

DICKSON REACHES 200
With SFA's series-clinching win over McNeese on Saturday, March 16, Ladyjack leader Nicole Dickson claimed her 200th career win as a head coach. Of Dickson's 204 wins, 67 of them have come while at the helm of the Ladyjacks after she posted 137 victories as a head coach at the junior college level. Dickson won 99 games in two years at Tyler Junior College after going 38-19 in her lone season leading Paris Junior College.

AMONG LEADING MID-MAJORS IN THE RPI
With the NCAA's second weekly release of the RPI softball rankings Monday, SFA climbed 13 spots to No. 55 in the nation and now sits as the highest Southland program. The Ladyjacks, who have posted a 9-2 record in neutral site games in 2019 and own three top-25 wins, have defeated three teams who are top 35 in RPI. SFA owns impressive non-conference neutral-site victories over then 25th-ranked Illinois (No. 20) and then 16th-ranked Indiana (No. 34), not to mention its win at then 24th-ranked Mississippi State (No. 28). In the RPI, SFA ranks ahead of notable Power Five programs such as NC State, California, Iowa State, Purdue, Maryland, Iowa, Syracuse, Rutgers, Boston College, Nebraska and Virginia.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Out of 297 total Division I softball teams, the Ladyjacks currently own the 65th-most difficult schedule based on past, future and cumulative opponent's records. The teams SFA has faced already this season are currently a combined 496-394 (.557) overall. For perspective, the team with the most difficult schedule as of right now is the SEC's LSU, who's past opponents currently own a combined winning percentage of .667. The Ladyjacks currently own the second-toughest schedule among Southland programs with only Sam Houston State (39th) being able to lay claim to a more difficult schedule in 2019.

AGAINST POWER FIVE AND TOP-25 OPPONENTS
Owning a 3-4 record against Power Five programs this season, SFA has picked up three top-25 wins against the nation's most powerful conferences. The Ladyjacks began their 2019 campaign by capturing the Bulldog Kickoff Classic in Starkville, Mississippi, where they knocked off then 24th-ranked Mississippi State in the title game with a two-hit, 1-0 shutout. Two weeks later, SFA took down then 25th-ranked Illinois out of the Big Ten Conference at South Alabama's Mardi Gras Invitational in Mobile, Alabama, with a 7-2 victory. The following weekend, the Ladyjacks made it back-to-back weeks knocking off one of the nation's top teams by picking up perhaps their most impressive non-conference win of the season thus far. SFA handed then 16th-ranked Indiana its first loss of 2019 with the Ladyjacks' second 1-0 shutout of a top-25 opponent at LSU's Purple & Gold Challenge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI
Led by third-year head coach Blake Miller, who formerly led Atlantic Coast Conference mainstay Virginia, A&M-Corpus Christi enters this weekend on a nine-game losing streak and has lost 10 of its last 11 contests. The Islanders lone Southland win this season and only second triumph of the month came over the opening weekend of conference play, a 3-2 home victory versus Houston Baptist in the league opener. A&M-Corpus Christi has since been swept in road Southland series at Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana the past two weekends.

Up Next…
The Ladyjacks will take on their eighth Power Five program of the season Tuesday, April 2 when SFA steps out of conference action and travels to the Big 12 Conference's Baylor for a 6 p.m. first pitch from Getterman Stadium. Next weekend, the Ladyjacks return to Nacogdoches for a three-game Southland series versus Lamar, Friday and Saturday, April 5-6.

Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack softball throughout the 2019 season.

-SFA-