TYLER, TEXAS – #3 UT Tyler will finish up their 2021 season this week with a pair of doubleheaders against opponents ranked in the top 10 of the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll in #9 Texas A&M-Commerce and #6 Oklahoma Christian.
 
The Patriots will also compete for the Lone Star Conference Regular Season Title in the final two road contests, as UT Tyler enters the final four games of the 2021 season atop the Lone Star Conference standings with a record of 25-1 in league play. UT Tyler will not be eligible for the 2021 LSC Softball Championship Tournament as the institution is in the potential final year of the Division II transition period, but will be eligible to claim the regular season title.
 
That title will be awarded to the team with the highest conference win percentage and will be decided over the course of the next week as UT Tyler will take on the the second and third place teams in Texas A&M-Commerce and Oklahoma Christian for their final four games of 2021. Oklahoma Christian sits two games behind UT Tyler with a record of 23-3 with four games remaining, while Texas A&M-Commerce sits in third place with a record of 18-6 and six games left on their regular season schedule.
 
Both doubleheaders against the Lions and Eagles will be road contests for the Patriots as they will travel to Commerce, Texas on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and then to Edmond, Okla. on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. for a rescheduled doubleheader against Oklahoma Christian.
 
A FAST RISE
 
Patriot softball will have the opportunity to add to their expansive trophy case this week following 2019 and 2020 seasons in which the Patriots were not able to add any hardware to their collection throughout the NCAA Division II transition period. The 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2019 season was the first year of the NCAA Division II transition period, prohibiting the Patriots from competing for any conference titles.
 
Prior to those two seasons, head coach Mike Reed and company flexed their muscles in the final few seasons of the Division III era, claiming three straight American Southwest Regular Season Championships, three straight NCAA Division III Regional Championships and a National Championship and National Championship Runner-Up finish; all of which came over the course of the 2015-2018 seasons.
 
UT Tyler has continued to answer all questions on whether or not the Patriots would immediately rise to the top of the Division II scene this spring, putting together a 25-1 record in what is widely regarded as Division II's toughest softball conference, defeating seven top-25 opponents, and remaining in the top 10 of the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll all season long. Coach Reed and company have managed to put together that resume despite still not being a full-fledged Division II member.
 
FOR ALL THE MARBLES
 
The Patriots final two tests of the 2021 season will arguably be their toughest, as they hit the road for doubleheaders against second and third place Texas A&M-Commerce and Oklahoma Christian. Those pair of doubleheaders will allow the final standings to sort out, as a whole host of scenarios are still in play to determine who will rise to the top with the highest conference win percentage and claim the regular season title.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce still has six games remaining on their 2021 schedule, and will not complete those contests until May 9 against St. Edward's. Oklahoma Christian will meet Cameron on Saturday on their home field prior to Tuesday afternoon's meeting with the Patriots.
 
RIGHTFUL RECOGNITION
 
UT Tyler softball has had a host of notable individual performances throughout the 2021 season, and received their first Lone Star Conference Player of the Week nod this week as Erin Hill was named the LSC Pitcher of the Week. Hill tossed a pair of complete game shutouts and picked up a save in last week's doubleheader wins over St. Mary's and Cameron for UT Tyler.
 
The senior didn't allow a single earned run in her 14.2 innings of work and ran her season record to 17-2 on the year. She struck out 14 batters throughout the three appearances and now ranks atop the Lone Star Conference with an ERA of 0.97 for the year.
 
Hill along with Payton Foster, who ranks second in the LSC with an ERA of 0.98, have established themselves as the top pitching duo in the conference, and one of the top pitching duos across the Division II landscape. The two starters have combined for a 35-5 record on the year and have allowed just 30 earned runs in 215.1 innings pitched.
 
.400 CLUB
 
The Patriot offense has seemingly reached it's stride heading into the final contests of 2021, and now ranks fourth in an offensive-heavy LSC with a team average of .333 on the year. Courtney Plocheck (.433) and Hanna Fradkin (.450) have joined offensive veterans Ashley Perez (.413) and Haleigh Swinney (.405) with batting averages north of .400 on the year.
 
Plocheck has been especially hot at the plate in recent weeks, capping off her streak of quality play this weekend with three homers in each of her last three games and a total of eight RBI in the wins over St. Mary's and Cameron.
 
Despite the rise of underclassman such as Plocheck and Fradkin at the plate, the veteran plate presence of Swinney and Perez over the course of the last few weeks has taken the Patriot offense to a championship level. Both individuals contributed to the last championship season back in 2018 for UT Tyler, and would love nothing more than to add a Lone Star Conference Regular Season Title to their storied careers this week.