| Game Info |
Opponent Info |
Western Oregon vs. #3 UT Tyler
WOU: 5-2, 0-0 GNAC | UTT: 4-1, 0-0 LSC
Saturday, Feb. 11th | 1 P.M. | 3 P.M.
Tyler, Texas | Irwin Ballpark |
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ROSTER |
SCHEDULE |
STATS |
Western Oregon vs. #3 UT Tyler
WOU: 5-2, 0-0 GNAC | UTT: 4-1, 0-0 LSC
Sunday, Feb. 12th | 11 A.M.
Tyler, Texas | Irwin Ballpark |
 |
ROSTER |
SCHEDULE |
STATS |
A PRODUCTIVE OPENING WEEKEND
#3 UT Tyler played effectively 32 innings of quality softball over the weekend at the DII Spring Invitational Kickoff in Conroe, Texas. The Patriots knocked off nationally-ranked #13 Augustana and collected a pair of wins over two in-region teams that figure to contend for the RMAC title in Regis and Metro State in the process. UT Tyler's only loss came at the hands of #8 Central Oklahoma in which they allowed five runs in the top half of the second to the Bronchos to quickly fall behind in the ballgame. Outside of that inning, the Patriots were as advertised as the Lone Star Conference Preseason Favorites and the no. 3 ranked team in the Preseason NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. Sophomore
JT Smith impressed in her debut as a Patriot, batting .563 with four extra-base, five runs scored and three stolen bases to highlight a Patriot offense that batted .331 for the weekend. Preseason LSC Pitcher of the Year honoree
Tatum Goff started her 2023 campaign off on the right foot with three wins over the weekend and allowed just two earned runs over her 15.2 innings of work. UT Tyler's pitching staff posted an ERA of 2.55 over the five games in Conroe, and displayed a wealth of options in the circle.
AND NOW TO RETURN HOME
UT Tyler will now return to Irwin Ballpark for the first time in 2023 for their home openers against Western Oregon. This weekend will also serve as the final tune-up games before UT Tyler begins Lone Star Conference play next weekend at #21 Lubbock Christian. The Patriots are 49-7 on their home field in the Division II era, and went 23-4 in 2022 inside Irwin Ballpark. Western Oregon will provide a worthy challenge for the Patriots this weekend after beginning their 2023 campaign with a 5-2 mark. The Wolves already hold wins over a pair of nationally-ranked foes in #11 Cal State San Marcos and #19 Concordia, and will have a few games of LSC experience under their belt as they are set to take on Texas Woman's in Denton on Friday prior to the trip to Tyler. Western Oregon has unquestionably leaned on their pitching staff in 2023, as the Wolves possess a 1.28 ERA as a team heading into the weekend's play in Texas. Chelsea Smith, who spent a season on the UT Tyler roster, has posted a 0.69 ERA in her three appearances to lead the staff thus far. Offensively the Wolves will be lead by Kirah McGlothan and Maddie Doig, who both enter the weekend with batting averages north of .300.
MR. 800
Head coach
Mike Reed began 2023 with the 800th victory of his collegiate coaching career in Friday's season opener against Regis. Reed entered the 2023 season ranked fifth among all NCAA levels in career winning percentage (.826), and sports the best career winning percentage among active Division II head coaches despite not officially being eligible for the list until he completes his fifth year at the NCAA Division II level. Reed completed his tenure at the Division III level ranked third all-time in career winning percentage.
PRESEASON NO. 3
The University of Texas at Tyler softball program has been picked no. 3 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll . The Patriots earned 370 total votes, nine votes shy of no. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills and 30 votes behind unanimous no. 1 and defending NCAA Division II National Champions Rogers State. The 2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. The poll will be released each Tuesday at noon ET with the first regular-season poll announced on Feb. 14. The Lone Star Conference (LSC) and MIAA each landed two teams in the top 10 with the LSC topping all conferences with four nationally-ranked programs (No. 3 UT Tyler, No. 6 A&M-Kingsville, No. 18 Angelo State & No. 21 Lubbock Christian).
2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll (Jan. 24th - Preseason)
|
Rank
|
School
|
Points
|
2022 Final Record
|
2022 Final Ranking
|
|
1
|
Rogers State (16)
|
400
|
58-10
|
1
|
|
2
|
Cal State Dominguez Hills
|
379
|
45-24
|
2
|
|
3
|
UT Tyler
|
370
|
49-9
|
3
|
|
4
|
Auburn Montgomery
|
349
|
49-13
|
4
|
|
5
|
North Georgia
|
342
|
49-18
|
5
|
|
6
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
298
|
50-12
|
8
|
|
7
|
Seton Hill
|
282
|
42-12
|
7
|
|
8
|
Central Oklahoma
|
278
|
48-13
|
9
|
|
9
|
Adelphi
|
262
|
47-15
|
10
|
|
10
|
Grand Valley State
|
252
|
43-8
|
14
|
|
11
|
Cal State San Marcos
|
245
|
45-14
|
11
|
|
12
|
Valdosta State
|
243
|
38-14
|
12
|
|
13
|
Augustana
|
212
|
50-10
|
13
|
|
14
|
Anderson
|
165
|
40-10
|
17
|
|
15
|
Kutztown
|
153
|
40-15
|
15
|
|
16
|
Indianapolis
|
150
|
48-10
|
19
|
|
17
|
Tampa
|
145
|
38-13
|
16
|
|
18
|
Angelo State
|
129
|
39-12
|
21
|
|
19
|
Concordia Irvine
|
118
|
46-10
|
20
|
|
20
|
Lincoln Memorial
|
105
|
39-20
|
23
|
|
21
|
Lubbock Christian
|
89
|
39-12
|
18
|
|
22
|
Washburn
|
54
|
45-15
|
RV
|
|
23
|
UAH
|
48
|
41-17
|
25
|
|
24
|
Wilmington
|
27
|
38-20
|
24
|
|
25
|
Sonoma State
|
26
|
42-18
|
RV
|
Receiving Votes: Southern Arkansas (22), Oklahoma Christian (17), West Virginia Wesleyan (10), Minnesota State (8), Wingate (7), Nova Southeastern (5), Rollins (4), Lenoir-Rhyne (3), Chico State (2), Drury (1).
FAVORITES TO DEFEND THE LSC REGULAR SEASON TITLE
UT Tyler has been tabbed as the preseason favorites in the 2023 Lone Star Conference Softball Preseason Poll. This marks the second season in a row in which UT Tyler has been voted no. 1 in the preseason poll as voted upon by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives after earning 35 of the available 37 first-place votes. UT Tyler garnered 550 total votes and all but two of the available first-place votes to appear as heavy favorites to claim a third straight LSC Regular Season Championship in 2023. Angelo State came in at no. 2 behind the Patriots with 474 votes, while Texas A&M-Kingsville (no. 3), Lubbock Christian (no. 4) and Oklahoma Christian (no. 5) rounded out what will be a Lone Star Conference loaded with talent once again.
2023 LSC Softball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
UT Tyler |
35 |
550 |
| 2 |
Angelo State |
|
474 |
| 3 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
1 |
466 |
| 4 |
Lubbock Christian |
|
454 |
| 5 |
Oklahoma Christian |
1 |
405 |
| 6 |
West Texas A&M |
|
368 |
| 7 |
St. Mary's |
|
346 |
| 8 |
Cameron |
|
242 |
| 9 |
St. Edward's |
|
240 |
| 10 |
Texas Woman's |
|
228 |
| 11 |
Texas A&M International |
|
199 |
| 12 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
181 |
| 13 |
Midwestern State |
|
124 |
| 14 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
123 |
| 15 |
Western New Mexico |
|
40 |
GOFF IS THE LSC PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Junior Tatum Goff earned Lone Star Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year accolades as voted upon by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives. Goff will return for her redshirt junior campaign in 2023 after collecting 2022 NFCA First Team and D2CCA Third Team All-American accolades in which she finished the year with a 13-6 record and a 1.99 ERA in 130.1 innings pitched. The Rusk, Texas native struckout 143 batters in 2022, and hit .379 at the plate, matching the team high in homers on the year with 10 in the process. Goff was named to the NFCA and D2CCA First Team All-South Central Region, the All-LSC First Team and as the LSC's Newcomer of the Year.
DOMINANCE IN DIVISION II
UT Tyler has produced a record of 103-20 (85.1 percent) since beginning Division II play in 2020 and have now claimed back-to-back Lone Star Conference Regular Season Championships in 2021 and 2022. The Patriots are 58-10 in Lone Star Conference play since beginning play in the league in 2020.
HEAD COACH MIKE REED
Coach Reed will enter his 19th season as head coach of the Patriots, and 22nd season as a head softball coach at the collegiate level in 2022.
Reed ranks fifth among all NCAA divisions in career winning percentage (.826), posting an 803-169 career mark through 22 career seasons. He owns the third-highest all-time win percentage among Division III coaches, coaching 18 of his 22 seasons at the Division III level, and is a nine-time American Southwest Conference Coach of the Year and eight-time NFCA Regional Coach of the Year. He has helped develop 33 All-Americans, 91 all-region and 149 all-conference selections and has led the UT Tyler program to the NCAA World Series in eight of the 12 years since the Patriots became postseason eligible in Division III.. He enters 2023 with a record of 698-138 (.835) in his 19 seasons as head coach the Patriots and has seen his staff named the Regional Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA on eight different occasions (2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022).
