Game Info	Opponent Info
Cameron vs. #2 UT Tyler CU: 6-3, 3-0 LSC | UTT: 10-1, 3-0 LSC Tuesday, Feb. 21st | 2 P.M. | 4 P.M. Tyler, Texas | Irwin Ballpark		ROSTER	SCHEDULE	STATS
Cameron vs. #2 UT Tyler CU: 6-3, 3-0 LSC | UTT: 10-1, 3-0 LSC Wednesday, Feb. 22nd | 1 P.M. Tyler, Texas | Irwin Ballpark		ROSTER	SCHEDULE	STATS

AN OUTSTANDING BEGINNING TO LSC PLAY

The battle of the top two nationally-ranked teams from the Lone Star Conference ended up squarely in the hands of #2 UT Tyler as they collected a 3-0 sweep on the road over #8 Lubbock Christian to begin the 2023 LSC schedule. The Patriots began Lone Star Conference play in style on Friday afternoon with 1-0 and 12-4 road wins over the Lady Chaps. Junior Tatum Goff one-hit Lubbock Christian in game one, retiring 21 of the 22 batters she faced, before the Patriot offense took over in game two with 12 runs off nine hits. Goff struckout seven batters and carried a perfect game into the bottom of the sixth inning before stranding the lone baserunner of the ballgame for Lubbock Christian after a leadoff double. Redshirt sophomore JT Smith, who scored the only run Goff needed in the game one victory, went 3-for-3 with four RBI and three runs scored in the 12-4 run-rule of the Lady Chaps in game two. Smith finished the day 5-for-6 at the plate with four RBI, four runs scored, four stolen bases and a three-run homer. UT Tyler completed the sweep on Saturday afternoon by scoring five runs in the sixth and seventh innings to win 7-5. Senior Avery Farr tied the game at 4-4 with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to negate what was once a three-run advantage for Lubbock Christian. Junior Tara Stewart then put the go-ahead run across a few batters later on a fielder's choice that scored sophomore Sam Schott. UT Tyler scored a pair of insurance runs in the seventh after the three-run sixth inning on a heads-up baserunning display as sophomores Cassidi Mullen and Smith both came around to score on a dropped third strike.

LET'S KEEP IT GOING

UT Tyler will return home on Tuesday and Wednesday for their first LSC home series of the 2023 slate against Cameron on the heels of a seven-game winning streak following the sweep of Lubbock Christian. The Patriots have won games in a variety of ways throughout the early stages of the season, including both low-scoring and high-scoring efforts as well as close games and decisive wins. Balance has been the name of the game thus far for the Patriots as they currently rank fifth in the LSC in team batting average (.306) and fifth in the conference in team ERA (2.33). 

SCOUTING THE AGGIES

Cameron is 6-3 on the year entering the midweek series at UT Tyler, and began their 2023 conference slate with three run-rule victories of UT Permian Basin last weekend. Senior Josie Swafford has been the catalyst so far both in the circle and at the plate for Cameron as she leads the team with a 2.84 ERA and ranks second on the club with a .389 batting average. Robyn Bales has been a quality no. 2 starting option for Cameron in the circle, and has posted a record of 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA thus far. The Aggies rank fourth in the LSC in team batting average (.311) and eighth in the league in ERA (3.10). UT Tyler is 4-0 all-time against Cameron and 2-0 all-time in the series at Irwin Ballpark,. 

SMITH SAYS I AM HERE

Redshirt sophomore JT Smith announced herself in a big way to the Lone Star Conference in last weekend's sweep of Lubbock Christian. Smith hit .750 for the series, finishing the weekend 6-for-8 at the plate with a pair of doubles and a homer. The Decatur, Texas native registered five runs and four RBI between the three wins and totaled an on-base percentage of .818. Smith was also 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts and registered a hit and at least one run scored in all three games. Her best outing came in game two in which she went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, four RBI, a double, a home-run and a stolen base. Smith ranks second in the Lone Star Conference with a .548 batting average on the season and fifth in the league with 13 runs scored.

GOFF IS DOING GOFF THINGS

Junior Tatum Goff has been as advertised thus far in 2023 as a returning NFCA First Team All-American. She is a perfect 6-0 in the circle and has already tossed three complete game shutouts in 2023. Goff ranks fourth in the LSC with a 1.15 ERA in 36.2 innings pitched, and has struckout 42 batters, the sixth most in the LSC.

PATS AT NO. 2 IN FIRST REGULAR SEASON RANKINGS

The University of Texas at Tyler softball team moved up to no. 2 in the first 2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll of the regular season last week. The Patriots received 378 total votes after beginning the season with a 7-1 record and leaped then-no. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills into the no. 2 spot of the poll. Rogers State, the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, stayed at no. 1 as the unanimous top choice after beginning the season with a 6-0 overall record. 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 second edition of the regular season poll will be release tomorrow afternoon prior to first pitch.

2023 NFCA DIVISION II TOP 25 SOFTBALL COACHES POLL

February 14 (Week 1)

Rank	School	Points	2023 Record	Previous Ranking
1	Rogers State (16)	400	6-0	1
2	UT Tyler	378	7-1	3
3	North Georgia	357	4-1	5
4	Cal State Dominguez Hills	354	6-3	2
5	Tampa	312	5-0	17
6	Central Oklahoma	302	4-2	8
7	Seton HIll	291	0-0	7
8	Lubbock Christian	274	10-1	21
9	Adelphi	270	0-0	9
10	Valdosta State	259	3-1	12
11	Grand Valley State	256	0-0	10
12	Anderson	242	10-0	14
13	Cal State San Marcos	206	3-2	11
14	Indianapolis	174	5-1	16
15	Lincoln Memorial	156	11-1	20
16	Southern Arkansas	139	9-0	RV
17	Concordia	131	10-4	19
17	Kutztown	131	2-1	15
19	St. Mary's	114	8-1
20	UAH	88	6-3	23
21	Washburn	83	7-2	22
22	Oklahoma Christian	75	5-1	RV
23	Angelo State	58	7-3	18
24	Lenoir-Rhyne	31	7-0	RV
25	Sonoma State	30	4-1	25

 

New to Poll: No. 16 Southern Arkansas, No. 19 St. Mary's, No. 22 Oklahoma Christian, No. 24 Lenoir-Rhyne

Dropped Out: No. 4 Auburn Montgomery, No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville, No. 13 Augustana, No. 24 Wilmington

Receiving Votes: Wilmington (29), Augustana (28), Nova Southeastern (13), West Virginia Wesleyan (6), Auburn Montgomery (5), Minnesota State (3), Saint Leo (3), Chico State (1), Colorado Christian (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.

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 107-20 (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 62-10 in Lone Star Conference play since beginning play in the league in 2020.

HEAD COACH MIKE REED
 
Coach Reed will enter his 19^th 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 807-169 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 704-138 (.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).