| Game Info |
Opponent Info |
Southeastern Oklahoma State vs. #2 UT Tyler
SEOSU: 8-9, 2-1 GAC | UTT: 14-3, 7-2 LSC
Tuesday, Feb. 28th | 1 P.M. | 3 P.M.
Tyler, Texas | Irwin Ballpark |
|
ROSTER |
SCHEDULE |
STATS |
A TOUGH ROAD TEST
#2 UT Tyler won their series opener 7-0 and then suffered back-to-back 3-2 losses at the hands of (RV) Angelo State over the weekend in San Angelo, Texas. Junior
Tatum Goff pitched a complete game shutout in game one to lead #2 UT Tyler to a 7-0 victory and then nearly helped complete the comeback in game two to split the day with on Saturday. Goff struckout seven and scattered three hits in the game one victory to move to 9-0 in the circle on the year behind an offense that scored seven runs off of nine hits. UT Tyler then turned around and nearly completed the comeback in a 3-2 game two loss after trailing 3-1 heading into their final two trips to the plate. The Patriots fell by a 3-2 final to Angelo State in extra innings on Sunday afternoon. The Rambelles finally pushed the winning run across in the bottom of the eighth inning to collect the 2-1 series victory after the two teams combined to strand 19 baserunners in the ball game. Junior
Audrey Escamilla finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI to lead a Patriot offense that totaled four hits on the afternoon. The Patriots drew 10 free bases throughout the ballgame on five walks and five hit by pitches. UT Tyler quickly answered a four-run bottom of the fourth inning by Angelo State with a pair of runs of their own in the top of the fifth to make it 2-2.
WHAT COACH REED IS SAYING
On the 4-2 week last weekend between the Cameron and Angelo State series... "A tough week with alot of miles on the bus, I think if you go back we're going to end up with 11 games in 11 days or something like that. Obviously
Kaylee Davis's no-hitter was the highlight during the week. We've talked about people that were here last year getting increased chances this year, and she's a good example of that. In San Angelo this weekend against Angelo State, a good team, we hit really well, played well in the first game and then got locked in two tough battles. It's about timely hitting when you're facing these good teams, and we know the Lone Star Conference is going to be tough every weekend, and we were right there, one hit away so I was proud of our team's effort."
On the message to his team going into a week at home... "We have to get back to work. We know we're playing a tough schedule, so we have to avoid the highs and the lows because you have to be ready for the next one. We talked about it after the game, we're growing and this is a group that some were in big roles last year and some that are in new roles, so we have to learn from being in these moments and get better. We weren't sad or mad after the game, we're just trying to learn and get better and look at the opportunities we missed and try and grow."
A BREAK FROM LSC PLAY
Tuesday afternoon's doubleheader against Southeastern Oklahoma State will provide a break from Lone Star Conference play inside the friendly confines of Irwin Ballpark for the Patriots. Southeastern Oklahoma State enters the games with an 8-9 record on the year, and a 2-1 mark in Great American Conference play. Tuesday's battle will be the first ever meeting between the two programs.
A BIG MATCH-UP LOOMING LARGE
UT Tyler will certainty be focused on the task at hand in the games against Southeastern Oklahoma State, but a series of massive proportions looms for the Patriots when they return to LSC play over the weekend. UT Tyler will welcome (RV) West Texas A&M to Irwin Ballpark for a match-up against the top two teams in the LSC standings entering this week's play. The 2021 NCAA Division II National Champions have seemingly rebounded from a disappointing 2022 season, and have started this year with 15 straight wins, and sit atop the conference standings with a 6-0 mark in LSC play. UT Tyler will provide the Lady Buffs with undoubtedly their biggest test to date this weekend, but head coach
Mike Reed and his team will need to maintain their focus on the two non-conference opportunities against Southeastern Oklahoma State before looking ahead to a match up of two of the LSC's best at Irwin Ballpark this weekend.
A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS
THe LSC standings saw a shift this weekend as West Texas A&M overtook UT Tyler for first place in the regular season standings after the Patriot's series against Angelo State. West Texas A&M is the lone remaining unbeaten team in the LSC this season at 6-0, while UT Tyler fell down to second in the standings with a 7-2 mark in league play. Four different teams currently occupy a tie for third place with a 6-3 mark in conference play.
LOCKED IN AT NO. 2
The University of Texas at Tyler softball team stayed put at no. 2 in the latest 2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll as announced by the organization last week. The Patriots received 384 total votes to remain in the no. 2 spot after a 10-1 start to the season (as of Tuesday morning). Rogers State, the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, stayed at no. 1 as the unanimous top choice despite their first loss of the regular season last week to move their overall record to 9-1. 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.
2023 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll
February 21 (Week 2)
| Rank |
School |
Points |
2023 Record |
Previous
Ranking |
| 1 |
Rogers State (16) |
400 |
9-1 |
1 |
| 2 |
UT Tyler |
384 |
10-1 |
2 |
| 3 |
North Georgia |
368 |
10-1 |
3 |
| 4 |
Tampa |
351 |
5-0 |
5 |
| 5 |
Seton Hill |
303 |
2-0 |
7 |
| 6 |
Cal State San Marcos |
297 |
7-2 |
13 |
| 7 |
Southern Arkansas |
282 |
12-2 |
16 |
| 8 |
Valdosta State |
273 |
5-2 |
10 |
| 9 |
Lubbock Christian |
271 |
10-4 |
8 |
| 10 |
Central Oklahoma |
262 |
8-3 |
6 |
| 11 |
Adelphi |
254 |
3-1 |
9 |
| 12 |
Grand Valley State |
241 |
0-0 |
11 |
| 13 |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
218 |
8-5 |
4 |
| 14 |
Indianapolis |
199 |
8-2 |
14 |
| 15 |
Anderson |
190 |
12-4 |
12 |
| 16 |
Concordia |
140 |
10-4 |
17 |
| 17 |
UAH |
135 |
9-3 |
20 |
| 18 |
Lincoln Memorial |
129 |
14-4 |
15 |
| 19 |
Oklahoma Christian |
125 |
8-1 |
22 |
| 20 |
Washburn |
77 |
10-3 |
21 |
| 21 |
St. Mary's |
72 |
10-4 |
19 |
| 22 |
Sonoma State |
65 |
10-1 |
25 |
| 23 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
59 |
10-1 |
24 |
| 24 |
Nova Southeastern |
40 |
10-3 |
RV |
| 25 |
Wilmington |
23 |
0-0 |
RV |
New to Poll: No. 24 Nova Southeastern, No. 25 Wilmington
Dropped Out: No. 18 Kutztown, No. 23 Angelo State
Receiving Votes: Colorado Christian (20), Saint Leo (9), West Texas A&M( (8), Angelo State 1, Auburn Montgomery (1), Augustana (1), Wingate (1).
DOMINANCE IN DIVISION II
UT Tyler has produced a record of 114-22 (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 69-12 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 813-171 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 is 708-140 (.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).
