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Opponent Info |
No. 3 / #2 North Georgia vs. No. 1 / #3 UT Tyler
UNG: 61-6, 24-3 PBC | UTT: 61-5, 39-2 LSC
Sunday, May 28th | 12:30 p.m. CST
Chattanooga, Tenn. | Frost Stadium at Warner Park |
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ROSTER |
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GAME 3
#3 UT Tyler put together a complete team effort in a 6-2 win over no. 6 seeded East Stroudsburg to advance to the semifinals of the 2023 NCAA Division II World Series on Saturday night. The Patriots totaled 12 hits, including five in the first two innings of play, and used a historic night from junior Tatum Goff in the circle to advance to the semifinals of the NCAA DII World Series for a second-straight year. Goff broke the NCAA Division II record for consecutive victories on Saturday night, moving to a perfect 41-0 on the year in the circle. Goff's 41st victory in a row broke a 30-year record in NCAA Division II, bettering Bloomsburg's Kim Maguire for consecutive wins without a loss. It was the UT Tyler bats, however, that seemingly responded to the team's first loss in 38 games on Friday night to Grand Valley State, posting five early hits in the first two innings of action. Sophomore JT Smith put the first run in the board in the top of the second on the first of her three hits in the ballgame on an RBI single up the middle. Goff allowed a single in the bottom of the first, and then retired 13 batters in a row from that point forward. UT Tyler put up four runs in the top of the fifth to pad the early advantage, capitalizing on a pair of costly fielding mistakes by the Warriors. Senior Avery Farr got the inning started with an RBI that scored Sam Schott on an error, before sophomore Keely Castillo delivered with a two-RBI single a few batters late. That hit from Castillo came with a full count and a bases loaded situation, and provided much-needed breathing room for the Patriots heading into the final innings. The Patriots added a sixth unanswered run in their next trip to the plate, as senior Amanda Marek put a ball in play with runners on first and second. East Stroudsburg couldn't manage the putout, and threw the ball into rightfield to allow junior Michelle Arias to score on the play. A walk and a single in the bottom of the seventh brought on senior Shea O'Leary, who managed to work out of the jam to punch the Patriots ticket back to the semifinals. The Warriors put across both runners in the frame to bring the score to it's eventual 6-2 final. Goff struckout seven over her 6.1 innings of work, allowing just a pair of hits in the process. Smith went 3-for-5 with an RBI to pace a Patriot offense that recorded a hit in all but one inning in the win. Junior Courtney Plocheck added a multi-hit effort with a 2-for-4 output at the plate.
GAME 2
#3 UT Tyler suffered their first loss in over two months on Friday afternoon at the 2023 NCAA Division II World Series in what was an instant-classic against no. 5 seeded Grand Valley State. Pitchers Tatum Goff and Shea O'Leary combined to strand 10 baserunners in the ballgame, including five in the seventh and eighth frames before #8 Grand Valley State finally pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. The Patriots will now meet the winner of the no. 6 seed East Stroudsburg and no. 7 seed Nova Southeastern game tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. CST in an elimination game. The winner of that game will have to defeat the winner of the no. 2 seed Central Oklahoma and no. 3 seed North Georgia game twice on Sunday afternoon to advance to the best-of-three championship series. Junior Michelle Arias hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh to tie what was an all-out pitcher's duel for the first five innings of play. Goff went 5.1 innings and allowed the lone run of the game up to that point in the bottom of the fourth inning. The solo shot with one out in the seventh off the bat of Arias followed a bottom of the sixth in which O'Leary stranded a Laker after taking over for Goff. O'Leary left two runners on with one out in the seventh, and then stranded the bases loaded in the eighth to move the game into the ninth inning. O'Leary stuckout consecutive Lakers in the eighth with the bases loaded and just one out on the board. UT Tyler led off the top half of that frame with a single from junior Amanda Marek, but couldn't muster any further offense. Arias provided a second extra-base hit in the top of the ninth with a one-out double, but couldn't manage to advance after back-to-back strikeouts from the Patriots. UT Tyler totaled six hits in the game, three of which went for extra-bases on the Arias homer and double, and a leadoff triple from JT Smith all the way back in the first inning. Goff and O'Leary stuckout eight in the ballgame and combined to allow just a pair of walks while allowing 12 hits.
GAME 1
#3 UT Tyler rattled off five unanswered runs in the third and fifth innings to win game one of the 2023 NCAA Division II World Series 5-1 over no. 8 seeded Cal-State Marcos. The no. 1 overall seeded Patriots totaled five extra-base hits and used a complete game from pitcher Tatum Goff to advance to the winner's bracket of the championship. Goff moved to 40-0 on the year with the complete game effort, her 22nd complete game of the 2023 season. A solo homer by sophomore Sam Schott in the bottom of the third kick-started what would be an electric offensive performance from the Patriots from that point forward. The solo shot to leftfield answered a first-inning run from Cal State-San Marcos, and effectively energized the Patriot bats with two outs on the board. Junior Courtney Plocheck followed up the Schott homer with the first of her two doubles on the afternoon, and then scored on an RBI single up the middle from junior Michelle Arias to flip the lead into the hands of the Patriots at 2-1. The Patriot offense struck for three consecutive extra-base hits to start the fifth inning, a leadoff triple from sophomore JT Smith and then back-to-back doubles from the Schott-Plocheck duo. The second double of the afternoon for Plocheck scored both Schott and Smith to make it 4-1, and notched RBI number two and three on the day for the Deer Park, Texas native. Senior Avery Farr capped off the fifth unanswered run of the game for UT Tyler with an RBI single up the middle that scored Plocheck a few batters later. Goff worked around a pair of singles in the sixth and then retired the Cougars in order to close out the seventh inning with the 5-1 victory in-tact for UT Tyler. The Rusk, Texas product scattered seven hits and struckout five to post win no. 40 on the year in the circle. JT Smith, Sam Schott and Courtney Plocheck all totaled two hits and at least one extra-base hit at the top of the order for UT Tyler. The trio scored all five runs in the ballgame for the Patriots as well.
HISTORY FOR GOFF
Junior Tatum Goff broke the NCAA Division II record for consecutive victories on Saturday with her 41st straight win in the circle against East Stroudsburg. Goff set the NCAA Division II record with a win, previously held by Kim Maguire of Bloomsburg from March 23, 1991- April 8, 1993.
PATS AT THE WORLD SERIES
UT Tyler is 2-1 at the 2023 NCAA DII World Series and have outscored their opposition by a 12-to-5 margin in those three games. JT Smith is 7-for-13 (.538) at the plate for a Patriot offense that has hit .281 as a club. Michelle Arias and Courtney Plocheck are both 4-for-11, and have combined for five runs scored and four RBI. The pitching duo of Tatum Goff and Shea O'Leary has allowed just five earned runs in 22.1 innings of work for a 1.55 ERA. Goff is 2-0 with all three starts, and has posted a 1.50 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 18.2 innings in the circle. UT Tyler has scored seven of their 12 runs in the tournament in the fifth inning.
NFCA DII SOUTH CENTRAL REGION COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR AGAIN
The University of Texas at Tyler has been named the 2023 ATEC/NFCA South Central Regional Coaching Staff of the Year for a third consecutive season as announced by the organization on Friday afternoon. Head coach Mike Reed, associate head coach Whitney Wyly and assistant coaches Anthony Springer and Shannon Klaus collected a third straight South Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year in each of the first three complete seasons at the NCAA Division II level. Coach Reed and his staff have been named regional staff of the year by the NFCA on nine different occasions (2023, 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2009) dating back to the program's inaugural season in 2005. Representing each of the NFCA's eight Division II regions, these respective coaching staffs – East Stroudsburg University (Atlantic), University of Central Oklahoma (Central), Wilmington University (East), University of Indianapolis (Midwest), University of Tampa (South), University of Texas at Tyler (South Central), University of North Georgia (Southeast) and California State University San Marcos (West) - are now eligible for the ATEC/NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 13.
BACK TO BACK SOUTH CENTRAL REGION CHAMPIONS
The UT Tyler softball program punched a return trip to the NCAA Division II World Series with a 2-0 series victory over #9 West Texas A&M in the 2023 NCAA South Central Super Regionals. The Patriots won 6-5 and 6-2 over the Lady Buffs to defeat a tradition-rich West Texas A&M program for the fifth time in 2023. The wins capped off a 5-0 record for the Patriots in the 2023 NCAA Division II National Tournament after defeating St. Edward's (7-4), and #23 Oklahoma Christian (twice, 2-0 and 12-6) in the 2023 NCAA South Central Regional Bracket I.
A SCHOOL RECORD 37 GAME WINNING STREAK
The Patriots entered their second trip to the NCAA DII World Series in each of the first two seasons of postseason eligibility on a 36-game winning streak and extended that mark in the opening game of the championship. UT Tyler hadn't lost since a March 10 road loss to (RV) Nova Southeastern by a 3-1 final. The Patriots swept 13 of their 14 Lone Star Conference three-game series, and navigated their 2023 schedule with a perfect 33-0 mark at home inside Irwin Ballpark. That 37-game winning streak is the longest in the history of the program and the longest streak in Division II softball this season.
A THIRD STRAIGHT REGULAR SEASON TITLE
UT Tyler finished their third complete season in the Lone Star Conference with a third-straight regular season LSC Championship. The Patriots have finished atop the LSC regular season standings in all three complete seasons competing in the LSC, and have produced a record of 97-12 in conference games in their first four years of Division II status. The 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Patriots were ineligible for postseason play while completing the mandatory three-year transition period in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
LSC Record By Year
2023 | 39-2
2022 | 26-4
2021 | 27-3
2020 | 5-3
A NEW TROPHY TO THE CASE
UT Tyler claimed the 2023 LSC Postseason Tournament Title on May 6th on the field at Irwin Ballpark following a 4-3 win over #22 Oklahoma Christian. The Patriots defeated St. Edward's (9-4), Cameron (5-0) and Oklahoma Christian (4-3) to win the LSC Postseason Tournament for the first time. Michelle Arias was named the 2023 LSC Tournament MVP while Tatum Goff, Shea O'Leary and Courtney Plocheck joined Arias on the All-Tournament Team.
POSTSEASON PLAY
UT Tyler softball is now 109-45 in postseason play all-time and are 71-29 in NCAA National Tournament play dating back to their inaugural appearance in the 2008 season. The Patriots advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series last spring in the program's inaugural appearance in the national tournament at the NCAA Division II level. UT Tyler advanced to the NCAA DII National Semifinals before losing to evential champions Rogers State. UT Tyler dropped their opening game 5-1 to no. 8 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills, but rebounded with a 12-5 win over no. 4 Southern Indiana and a 4-3 win over no. 3 Auburn-Montgomery. Head coach Mike Reed and his program have made 12 appearances in an NCAA National Championship Tournament between the Division II and III levels, and have advanced to the NCAA World Series in nine of those 12 trips.
NFCA ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS
Junior Tatum Goff and sophomore JT Smith were named 2023 NFCA First Team All-Americans and junior Courtney Plocheck a 2023 NFCA Second Team All-American as announced by the organization at the 2023 NCAA DII World Series Championship Banquet. Goff earns a second-straight NFCA First Team All-American accolade while Smith and Plocheck each garner All-American recognition for the first time in their respective careers. Goff and Smith were each named 2023 D2CCA Second Team All-Americans earlier this afternoon as well. UT Tyler was one of two programs to earn three All-American distinctions by the NFCA, joining Mississippi College, but were the only program in Division II softball to place two representatives on the First Team list. The NFCA All-America teams are voted on by the Association's All-America Committees. In Division II, the committee is comprised of one member head coach from each of the NCAA's eight regions. All student-athletes who were nominated by a member head coach and voted to the first- and second-team All-Region squads were eligible for All-America consideration.
D2CAA ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS
Junior Tatum Goff and sophomore JT Smith have each been named to the 2023 D2CCA All-American Second Team list as announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon. Goff has now been named as an All-American in each of her two seasons in a Patriot uniform after an NFCA First Team and D2CCA Third Team nod last season, while Smith collects the first All-American honor of her Division II career. The two distinctions give UT Tyler softball their 34th and 35th All-American accolades in the history of the program dating back to 2005. The D2CCA All-America and All-Region softball teams, which are selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) members from schools playing Division II softball, were first established in 2007. This year represents the eighth year in which the Division II Conference Commissioners Association solely sponsored the program.
ARIAS WINS THE GOLD GLOVE
UT Tyler junior Michelle Arias is one of nine inaugural recipients of the 2023 NCAA Division II Rawlings Gold Glove Award as announced by the NFCA on Thursday afternoon. Recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, presented by the NFCA, were selected by the NFCA's NCAA Division II All-America Committee, following regional voting to identify the finalists at each position. The group utilized fielding statistics and school-submitted video to closely examine finalists and select the winners at every defensive position. Any student-athlete that competed in the current championship year and was nominated by their head coach who is a member in good standing with the NFCA was eligible for consideration for this prestigious accolade.
NFCA ALL REGION SELECTIONS
The University of Texas at Tyler softball program placed six representatives on the 2023 NFCA Division II South Central All-Region Teams. Those six representatives are the most by any one school across the Division II landscape as Tatum Goff, Courtney Plocheck and JT Smith were named First Team honorees, and Shea O'Leary, Michelle Arias and Audrey Escamilla Second Team honorees. The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's eight regions with first and second-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region nominated their student-athletes and voted for the teams. All the honorees are now eligible for selection to the 2023 NFCA Division II All-America squads. The 2023 NFCA Division II All-America teams will be announced on Wednesday, May 24 at the NCAA Division II Championship banquet in Chattanooga, Tenn.
D2CCA ALL REGION SELECTIONS
The University of Texas at Tyler softball program placed six on the 2023 D2CCA All-South Central Region Teams and Tatum Goff was named the 2023 D2CCA South Central Region Pitcher of the Year. Goff was joined on the 2023 D2CCA First Team All-South Central Region by Michelle Arias, Courtney Plocheck and JT Smith while Shea O'Leary and Avery Farr were both named to the Second Team All-South Central Region. The six representatives from UT Tyler are the most from any one school across the South Central Region. A total of 28 student-athletes were included in the first (14) and second (14) teams with 17 from the Lone Star Conference and 11 from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Each member of the All-South Central Region first team moves on to be nominated for the D2CCA All-American teams to be released later this month. The D2CCA honors are nominated and voted on by sports information directors from the South Central Region which includes the LSC and RMAC.
ALL LONE STAR CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
UT Tyler collected 14 total All-Lone Star Conference Awards and three Special Awards as announced by Lone Star Conference officials. Head coach Mike Reed was named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year for the third straight season, while Tatum Goff was named the Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Year and Shea O'Leary the Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the Year. Goff and O'Leary were joined on the All-Lone Star Conference First Team list by Courtney Plocheck, JT Smith and Michelle Arias. Audrey Escamilla and Cassidi Mullen were both All-Lone Star Conference Second Team honorees, while Sam Schott and Avery Farr were included in the All-Lone Star Conference Third Team list. Smith was named to the Lone Star Conference Golden Glove team and Goff to the Lone Star Conference All-Academic Team to round out the awards for the Patriots.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
UT Tyler entered the 2023 season at no. 3 in the NFCA DII Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll and have remained within the national top five all season. The Patriots have remained in the no. 3 spot of the poll for seven straight weeks entering the 2023 NCAA DII World Series.
A PROGRAM RECORD 61 WINS
The 2023 softball team has already secured the most wins in a single season in program history with 61 on the year entering game 12 of the NCAA DII World Series. The Patriots have now won 50-plus games in two seasons after going 50-5 back in 2015, and have not registered double-digit losses in a season in 12 straights seasons. The program is 755-142 (.841) in 19 seasons of competition dating back to the 2005 campaign.
A PAIR OF INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM RECORDS
Two individual program records have fallen this season as Tatum Goff set the single season strikeout record and JT Smith the record for stolen bases and runs scored in a season. Goff has now struckout 233 batters and counting this season, while Smith's 43 stolen bases and 83 runs scored are a single season program high as well.
NEW TEAM RECORD
The 2023 Patriots broke the all-time single season record in UT Tyler softball history on Thursday against Cal State San Marcos with homerun no. 57 on the year. That mark eclipses the previous record set by the 2009 Patriots. 11 different players have homered in 2023, while JT Smith (12) and Michelle Arias (12) have both registered double-digit home run marks.
THREE ON THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
#3 UT Tyler placed three representatives on the 2023 Tucci/NFCA DII Player and Pitcher of the Year Watch List. Tatum Goff, Courtney Plocheck and JT Smith have all been included in this year's watch list. The Patriots are the only team from the South Central Region to have placed three players on the list.
DOMINANCE IN DIVISION II
UT Tyler has produced a record of 160-24 (85.1 percent) since beginning Division II play in 2020 and have now claimed back-to-back-to-back Lone Star Conference Regular Season Championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Patriots are 97-12 in Lone Star Conference play since beginning play in the league in 2020.
