LAST TIME OUT
 
Last week the Patriots were dominant, rattling off their third straight 4-0 LSC weekend as they swept both Cameron and #18 Oklahoma Christian. The Patriots put together three run-rule wins over the weekend, including both games of the doubleheader against the #18 Eagles. In total, the Patriots outscored their opponents 40-3 in the four games.
 
NATIONAL POLLS


The Patriots continue to be the top ranked team in the latest NFCA/Go Rout Top 25. They earned 15 of the 16 first place votes and have yet to earn less than 13 of those votes thus far.
 
PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCHLIST
 
Announced yesterday was the NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year award watchlist, and the Patriots had four representatives. Primrose Aholelei, Cera Blanchard, JT Smith, and Ka'Lyn Watson each earned recognition and double as the most representatives for any team across Division II. The list is compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division II All-American Committee with one head coach representing each of the eight NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member of the NFCA. Each region is represented by up to 15 student-athletes.
 
PATRIOTS NOTES AND TRENDS

• UT Tyler softball begins the 21st year of the program with an all-time record of 819-151 (.844) dating back to the inaugural 2005 campaign. The Patriots are 224-33 (.869) in five seasons of Division II play and have gone 134-17 (.887) in Lone Star Conference games over that timeframe prior to the 2025 season.
• The Patriots have won 50-plus games in the last two seasons after going 50-5 back in 2015 and have not registered double-digit losses in a season in 13 straight years. 
• UT Tyler has made 13 appearances in an NCAA National Championship Tournament between the Division II and III levels, and have advanced to the NCAA World Series in 10 of those 13 trips.
• Head coach Mike Reed and his staff garnered ATEC/NFCA South Central Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors for a fourth consecutive season. The honors come in each of the first four 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 10 different occasions (2024,2023, 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2009) dating back to the program's inaugural season in 2005. 
• UT Tyler softball is 363-45 (.889) all-time on their home field at Irwin Field prior to the 2025 season, and completed the 2024 season with a 26-2 mark at their home ballpark. The Patriots are 102-8 (.927) in home Lone Star Conference games and have never lost more than six games at home in a season.
• JT Smith, Sam Schott, Taryn Barney, Angelique Rangel, Hailey Fannin, and Kaylee Davis mark a group of returners with national championship experience as they will look to lead a host of newcomers back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.
• Head coach Mike Reed returns for his 21^st season at the helm of the program after previously serving for three seasons as the head coach at East Texas Baptist before taking over at UT Tyler. Reed is 1^st among all NCAA divisions in career winning percentage (.838), posting a 950-184 career mark in 24 career seasons. He owns the second-highest all-time win percentage among Division III coaches, coaching 18 of his 23 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 37 All-Americans, 112 all-region and 177 all-conference selections.
• The Patriots have been nothing short of dominant through their first 25 games. They have allowed more than three runs in a game just once while scoring at least three runs in all but three games. They currently lead Division II in triples, triples per game, and shutouts. They are second in ERA, fielding percentage, hit by pitch and on-base percentage, and they are top five in slugging percentage, RBI, scoring, RBI per game, total runs, total sacrifice bunts, and WHIP.
• JT Smith is the Division II leader in triples, runs, and runs scored per game and Kaylee Davis leads in total ERA.

 
RATTLERS NOTES AND TRENDS

• St. Mary's is 19-16 on the year and 14-10 in LSC play. They have split each of their last two LSC doubleheaders, with those coming against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas A&M-International.
• The Rattlers are led at the plate by Lauren Gonzales, who is hitting .396 over 34 games. She has five RBI and 31 runs scored while getting on base at a .442 clip.
• In the circle, Madeline Bloom and Emily Ayala lead the way with ERA's at 2.35 and 2.49. Bloom is 6-3 on the year over 53.2 innings pitched with 29 strikeouts to nine walks. Ayala is 7-1 with 59 innings pitched, and has a 31-13 strikeout to walk ratio.
• Ronnie Ladines is the head coach of the Rattlers in her first season. She previously served as an assistant for long time head coach Donna Fields.

 
HILLTOPPERS NOTES AND TRENDS

• St. Edward's is 19-15 on the year and 13-11 in LSC play so far. They are also coming off of splits against the Dustdevils and the Javelinas, and prior to that they swept both Cameron and Oklahoma Christian.
• Katie Dillon is hitting .434 to lead the Hilltoppers offense in 33 games played. She has four doubles, one triple, nine RBI, and 31 runs scored while getting on base at a .496 rate.
• Kylen Badgett holds a 2.58 ERA over 13 appearances and has played to an 8-3 record. She has thrown 59.2 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .226 average.
• Hailey Post is the head coach of the program and is in her second season at the helm. She was previously an assistant coach at St. Mary's prior to her time with St. Edward's.