LSC Roundup 4-24

ACU was a big hit with softball slugger Shiery
Four years ago, during her freshman year at the University of Utah, Jessica Shiery thought about giving up her glove and cleats for a chef's hat. Fortunately for Abilene Christian, she gave softball a second chance.

Shiery hit .289 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs to earn first-team all-Mountain West Conference honors and help the Utes reach the finals of the Austin Regional in 2006. The Utes (40-21) lost to Cat Osterman and the University of Texas in the championship game.

Despite the success, the Windsor (Calif.) High School graduate wasn't happy at Utah. The coach who recruited her was forced to resign, and Shiery didn't like the school or her teammates.

"I hated the school," she said. "The coaches were horrible. It just wasn't the right fit."

Nathan Wright: ASU baseball team gets momentum for LSC tourney
For three seasons, Laura Lopez has been a mainstay behind the plate for the Angelo State University softball team.

In that time, she has accomplished a great deal, both from a team and an individual perspective, from conference and regional titles to all-conference and all-regional tournament honors.

She and the rest of the fifth-ranked ASU softball team will begin postseason play at the Lone Star Conference tournament this weekend in Durant, Okla. The Rambelles will open tourney play against Cameron today at noon.

WT pitchers strive to be stingy
Offense got them there, but pitching will have to keep them there.

West Texas A&M made the Lone Star Conference softball tournament for the first time in program history by boasting the highest batting average (.338) and most runs scored (375) in the conference.

Javelinas softball rolling into LSC tournament
KINGSVILLE — To say Texas A&M-Kingsville’s softball team slipped into the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament wouldn’t be stretching the truth. To say the Javelinas didn’t earn their spot in the eight-team field would border on drawing the ire of the players.

“In is in. There’s a couple of ballgames we should’ve won,” said Javelinas junior outfielder Cassie Anderson, the LSC’s leading hitter at .448. “But when it comes down to it, we’re still going and we’ll take what we can.”

ENMU-WT baseball capsule
ENMU is currently seventh in the 11-team LSC, but is one of five teams vying for the final three spots in next week’s six-team LSC tournament. Southwestern Oklahoma is currently fourth at 21-19, followed by Southeastern Oklahoma and Tarleton State at 20-19, ENMU at 20-20 and Central Oklahoma at 19-21. Other season-ending series this weekend impacting the outcome have co-leader Cameron at Southwestern, last-place East Central at Southeastern, co-leader Abilene Christian at Tarelton State, Northeastern State at Central Oklahoma.
Of note: ENMU, seeking its first LSC tournament berth since 1994, missed out by one-half game last season. The team which finished sixth, Texas A&M-Kingsville, ended up winning the tournament.

Wt baseball team enters final weekend
West Texas A&M concludes its first season under coach Matt Vanderburg this weekend hoping to play spoiler during a four-game Lone Star Conference series at Eastern New Mexico in Portales, N.M.

The Buffs and ENMU are scheduled to open with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. today, then conclude the season with a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Javelinas baseball to take on Angelo State in season's final series
Texas A&M-Kingsville's baseball team closes the season with a four-game series against 20th-ranked Angelo State University at Nolan Ryan Field. The two teams will play a doubleheader at 3 p.m. today and a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.

The Javelinas (15-25 Lone Star Conference, 20-31 overall) were eliminated from LSC postseason contention last weekend when Southeastern (Okla.) State swept a four-game series in Durant, Okla.

A&M-Kingsville is led by senior left-hander Sam Strickland (5-3, 4.37 earned-run average, 80 strikeouts). Strickland needs 10 strikeouts to become the fifth player in school history with 200 strikeouts in a career.

ASU baseball update for April 24
The Rams close the regular season this week at Kingsville and still have a shot to win the LSC regular-season title. ASU is in third place, but just one game behind Cameron and Abilene Christian for the top spot. ... The Rams are coming off a 7-6 extra-inning victory against St. Edward's on Tuesday. Keith Towne broke the LSC single-season home run record in the eighth inning. His two-run home run tied the game at 6-6 in the eighth inning. The Rams won the game three innings later when Trey Carter drew a walk with the bases loaded. ... TAMUK was swept by Southeastern Oklahoma last weekend. ... The Rams are 12-5 all-time against the Javelinas. ASU took three of four from TAMUK last season. ... The Rams will be back in action at the Lone Star Conference tournament, which begins on May 2 at ACU against an opponent to be determined.

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