Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Kingsville
Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 | 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 | 1/3 p.m.
Hubert Field | Kingsville, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (9-8, 2-1 LSC); Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-5, 0-3 LSC)
Game 1: Live Stats | Video
Game 2: Live Stats | Video
Game 3: Live Stats | Video

THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State heads to South Texas for its first true road games of the 2017 season Friday and Saturday with a three-game Lone Star Conference slate against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

The series gets underway Friday at 6 p.m. from Hubert Field while the teams take part in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
- Midwestern State split a non-conference doubleheader with Oklahoma Christian Tuesday at Mustangs Park with OC recording a 3-0 shutout in game one before MSU responded with a come-from-behind 3-2 win in game two
- Hannah Springs tallied her first career home run in game two before Lauren Lindgren delivered a two-run shot to propel the Mustangs to a 3-2 advantage in the sixth inning
- Peyton Helton allowed no earned runs to earn her fourth win of the season
 
A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS
- Midwestern State sits at 9-8 overall and 2-1 in Lone Star Conference play to tie for third in the league standings after opening LSC action last weekend against UT Permian Basin
- Sophomore right fielder Carli Woolsey leads the Mustangs with a .385 average in all 17 starts with a team-high 20 hits, 12 RBI and four home runs
- Freshman center fielder Lauren Lindgren is second for the Mustangs at the plate with a .327 average with 18 hits, 14 runs, 12 RBI, five stolen bases and four home runs on the year
- Sophomore designated hitter Taylor Mordecai is close behind with a .326 clip with a team-best four doubles
- Sophomore Peyton Helton ranks fifth in the LSC with a 1.96 ERA to compile a 4-3 record with three complete games in 11 appearances and seven starts this season
- Helton leads MSU with 27 strikeouts in 46.1 innings of work
- Senior Erin Knox has also excelled in the circle for the Maroon and Gold with a 3.00 ERA and 3-3 record with three complete games in six starts
 
SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS
- Texas A&M-Kingsville comes into the weekend with a 5-5 overall record and 0-3 mark in LSC play following a series defeat to No. 22 Angelo State last week in San Angelo
- Sophomore infielder Victoria Schoonard-Saborio leads the Javelinas with a .345 batting average, 10 hits and five RBI in all 10 starts
- Sophomore catcher Roxy Chapa hits .281 with two doubles and a home run among her nine hits along with five RBI in all 10 appearances this season
- In the circle, freshman Randa Hatter is 2-2 with a team-best 3.00 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched
- Freshman Breanna Smith has seen the most time in the circle for TAMUK with 24.2 innings, carrying a 5.11 ERA and 2-2 record with 15 strikeouts
- In her third season with the Javelinas, head coach Betsy Dean carries a 44-65-1 career record
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Midwestern State leads the all-time series with Texas A&M-Kingsville, 24-8
- The Mustangs have won 17 of the last 20 with MSU taking the series, 3-1, last season in Wichita Falls while splitting the four-game slate in Kingsville in 2015
- MSU is 9-5 on the road in the series, having won six of the last nine dating back to the 2011 season
 
THE RYAL ERA BEGINS 
- After serving as an assistant coach for Midwestern State softball during the 2016 season, former major leaguer Mark Ryal was tabbed the second head coach in program history last August
- Ryal replaces Brady Tigert, who coached the Mustangs to nine NCAA Tournament appearances in 13 seasons with a 486-256 (.655) career record since starting the program in 2004
- Ryal arrives in Wichita Falls following one season as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State in 2015 while serving in the same capacity at South Alabama in 2014
- The Dewar, Okla. native coached at Prague (Okla.) High School following five seasons as the hitting coach at Auburn, coaching current MSU assistant coach Caitlin Schultze during his stint with the Tigers
- The East Central alum also served as the head coach for Carl Albert State College (Okla.) following four seasons at Inola (Okla.) High School while also serving as the hitting coach for the Oklahoma baseball team during their College World Series run in 1995
- Ryal made his Major League Baseball debut in 1982 with the Kansas City Royals after being drafted in the third round of the 1978 MLB Draft
- He also spent time with the Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates during his professional career
 
UP NEXT 
- Midwestern State returns to Mustangs Park for a Lone Star Conference series against Eastern New Mexico, Mar. 3-4
- The Mustangs and Greyhounds open the series Friday at 7 p.m. before a twin bill Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.