SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Midwestern State opens conference play against Angelo State on Thursday at Mayer Field. The first game of the series gets underway at 5 p.m. with a doubleheader scheduled for Friday, starting at 12:30 p.m.

The Mustangs finished non-conference with a 2-7 record after defeating Central Washington, 4-1, in the D2 First Pitch Invitational in Conroe, Texas, and scoring a 5-3 victory over East Central (Okla.) at Mustangs Park. MSU played in four one-run games, including a 2-1 loss in nine innings to No. 19-ranked Rogers State, which defeated Angelo State in Conroe, 6-3.

Allie Monroe has at least one hit in all but one game this season and has a five-game hitting streak entering the series in San Angelo. The 5-10 sophomore from Lawton, Oklahoma, has three doubles and a home run among her 13 hits, and she is leading the team with 11 RBIs. Monroe has three multi-hit game. The designated player has scored four runs for the Mustangs this season.

Freshman Paige Gallegos has been playing primarily in right field and is hitting .286 through nine games. Gallegos was 2-for-3 and scored a run in the home-opener against East Central. Gallegos has four RBIs and has scored three runs for the Mustangs. She went 1-for-3 with a single in a 4-1 loss to Northwest Missouri State on Saturday.

Maegan Shannon, a sophomore from Frisco, Texas, has started seven games at third base and is also hitting .286 with six singles and two RBIs. Shannon has only committed one error on 24 chances at the hot corner.

Camile Nunez, a senior shortstop, has at least one hit in seven of nine games with two doubles for the Mustangs and is hitting .276. Nunez has 26 put outs and a team-leading 23 assists on 54 chances at shortstop. The transfer from Texas A&M-Commerce has turned four double plays for the Mustangs, who lead the conference and are second in the nation with six twin killings through nine games.

Megan Ayala has been the starting catcher for eight games this season and has not committed an error with only two passed balls. She has thrown out three of six potential base stealers. At the plate, the sophomore from Denton, Texas, is hitting .235 with two RBIs for the Mustangs.

Freshman pitcher Elizabeth Uhl from Arvada, Colorado, has a 1.43 ERA through 14 2/3 innings, allowing just three earned runs on 15 hits with four walks and eight strikeouts. Uhl has made three starts for the Mustangs and has not allowed more than one earned in any of those appearances. She worked four innings and got the win against Central Washington and also worked four innings in her last start against Northwest Missouri State. Her longest outing of the season came at Mustangs Park, where she lasted 6 2/3 and took a hard-luck 4-2 loss to East Central, which plated three unearned runs in the seventh inning.

Freshman Addison Lindemann from Holliday, Texas, leads the pitching staff with 17 strikeouts through 23 innings. Lindemann has made four appearances with two starts and has a 2.43 ERA. She has allowed 23 hits with 11 walks but only eight earned runs.

Kennedy Cameron, a senior pitcher from Longview, Texas, has made three starts for Midwestern State this season and has a 3.07 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .217 against Cameron, who has allowed 10 hits over 13 2/3 innings. The right-hander has walked 13 batters and struck out 11.

Sydney Gonzales has been extremely effective as a relief pitcher for the Mustangs. Gonzales has made five appearances and thrown 9 1/3 innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run. The sophomore from Lenorah, Texas, has a 0.75 ERA and is holding opponents to a .188 batting average. She has issued five walks with two strikeouts.

Angelo State leads the all-time series against Midwestern State, 43-19, but the Mustangs snapped a 15-game losing streak in the series with a 9-8 victory at Mustangs Park last season. Gonzales, who started the game and worked four innings, earned her first collegiate victory.

The Rambelles have a five-game winning streak and went 9-1 through non-conference. Angelo State hosted the George and Ola McCorkle Challenge last weekend and won all four games, including a 7-0 victory over Texas A&M International in their last game.

Angelo State is hitting .347 as a team and is ninth in the nation with 92 hits, including seven triples, which is third-most in the nation.

The potent offense is led by Tatiana Trotter. The sophomore infielder from Lubbock, Texas, is hitting .536 with three doubles, a triple and two home runs. She has 13 RBIs and is slugging .929 through 10 games.

Erin Plunkett, a junior infielder from Humble, Texas, is hitting .407 with a double, a home run and four RBIs.

Senior catcher Keilei Garcia from Hemet, California, has a conference-leading three home runs and has 12 RBIs for the Rambelles.

Cheyenne Floyd has already chalked up six wins in the circle for Angelo State and is leading NCAA Division II in victories. She is fifth in the nation with 38 strikeouts through 24 2/3 innings. Floyd, who has started six games for the Rambelles, has a 1.70 ERA and opponents are hitting .200 against the junior from Liberty Hill, Texas.

Averie Gunther a junior from Wylie, Texas, is holding opponents to a .175 batting average and has an ERA of 2.72. Gunther has worked 18 innings and allowed just 11 hits with seven walks and 13 strikeouts. Gunther is 2-0 in five appearances with four starts.

Travis Scott is a seven-time LSC Coach of the Year and has a record 944-346-3 (.731). A skilled baseball player, Scott played at Southeastern Oklahoma from 1990-92 and was the starting third baseman on the 1990 team that finished fourth at the NAIA College World Series, where he was named to the all-tournament team and was a Gold Glove recipient.

Brittanie Talley is beginning her third season as the head coach at Midwestern State and is the third coach in the history of the program. Talley amassed a 129-75 record (.632) over five seasons at Vernon College earning Texoma NexStar Small College Coach of the Year honors in 2021 after leading the Chaps to a 42-12 mark and advancing to the NJCAA regional tournament.

Midwestern State travels to Maner Park in Lubbock, Texas, for a three-game series with Lubbock Christian on Tuesday. First pitch is at 5 p.m. and the doubleheader on Wednesday begins at 1 p.m.

--MSUMustangs.com--