RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – For the first time in 335 day, the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns softball team will take the field to open their 2021 season. The Golden Suns travel to Commerce, Texas for the Lion Invitational on Friday Feb. 5 and Saturday Feb. 6.
This year the Golden Suns will face both Texas A&M International and host Texas A&M Commerce twice in their opening weekend. Arkansas Tech will play a double-header on both Friday and Saturday. The team will face TAMUI on Friday with first pitch slated for 10 a.m. and TAMU-C following at 12:30 p.m. Arkansas Tech will turnaround Saturday and play both teams in the same order.
Starting pitcher
Maddy Prough will be taking the mound for the Golden Suns to start their season. The junior saw action in 15 games last season with a team-high 65.1 innings pitched. She also led the team with 57 strikeouts, more than tripling her next closest teammate.
Prior to the cancellation of their 2020 season, the Golden Suns were sitting at 14-10, coming off two 3-1 series win over East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma. The team had won eight of their last eleven outings prior to being shut-down.
Due to spring athletes maintaining an extra year of eligibility, the Golden Suns return the majority of their roster from the 2020 season. Among the returners, three batted over .300, including the leader in terms of batting average,
Makenzie Goins who batted .354 (23-for-65). Not far behind her, dual-sport athlete
Tymber Riley at .338 (22-for-65) and
Brooke Prewitt at .324 (23-for71). Also returning for the Golden Suns is Mackenzie Addis, who led the team in RBIs and homeruns with 21 RBIs and seven homers.
On the mound, the Golden Suns return five arms that pitched in the 2020 season.
Lexy Taylor posted a 3.60 ERA and a 6-1 record. She started in eight games and appeared in 11.
Robyn Bales and
Kaila Cartwright are also back for Arkansas Tech. Bales sale action in nine games, starting two and pitching 16 innings. Cartwright appeared in seven games, pitching 12.1 innings.
Leading the Golden Suns in her ninth season at the helm is head coach
Kristina McSweeney. As the all-time winningest coach in Arkansas Tech softball history, McSweeney has amassed a 289-149 record in her nine seasons with the Golden Suns. She has won two Great American Conference Tournaments in 2018 and 2019 and a regular-season championship in 2016 with a 34-6 record. She had led the team to four 40-win seasons prior to the 2021 season.
SCOUTING A&M International
The Dust Devils enter the 2021 season picked 14
th in the Lonestar Conference, after a 5-16 overall record and an 0-4 record in conference play in the 2020 season. The Dust Devils picked up wins against Texas Woman's, New Mexico Highlands, Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas-Monticello and TAMU-Kingsville.
The Dust Devil's catcher/second baseman Briana Arredondo was picked as the Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year entering the 2021 season. Arredondo led the LSC with a .450 batting average and 12 doubles. Behind her, Victoria Maldonado returns after hitting .385 and Morgan Chavarria at .371, are the Dust Devils who hit above .300 in the shortened season.
Starting pitchers returning include Paige Sasser and Melanie Lint. Sassesr posted a 4.12 ERA and pitched 34.0, striking out 10. Lint posted a 7.10 ERA, pitching 49.1 innings and striking out 18.
SCOUTING TAMU-Commerce
The Lions enter the season, ranked No. 9 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, marking their 34
th consecutive poll being ranked in the nation's top 25. They were also picked third in the Lone Star Conference pre-season poll. TAMU-Commerce was 16-7 overall and 5-3 in the LSC in the shortened 2020 season.
The Lions return five hitters hitting .300 or better, led by Madison Schaefer who hit .397 with a team-high six homers and 23 RBIs. Alyssa LeBlanc led the Lions with eight doubles, hitting .309. Ta'Lyn Moody hit .351, Kinsie Hebler hit .311 and Chealsea Slider hit .306 to round out the top returners.
