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CANYON, Texas – The #13 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M will begin their 2018 season inside the friendly confines of Schaeffer Park this weekend as they host the WT Invitational with a four-day round robin between WT, Augustana and Regis inside of the Buffalo Sports Park in Canyon.
 
- SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
AUGUSTANA
After missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009 in 2016, the Vikings returned to the postseason in 2017 as they advanced to the Central Super Region 2 Title Game. The Vikings finished 40-16 in 2017, including 21-5 in NSIC play which was good for a third-place finish in the league standings.
 
Gretta Melstad enters her 12th season at the helm of Augie as she has led the Vikings to seven NCAA Tournament appearances including six straight from 2010-2015. She enters the 2018 season with a career record of 506-286, including 425-195 in 11 seasons at Augustana.
 
The Vikings return Shannon Peterson as their top offensive producer as the now junior hit .354 last season with 11 doubles and 16 homeruns to drive in 52 RBI with 126 total bases for a slugging percentage of .667. In the circle, Augie is led by returning NSIC Newcomer of the Year Lexy Pederson who went 20-6 last season with a 2.39 ERA as she tossed 15 complete games with three shutouts, one save and 105 strikeouts in her 164.0 innings of work.
 
Augie hit .337 as a team in 2017 with 90 doubles, four triples and 54 homeruns with 288 RBI and 801 total bases for a slugging percentage of .499. In the circle, Augie registered a staff ERA of 2.74 with 31 complete games and eight shutouts to go along with four saves and 252 strikeout on the year.
 
THE SERIES vs. AUGIE
The Lady Buffs lead the all-time series against the Vikings, 1-0 with the only meeting between the two programs coming back on February 4, 2017 in Las Vegas during the Desert Stinger Invite. The Lady Buffs won that contest by a score of 7-6.
 
REGIS
Regis finished the 2017 campaign with an overall record of 31-26 and 22-16 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to finish in fifth place. Regis earned its third-straight bid to the RMAC Tournament but were ultimately ousted by Colorado Christian, 3-1.
 
The Rangers are guided by second year head coach Daven Bond who led Regis to their third straight appearance in the RMAC Tournament in his first season at the helm. Prior to Regis, Bond spent five seasons as the head coach at Colorado Christian University.
 
Senior Lauren Hernandez looks to lead the Rangers offensively as she hit .368 last season with 14 doubles and three homeruns to drive in 21 RBI with 73 total bases for a slugging clip of .537. In the circle, RMAC Co-Pitcher of the Year Logan Losh returns after a 23-11 junior season where she registered a 1.88 ERA with 28 complete games, eight shutouts and 165 strikeouts in her 215.2 innings of work.
The Rangers hit .308 as a team last season with 80 doubles, six triples and 30 homeruns to drive in 238 RBI with 656 total bases for a .426 slugging clip. In the circle, RU registered a 3.36 ERA with 35 complete games, eight shutouts, two saves and 235 strikeouts on the year.
 
THE SERIES vs. REGIS
The Lady Buffs led the all-time series with the Rangers, 2-1 as WT has taken the last two meetings. The Lady Buffs swept a doubleheader at Schaeffer Park from the Rangers back on February 18, 2012.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
National Runner-Up Angelo State picked up 29 of the possible 33 first place votes for a total of 359 points to sit atop of the poll followed by WT (three first place, 306 points), Texas Woman's (one first place, 267 points), Tarleton State (257), Cameron (250), Texas A&M-Commerce (223), Texas A&M-Kingsville (170), Midwestern State (135), Eastern New Mexico (108), UT Permian Basin (64) and Western New Mexico (39).
 
Angelo State's Brandy Marlett was named the league's Preseason Pitcher of the Year while Mariah Jameyson from Texas A&M-Commerce was tabbed the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. The poll is voted on by head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives throughout the league.
 
NFCA DIVISION II TOP-25 POLL (PRESEASON)
Reigning National Champion Minnesota State picked up 14 of the possible 16 first place votes to sit atop of the poll with 396 points followed by National Runner-Up Angelo State (two first place, 386), West Florida (351), West Virginia Wesleyan (348), Humboldt State (338), Southern Indiana (317), North Georgia (298), Colorado Mesa (280), Dixie State (245) and Southern Arkansas (229) to round out the top ten.
 
The South Central Region was represented by Angelo State (2nd), Colorado Mesa (8th), WT (13th), St Mary's (22nd) and Texas Woman's (RV).
 
WT SOFTBALL IN THE NFCA TOP-25 POLL
The Lady Buffs have been ranked inside of the NFCA Division II Top-25 for 56 consecutive polls. The Lady Buffs have been ranked in the Top-5 in 41 polls since the start of the 2014 season while sitting atop of the poll an incredible 29 times.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Lady Buffs have turned Schaeffer Park into one of the top home environments in all of NCAA Division II Softball. WT is 198-32 (.861) at Schaeffer Park since the facility opened prior to the 2011 season including 85-14 (.859) during regular season Lone Star Conference games in Canyon. 2017 marked the sixth time in the last seven years ('11, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17) that the Lady Buffs hosted NCAA Postseason action in Canyon.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The West Texas A&M Athletic Media Relations Department will provide live stats and a webstream for the WTAMU Invitational. Fans can also follow the WT Athletics (@WTAthletics) Twitter account for live updates. For links and more information, visit the Lady Buff Softball schedule page at GoBuffsGo.com.
 
LADY BUFFS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Lady Buffs made their fifth straight and seventh overall appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball postseason during the 2017 campaign.
 
The Lady Buffs are 26-16 all-time in the NCAA Postseason including 18-10 in games played at Schaeffer Park. WT is 5-2 in the College World Seris as they claimed the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship.
 
RELOAD NOT REBUILD
The Lady Buffs boast a roster of four All-Americans and eight returners along with talented newcomers. WT will be guided by Kilee Halbert in the circle while Kylee Moore, Allie Smith, Ashley Hardin, Shanna McBroom, Alyx Cordell, Kourtney Coveney and Shayne Starkey all return to the starting lineup for the always powerful Lady Buff lineup.
 
2017 IN-REVIEW
The Lady Buffs continued to prove themselves as one of the top programs in all of Division II Softball during the 2017 campaign as they claimed the program's fourth Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship and hosted the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament for the fifth straight season. The Lady Buffs hit .371 as a team with 120 doubles, 10 triples and 98 homeruns to drive in 401 RBI for an incredible slugging percentage of .667. In the circle, the Lady Buffs registered a 2.47 ERA as a staff with 26 complete games, and 11 shutouts (three combined) to go along with 231 strikeout in 339.2 innings of work to allow an opponent batting average of .268 on the season.
 
HEAD COACH CANDACE ABRAMS
Candace Abrams enters her first season at the helm of the Lady Buffs following three years as the program's top assistant. Since arriving in Canyon, Abrams has been a part of two Lone Star Conference Championships as well as a South Central Regional Title and trip to the DII College World Series. Abrams enters the 2018 season with an overall career record of 202-65-1 (.754).
 
ASSISTANT COACH LACEY TAYLOR
Abrams is joined by second year Assistant Coach Lacey Taylor who registered a standout playing career for the Lady Buffs from 2013-2016. Taylor cemented herself as one of the top players to ever wear the Maroon & White as she registered an overall record of 208-36 (.853) during her career to become the winningest Lady Buff in history alongside fellow four-year senior Brittany Gehle. Taylor led WT to an overall record of 95-19 (.833) in Lone Star Conference play to claim three straight LSC Titles along with a pair of LSC Tournament Titles.