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CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M softball opens its 2020 season this weekend, Jan. 31-Feb. 2, at the Desert Stinger Invite hosted by Montana State-Billings in Las Vegas, Nev., at Majestic Park.  The Lady Buffs will face Sonoma State, Northwest Nazarene, UC San Diego, MSU-Billings, and Regis over the three day tournament.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Live stats will be available for fans to stay up-to-date on all Lady Buff action provided by the MSU-Billings.  There will be a live stream for the games against Sonoma State on Friday, Jan. 31, and against MSU-Billings on Saturday, Feb. 1.  For more information, visit the Lady Buffs' softball schedule at GoBuffsGo.com.
 
A LOOK AT THE 2020 LADY BUFFS
The Lady Buffs post a roster of seven returners including four all-conference honorees.  WT will be guided by seniors Shanna McBroom, Alyx Cordell, Erica Vessels and Brittany Cruz alongside sophomores Ruby Salzman, Kyra Lair and Sydney Greeson. 
 
In the circle, the Lady Buffs will rely on sophomore pitchers Lair and Wilson.  Lair made 27 appearances with 24 starts in her freshman season with WT going 14-6 tallying 4.62 ERA with a pair of shutouts and one save in 119.2 innings.  Wilson, a transfer from Valley City State University, was a key player for the Vikings as they secured a North Star Athletic Conference (NSAC) tournament title and earned 54 wins to set a program record.  She went 19-3 in the circle for VCSU with a 1.40 ERA and 146 strikeouts to earn All-American Honorable Mention honors.  
 
WT welcomed 10 newcomers to the 2020 roster with the addition of sophomore transfers Emilee Wilson and Makenzee Atchley.
 
SCOUTING SONOMA STATE
Sonoma State finished 36-20 in the 2019 with a 21-15 league record in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).  SSU was voted fourth in the CCAA in the Coaches' Preseason Poll after the Seawolves claimed the CCAA championship title last season to receive an automatic berth to the NCAA DII West Regionals. 
 
The Seawolves are led by Jennifer Bridges as she enters her 11^th season as the head softball coach.  Bridges has led SSU to nine NCAA tournament appearances in her 10 seasons with a 368-210-1 (.636) overall record. 
 
SCOUTING NORTHWEST NAZARENE
The Nighthawks were selected to finish fifth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll with 40 points.  NNU, which advanced to the GNAC tournament for the second consecutive season in 2019, is led by Rich Wagner as he enters his eighth season as the Nighthawks head coach.
 
NNU returns five starters from last season's lineup including two All-GNAC honorable mention selections in senior catcher Brittany Genuardi and outfielder Madison Strickler. 
 
#6 UC SAN DIEGO
The University of California San Diego was ranked sixth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top-25 Preseason Poll after collecting 310 points.  The Tritons compiled a 37-17 overall record in 2019 for the program's third trip to the NCAA tournament.  UCSD was selected to finish first in the CCAA as they return three All-West Region honorees in left-handed pitcher Robyn Wampler, and utility players Sherriah Harrington and Keila Bosinger.
 
Patti Gerckens enters her 28^th season as the head coach of the Tritons' program.  She has recorded a 758-603 (.557) overall record at UCSD to become the winningest coach in program history including a NCAA Championship title in 2011 and national runner-up finish in 2012.
 
MONTANA STATE-BILLINGS
The YellowJackets were selected to finish seventh in the GNAC preseason poll after they completed the 2019 season 15-31.  MSU returns two All-GNAC honorees with outfielders Allie Hughes and Jolene House.  Hughes led the team with a .288 bagging average while House hit .348 in 25 games.
 
MSUB is led by Lisa McKinney who enters her first season back as the YellowJackets head coach after a two year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada Reno.  In five seasons from 2011-2015, McKinney became the winningest coach in program history with an all-time record 123-110 (.528) including a GNAC tournament title and a runner-up finish at the West Region Championships in 2015.
 
REGIS
Nicole Thompson enters her first season as the head coach of the Regis softball program after spending the past three season as the head coach at Union College. 
 
The Rangers were picked eighth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Coaches' Preseason Poll after they finished 15-28 last season with an appearance in the conference tournament.  Carly Beard returns behind the plate for RU after she hit .343 to lead RU in her freshman campaign.
 
A NEW ERA BEGINS
A new era of Lady Buff softball officially began on June 20, 2019, as Michael Mook took charge as the third head coach in program history. 
 
Mook brings an impressive resume to WT softball with a 154-61 (.716) record at Valley City State University over his four-years with the Vikings including a program record 54 wins and an appearance in the NAIA World Series in the 2019 season.  He was named the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA) Coach of the Year as the Vikings broke eight school records throughout the season. 
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
National runner-ups Texas A&M-Kingsville received 32 first-place votes to sit atop the poll after recording their first South Central Regional Championship title in 2019.  Texas A&M-Commerce (seven first-place, 666) was selected second followed by Tarleton (one first-place, 594), Cameron (527) and Oklahoma Christian (527).  The Lady Buffs (504) tallied one first-place vote to land just outside of the top-five followed by Angelo State (486), St. Mary's (423), Lubbock Christian (401), UT Tyler (356), Texas A&M-International (one first-place, 276), Midwestern State (271), Texas Woman's (220), St. Edward's (197), Eastern New Mexico (135), UT Permian Basin (89) and Western New Mexico (62). 
 
Tarleton's Georgia Capell was named the LSC Preseason Player of the Year, while Texas A&M-Commerce's Emily Otto was tabbed the LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.  The poll is voted on by head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives throughout the league.
 
2019 IN REVIEW
In 2019, the Lady Buffs made their seventh straight and ninth overall appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament as they were selected the four seed entering the South Central Region.  The Lady Buffs hit .325 as a team with 76 doubles, 14 triples and 87 homeruns to drive in 326 RBI for a .611 slugging percentage.  WT compiled a 4.31 ERA in the circle with 24 complete games to accompany 163 strikeouts in 297.0 innings to allow an opponent .301 batting average.
 
NFCA DIVISION II TOP-25 POLL (PRESEASON)
The Vikings of Augustana (S.D.) are posted at the top of the NFCA Division II Top-25 Preseason Coaches' Poll as the defending national champions received 15 of 16 possible first-place votes.

Four teams from the LSC were ranked in the poll with Texas A&M-Kingsville standing in second, followed by Cameron at 15^th, Texas A&M-Commerce tied for 10^th and Tarleton State tied at 21^st.
 
UP NEXT
WT softball will travel to Tucson, Ariz., for the Cactus Classic on Feb. 13-16 where they will face Colorado Mesa, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Dixie State, Lindenwood, Western Oregon, Fort Lewis, Southern Nazarene and Simon Fraser.