#3 West Texas A&M (26-2, 16-2 LSC) at UT Permian Basin (6-22, 1-17 LSC)
Date & Time	Saturday, March 13th at 1 p.m.
Location	Odessa, Texas | Falcon Field
Live Statistics	Sidearm Stats
Live Video (Pay Per View)	FloCollege
Other Links	Game Notes

 
CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M finishes out its four game road stretch on Saturday, March 15 at UT Permian Basin. The Lady Buffs and Falcons are scheduled for a doubleheader with the first pitch of game one slated for 1 p.m. at Falcon Field in Odessa, Texas.
 
GAME COVERAGE
The Athletic Communications Department from UT Permian Basin will provide live stats and a pay-per-view web stream. Fans will need to purchase a monthly ($19.99) or annual ($107.88) subscription with FloSports, the official streaming provider of the Lone Star Conference. The subscription allows fans access to any content available on FloSports.
 
A LOOK AT THE #3 LADY BUFFS
West Texas A&M softball ran its win streak to six games on Thursday night with a doubleheader sweep of the Sul Ross State Lobos. The Lady Buffs jumped ahead early and never looked back on their way to a 12-1 run-rule victory in game one. Game two saw Emilee Boyer twirl a complete-game shutout to secure the sweep with a 7-0 victory. WT improves to 26-2 on the season and 16-2 in Lone Star Conference play while Sul Ross State drops to 5-22 overall and 2-16 in league action.
 
The Lady Buffs feature another high-octane lineup that ranks inside the top 10 for Division II for almost every offensive category including batting average, doubles, home runs, on-base percentage, scoring, and slugging percentage. WT leads the country in hits, RBIs, runs, and triples.
 
Junior Emilee Boyer's .532 batting average leads the team where 13 different players have a .300 batting average or higher. Boyer's 11 home runs and 45 RBIs lead all of Division II while her 1.078 slugging percentage ranks fourth. Lauren Granger's 43 hits, 0.903 slugging percentage, and five triples rank in the top 10 nationally while her 84 total bases lead the country.
 
In the circle, WT has posted a 1.74 ERA with 190 strikeouts and 44 earned runs in 177 innings. Boyer and Vortherms have over 60 strikeouts each on the season as Kendall Selitzky also has double digits (23) on the season.
 
Head Coach Michael Mook is in his sixth season at WT, registering a 212-55 (.794) record in that time. For his career, Mook holds 366-116 record in 10 seasons for an overall winning percentage of .759.
 
SCOUTING UT PERMIAN BASIN
The Falcons came up short in both games of a doubleheader with Midwestern State. UTPB fell behind early on its way to a 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Mustangs. In game two, a third inning double provided game two's only run as Midwestern State defeated the Falcons, 1-0.
 
Keri Sanford leads the UT Permian basin offense as the junior holds a .437 batting average with a 1.047 OPS, .563 slugging average, and .484 on-base percentage. The Georgetown, Texas native leads the team with 38 hits, three triples, a home run, 49 total bases, and seven stolen bases. Emery Aguilar follows with a .342 batting average, 27 hits, and 10 RBI.
 
As a pitching staff, UT Permian Basin holds a 5.45 ERA in 181.0 innings of work. During that time, opponents are hitting .319 while hitting 41 doubles, eight triples, and 13 home runs while striking out 131 times. Jessica Cantrell leads the team with a 3.31 ERA on 16 appearances and 11 starts with six complete games, a shutout, and 75 strikeouts.
 
AubreeAnn Avila-Oropeza is in her first season as the head coach of the UT Permian Basin program and first overall. Avila-Oropeza holds a 6-22 (.214) record for her career with a matching record at the helm of the Falcons. 
 
THE SERIES
WT leads the all-time series with UT Permian Basin with a 44-14 record with a 19-3 record in Odessa. The Lady Buffs are 11-2 against the Falcons under Michael Mook. In the 2024 season, WT outscored UTPB 26-0 in the three-game series sweep. The Lady Buffs posted a 7-0 win in game one with a 13-0 showing in five innings in game two. In the series finale, WT defeated the Falcons 6-0.
 
W, 6-0 – Odessa, 2024
W, 13-0 (5) – Odessa, 2024
W, 7-0 – Odessa, 2024
W, 5-0 – Canyon, 2023
W, 16-0 (5) – Canyon, 2023
 
NFCA RANKINGS 
UT Tyler received 14 first-place votes for 398 points to remain in the top spot of the poll. Tampa moved up a spot to No. 2 with two first-place votes and 384 points followed by West Texas A&M at No. 3 with 363 points. Angelo State held at No. 4 with 345 points with Auburn Montgomery rounding out the top five with 328 points. Rogers State (322), Francis Marion (308), Augstana (294), North Georgia (274), and Central Oklahoma (237) make up the rest of the top 10.
 
The South Central region is represented by four teams with UT Tyler leading the way at No. 1. WT (3^rd), Angelo State (4^th), and Oklahoma Christian (18^th) earned spots in the rankings.
 
LSC PRESEASON POLL
Reigning National Champion UT Tyler took the top spot in the poll with 34 first-place votes and 672 points followed by WT with eight first-place votes and 642 points. Angelo State grabbed the final first-place vote for 590 points with Oklahoma Christian following at 528 points. Lubbock Christian and St. Mary's tied for fifth in the poll with each school totaling 483 points. Texas Woman's (382), Texas A&M-Kingsville (372), Cameron (348), and Eastern New Mexico (315) occupy the seventh through 10^th spots, respectively. St. Edward's (293), Texas A&M International (215), Midwestern State (214), UT Permian Basin (97), and Sul Ross State (72) round out the poll.
 
UP NEXT
WT returns home for a top five matchup with No. 4 Angelo State on Friday, March 21. First pitch for the doubleheader is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Schaeffer Park.