CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball program will look to improve its mark in the Southland Conference when it hosts its opening league series against HCU on Thursday and Friday at Chapman Field.
The three-game series will kick off with a doubleheader on Thursday beginning at 12 p.m. Game three is set for Friday at noon.
The Islanders (12-9) are coming off one of their most successful conference seasons in program history since joining the Southland in 2007. They won 11 games in league play last year, the most since 2015, and took all but one conference series to finish third overall.
Their success gave the team its first SLC Tournament appearance since 2015 and first tournament win since 2012. The Islanders finished with a 25-27 overall record last season, the program's winningest season since 2011, and was predicted to finish fourth in the SLC Preseason Poll this year.
Last year, the Islanders completed the series sweep over HCU (9-15), shutting them out in every game of the regular season 1-0, 7-0, and 2-0 in Houston. A&M-Corpus Christi leads the Huskies 26-18 all-time.
The Islanders are 14-10 all-time at home against the Huskies. The Islanders are 3-0 at home this year with wins over UTSA and Prairie View A&M.
Most recently, A&M-Corpus Christi completed a doubleheader sweep over the Panthers at home. It included a complete-game shutout thrown by junior
Primrose Aholelei, who also pitched her first no-hitter as an Islander. It was followed by a 9-1 run-rule victory in game two where junior
Sidney Campion was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate.
The Islanders now have three shutout victories and two run-rule victories this year. On opening day, the Islanders posted a 1-0 win over Murray State which marked the seventh time ever that the Islanders won their season-opener since the program began in 2000, and third to have been a shutout.
The season opener marked the beginning of a 7-2 start for A&M-Corpus Christi, its best start to a season since 2005 when it posted a 9-0 record. With the current 12-9 record, the Islanders have not possessed a losing record yet this year.
Aholelei leads the conference in innings pitched (82.2) and batters struck out (72), and ranks second in wins (8), sixth in ERA (1.95), and eighth in opposing batting average (.224). Junior
Sydney Hoyt ranks first in saves (2) and fifth in RBIs (15).
Nationally
, Aholelei is ranked 3rd in innings pitched, 10 in shutouts (3), 16th in victories (8) and 30th in strikeouts. Hoyt is ranked 22nd in saves.
The Islanders second the conference in fielding with a .969 fielding percentage. They have the top-three fielders in the league with
Juliana J. Garcia,
Monee Montilla, and
Sydney Hoyt.
HCU was picked fifth in the preseason poll. The Huskies are led offensively by AB Garcia who seconds the conference at a .405 batting average with the league-high 30 hits. In the circle, Katy Jones posts a 2.81 ERA and records four wins.
All three games can be followed along live with LiveStats.
Stay Social
For more information on Islanders Softball, keep up with the team via their Facebook page (
Islanders Softball) and follow the program on Twitter (
@IslandersSball) and Instagram (
islanderssball).
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