Softball receiving votes in national poll, riding 8-game win streak into pivotal weekend

The UHV softball team hit a crossroads pretty early in the year.

The Jaguars struggled at the Gulf Coast Invitational in Gulf Shores, Alabama, March 2-3, going 1-3 over the two days.

Instead of sulking, UHV (16-4, 8-0) has rattled off eight consecutive wins and is receiving votes in the second NAIA Softball Poll, announced on Wednesday. The team is one of two undefeated teams in the Red River Athletic Conference along with No. 1-ranked Our Lady of the Lake.

This comes as the Jaguars are set to host Texas A&M-Texarkana (10-12, 5-5) at 1 p.m. Friday, and RV LSU Alexandria (16-6, 7-1) at 12 p.m. Saturday, in a pair of pivotal RRAC doubleheaders.

"I think our response to Gulf Shores is a big compliment to them as a team," said UHV head coach Lindsey Ortiz, who earned her 300^th career win on Tuesday in a sweep of Texas A&M-San Antonio. "I think they had a choice in that moment to sink into that or make the adjustments we needed. They're playing very confident now and they do expect to win. I think that's always a huge part of the equation.

"The great thing is, they're still hungry and this is not enough. Nobody's satisfied with eight (wins in a row). Nobody is satisfied with receiving votes. They legitimately want more for themselves because they know it's possible."

The Jaguars are currently tied for fourth nationally in batting average (.354), a mark which has been spurred by the team hitting .355 during the winning streak.

Kenzie Chambers (.484) and Kaylle Lopez (.468) rank first and second, respectively in batting average. Lopez leads the conference and ranks third nationally in RBIs with 36 while Claire Blinka is fourth with 28.

Chambers and Madysin Leighton have stolen 24 and 22 bases, respectively, this season as UHV ranks second in the RRAC in swiped bags.

The speedy slap-hitting duo helped spark UHV's offense for two and three runs in each first inning of Tuesday's sweep in San Antonio. Leighton also tied UHV's single-game triples record with two in Game 1.

"We've talked about how we can do damage one through nine," Ortiz said. "But the numbers don't lie. Our kids at the top are doing a fantastic job. This is the first year I remember being excited to be the visiting team because we get to set the pace right away and I think that's hard for other teams to respond to."

Pitching was something Ortiz was excited about entering the 2024 campaign.

Cameron Cowan, a first team All-RRAC selection, returned for her senior year. Anyssia Mendoza ended her freshman season with a strong showing in the RRAC Semifinals. Plus, the team added transfers Hope Quinones and Eryn Sanchez.

UHV holds the second spot on the RRAC leaderboard in terms of ERA with a staff mark of 1.79.

Cowan ranks second in the conference and ninth nationally with a 0.94 ERA. The Shiner native is 10-1 in the circle this season, a mark which ranks second in the RRAC.

In her last four starts, Mendoza is a perfect 4-0 with a team-leading 0.32 ERA in that time. The sophomore from Mathis is also undefeated in conference play. Overall, her 1.89 ERA ranks fourth in the RRAC.

Add to that Quinones striking out the side for a scoreless seventh inning in an 11-2 win in Game 2 against Texas A&M-San Antonio on Tuesday.

"It's huge when you can do it on both sides of the ball," Ortiz said. "I'm so proud of Neech (Mendoza). It's so great to watch her grow out there and I think she gets better every start. I think that's also a compliment to Cowan, too, as the leader of our staff and the presence she sets. I think Neech is following in her footsteps and it's really great to see those two play off of each other. All of our kids in the bullpen are working hard right now and I feel like I could call on them in a lot of different situations.

Despite the success, the Jaguars know they'll be tested this weekend.

A&M-Texarkana handed the Generals their lone loss in conference play this season. Meanwhile LSU Alexandria is hitting at a .316 clip, which ranks third in the conference.

Last year, UHV swept LSU Alexandria but dropped both games against the Eagles.

"It's huge," Ortiz said. "We've always had good series with Texarkana. And LSUA is having a fantastic year. Now that we've kind of rebuilt since Gulf Shores, this is a second opportunity to come in and compete in high-stakes games at the level we want. All the pieces are there, it's just up to us to put it together and keep it together."

Friday's doubleheader is UHV Softball's Mentor Day where students from Hopkins Elementary School who participate in the team's mentor program will be recognized on the field before the game. Tickets can be bought here.