(RV) Softball hosting Schreiner in home opener

The UHV softball team makes its 2025 home debut on Wednesday.

The Jaguars (2-2) will square off with NCAA Division III foe Schreiner University in a 2 p.m. doubleheader at the Victoria Youth Sports Complex.

UHV is coming off an opening weekend split at the Louisiana Christian Invitational last week. After the first weekend, the Jaguars are averaging 5.5 runs and 9.75 hits per game.

"We're still working on a couple of things, but I think we saw this team has plenty of fight in them," said head coach Lindsey Ortiz. "They battled all last weekend and that's encouraging. I'm excited to see how we build on the good we saw last week."

Kenzie Chambers, a 2024 NAIA First Team All-American, opened the season red-hot, hitting .467 with three multi-hit games, a triple, an RBI and three stolen bases. The senior utility player is now three away from setting a new career stolen base record, which is 90 and was set by Madysin Leighton last season.

Fellow senior Jordan Jones also got her senior campaign off to a strong start, hitting .400 with three RBIs, two doubles, a triple and three stolen bases.

Claire Blinka also shares the team-lead of RBIs after posting three in the opening week, including her first home run of the year. Blinka, Allison Snedeker and Kaylle Lopez each homered last week.

As a team, UHV is batting .339 entering Wednesday's doubleheader.

"I'm happy to see our depth showing in our batting order," Ortiz said. "This is a team that's capable of hitting from top to bottom. Hopefully our veterans will continue leading the way and bring some of our new faces along with them."

In the circle, Hope Quinones and Audrie Sayas notched their first wins of the season with Quinones earning the decision in the season opener against Webber International and Sayas picking up the win in the 4-3 win over Central Christian.

Wednesday will also be a reunion for Ortiz and former assistant Mac Christensen, who is now the head coach at Schreiner.

Christensen was UHV's assistant for seven seasons, helping UHV to four Red River Athletic Conference championships, the program's first-ever NAIA World Series appearance in 2021 and 186 wins during that time.

"It will be weird seeing her in the opposing dugout," Ortiz said. "But I couldn't be more excited to see her get her opportunity to lead a program. I know she will do great things for Schreiner and, after the series, I'll be rooting her on from south Texas."

UHV holds a 12-2 edge in the all-time series with the Mountaineers (0-4) after sweeping last year's doubleheader 5-1 and 17-8.