By Austin Gwin, Sports Writer
After 14-straight victories, ACU might expect the wins to come easier. However, the Wildcats will put their record win- streak to the test this weekend against the No. 1 team in the nation, Angelo State.
ACU (30-9, 8-1) jumped a spot in the national rankings to No. 15 and remain at No. 3 in the South Central Regional rankings behind No. 1 Angelo State (31-4, 7-2) and No. 2 Southeastern Oklahoma.
Apart from boasting the No. 1 spot in Division II, the Rambelles lead the Lone Star Conference in home runs (63) and slugging percentage (.635). Freshman phenom Sandy James enters the series with a team-best .440 batting average, which ranks third in the LSC.
“We are going to try and not give her anything good to hit, and we are going to have to hope the game doesn’t come down to [James] hitting a home run to win them the game,” said head coach Chantiel Wilson.
Her offensive prowess does not stop there. On the season, James has hit 21 home runs and recorded 52 RBI. At the moment, she is riding a 16-game hitting streak, second best in Angelo State history. James isn’t the only weapon the Rambelles have to offer. ACU pitchers will need to watch out for second baseman Alix Dean and shortstop Macy Baker, who holds most of the Angelo State batting records.
The battle between the dominant ACU pitchers and Angelo State hitters will be the battle to watch this weekend. The Rambelles have scored 10 or more runs in eight of their 31 wins this season. On the other hand, ACU pitchers have held their opponents to two runs or less in 20 games this season.
“We are going to have to pitch well and outhit them to win the game,” Wilson said.
The defense for ACU and the offense for the Rambelles were also showcased in the Lone Star Conference Player of the Week awards. Sandy James received the LSC South Hitter of the Week, while ACU’s Jacque Gregoire earned LSC South Pitcher of the Week honors.
Gregoire won the award after going 3-0 in her three starts this past week. All three of the starts were complete games as she allowed just two earned runs in that stretch and held hitters to a .222 batting average. She struck out 14 hitters while improving her record to 16-4.
“Gregoire has really come through for us in a lot of tough situations,” Wilson said. “She worked really hard this summer and fall to be able to be where she is this spring.”
Joining Gregoire will be pitcher Kim Partin who is 8-1 with a 1.66 ERA and has combined with Gregoire to help spark ACU’s 14-game winning streak. Offensively, catcher Jessica Shiery leads the team with a .447 batting average and nine home runs. First baseman Katie Cornelison leads the Wildcats with 37 RBI while outfielder Brooke Whittlesey leads the team with 46 hits.
The series will begin Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. All three games will be played at Wells Field where the Wildcats hold a 12-3 record.
