First Pitch
• St. Mary's travels to rival St. Edward's for a three-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday before hosting Texas A&M International on Saturday and Sunday. The Hilltoppers are 12-9 on the season and 6-6 in Lone Star Conference play, while the Dustdevils are 9-14 overall and 5-7 in league action. TAMIU hosts Texas A&M Kingsville before traveling to San Antonio.
• In the final game against Western New Mexico, junior Lauren Gonzales tied the school record with three stolen bases. She is the 10th player in school history to swipe three bags in a single game and it's the 13th time it's been done. Gonzales leads the team with 15 steals, which is tied for third in the Lone Star.
• The three pitchers on the staff with three or more starts have a combined ERA of 1.13 this season. Sophomore Jadyn Abrego hasn't allowed a run in 16.2 innings, while sophomore Madeline Bloom has eight earned runs in 43 innings and senior Catalina Cavazos has 13 in 70 innings. The entire staff has an ERA of 1.71, which is 2nd in the Lone Star and 19th in Division II.
• The Rattlers are ranked 25th in the Feb. 28 NFCA poll. StMU received 25 points and it is the third-straight week the team appears in the top-25. There are three other Lone Star teams in the national rankings and two others are receiving votes.
• Junior Mackenzie Dugi has reached base safely in the last 11 games and in 21 of the 22 this season. She also leads the team with six multi-hit games.
• StMU hitters are willing to do whatever it takes to score a run, as the Rattlers lead the nation with 16 sacrifice flies and seventh in the nation in sacrifice bunts with 23.
• Once again, the Rattlers are one of the nation's leaders in double plays. The team leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks fourth nationally with 11 double plays. The Rattlers have finished in the top 25 in the nation each of the last three years, ranking 22nd with 21 in 2022, leading the nation with 24 in 2021 and finishing second with 13 in the shortened year of 2020.
• Lauren Garcia, Jamison Holder and Reba Reyes lead the Lone Star Conference and are tied for fifth in the nation in sacrifice flies with three each, one off the nation's leaders.
• Senior Catalina Cavazos has struck out 62 batters this season, one less than opponent pitchers have struck Rattlers out in 75.2 fewer innings. She is averaging 6.20 strikeouts per game and has a 6.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2023.
• St. Mary's is currently second in the Lone Star Conference standings at 7-2, trailing only UT Tyler, which is 10-2.
