TSU softball team relishing return to NCAA tournament

Texas Southern softball coach Worley Barker is doing all he can to prepare his players for the pitching they'll see in the College Station Regional.

That's more easily articulated than accomplished.

The scouting reports say that Texas A&M, Texas and Texas State have several pitchers between them who can throw a 65-67 mph fastball, and the Tigers' pitching machine only goes up to 60.

"We had to move the machine up," Barker said with a laugh.

"The kids were looking at me like, 'Uh, coach, are you OK, because you've got that machine a lot closer."

Eager to compete

Yes, Barker's fine - and TSU is grrrreat.

The Tigers are back in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship after securing their third SWAC tournament championship in four years with Saturday's win over defending champ Alabama State.

They open the regional against host Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The field also features Texas and Texas State, giving it four teams within three hours drive of each other.

"It's really good to have the opportunity to play programs you idealize and look up to, and want to eventually be like," Barker said. "It's exciting to go and compete against them. Our kids are looking forward to it.

"We know it's going to be a big challenge, but our kids have never run away from a challenge."

Road warriors

They embraced the challenge last week in Montgomery, Ala.

The Tigers opened the SWAC tourney with wins against Mississippi Valley State (7-2), Alabama State (3-2) and Southern (12-1), then lost to Alabama State 7-6 on Saturday to force a decisive third meeting, which they won 6-4 - in hostile territory - to clinch a spot on softball's biggest stage.

They fell 18-8 to the Hornets in last year's SWAC tourney final.

"After last year's loss, it was a long, long summer, and we couldn't wait to get back to the championship," Barker said. "Our kids played extremely well in the tournament, so I feel really good for them.

"They've really put the work in."

Texas Southern won the same way it did in the regular season – by taking two of three games from its opponent.

It won two out of three in all six regular-season SWAC series.

"We couldn't sweep anybody, but we'll take the series win every time," Barker said.

Offense picks up

Pitcher Lauren Rodriguez, who played high school ball at Jersey Village, earned SWAC tourney MVP honors.

The junior earned both wins over Alabama State.

Pitcher Jasmin Fulmore, who was named all-conference pitcher of the year, first baseman Sierra Valdez, from MacArthur, and second baseman Jocilynn Ellis also made the all-tournament team.

After struggling offensively early in the year, the Tigers hit .339 as a team in the SWAC tourney – .398 without the loss.

Ellis, the No. 9 hitter, finished the tourney 7-for-11 with nine RBIs and three runs scored, Valdez went 5-for-16 with seven RBIs and three runs, shortstop Dominique Tello, a Cypress Falls product, went 8-for-15 with five runs, and leadoff Kelsey Riley was 6-for-13 with three runs and four walks.

"We came together at the right time in order to make a run for the championship," Barker said.

Stiff tests await

Keeping it together this week will be harder – just like the pitching they'll face.

Texas A&M is No. 11 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25, Texas State boasts pitching coach Cat Osterman – the Cy Springs and Longhorns legend – and Texas blanked the Tigers 5-0 on April 19.

"We can't make simple mistakes … and we've got to swing at pitches," Barker said.

"So the gameplan is to try to compete, compete, compete, do everything we can, and at the end of seven innings, try to come out ahead."

Whatever happens, the Texas Southern softball team wins.

With an all-Texas regional, featuring the chance to see Texas and Texas A&M collide, Barker's expecting fans, coaches and travel ball teams to turn out in droves, giving the Tigers exemplary exposure, and they'll return all but one starter, with invaluable experience, for another run next year.

"If we go out and get beat 20-0, then, well, we haven't made a whole lot of strides," Barker said. "But if we go ahead and play well, or possibly win a game … then we'll feel like, 'OK, our program is continuing to improve and make the strides we're trying to make,' and that's what we're hoping to do."