Friday, February 14
Beaumont, Texas
1:00 p.m.
Tulsa
vs
Nicholls
Golden Hurricane Softball Back in Texas; Plays Sunday at McNeese
2/13/2025 6:31:00 PM | Softball
TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa softball team returns to the Lone Star for the second consecutive weekend as the Golden Hurricane competes in the I-10 Border Classic in Beaumont before finishing the weekend with a Sunday game in Lake Charles, La.
After opening the 2025 campaign with a 3-2 record TU will face Nicholls (2-2), Missouri State (0-5), No. 6 Tennessee (5-1) and the hosts, Lamar University (3-1) on Friday and Saturday. TU will close the weekend with a matchup against the McNeese Cowgirls (3-2).
First pitch against Nicholls on Friday is set for 1:00 p.m., with the game against Missouri State scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon. No. 6 Tennessee and Tulsa have a noon start time on Saturday before TU finishes the Texas portion of the tournament with the hosts at 2:30. Sunday's game against McNeese has a noon start time and will air on ESPN+, the first streamed game of the season for the Hurricane.
The Hurricane batted .276 in the opening weekend of the season at the Bearkat Classic. Claira Skaggs came through with six hits in 11 at-bats, recording a .545 batting average to lead the team. The senior third baseman drove in two and scored twice. Freshman Annika Dill introduced herself with a team-best seven hits on her way to a .438 batting average. Dill doubled in a run in her first collegiate at-bat and homered in her first at-bat of game two. She drove in four and scored six. Senior Celeste Wood drove six runs home to pace Tulsa, doubling twice and lifting a home run over the wall as well.
In the circle, Maura Moore and Brinly Maples combined for 29.1 of Tulsa's 34 innings over the five games. Moore finished the weekend 2-1 and spread 11 hits and six runs out over her 16.2 innings while striking out 18 batters and keeping opponents to a .190 average against her. Maples allowed 11 hits in 12.2 innings with six runs, five earned, while striking out five. Maples picked up her first complete game against No. 2/1 Texas, giving Tulsa a chance in a close 4-2 loss.
Historically, Tulsa has found a lot of success against the hosts, winning all six previous meetings with Lamar. The Cardinals and Hurricane last met in 2017, a 5-4 win for TU. Lamar opened its season with three straight wins before also succumbing to Texas, 13-7. Veronica Harrison won Southland Conference Hitter of the Week for the Cardinals, recording a .545 batting average and a pair of homers.
Nicholls is another team TU has had an advantage over, winning five of six against the Colonels and five straight in the series. The teams last met in 2018 for a pair of games at North Texas, with Tulsa winning 11-3 and 9-6. Nicholls went 2-2 in its opening weekend. Colonels Riley Rutherford (.462) and Erin Krause (.400) each hit above .400 in the opening weekend.
Missouri State opened its 2025 campaign in Boca Raton, Fla. and went 0-5 on the campus of FAU. It was a tough weekend that included games against teams from the Big 12, ACC, SEC and Big 10, as well as The American's FAU. The Bears only collected two runs and hitting .138 while allowing 44 runs on .424 hitting. Kayla Ulrich was a bright spot in the lineup, hitting .467 with seven hits and a double.
No. 6 Tennessee dropped its season opener 7-1 to Nebraska, but shook it off and rattled off five straight wins at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The Lady Volunteers had seven batters hit .300 or better, three batted above .400 and two with batting averages higher than .500. Saviya Morgan played and started all six games and batted .545 with six hits, four RBI and eight runs scored. Three different Lady Vols hit multiple home runs, including Taylor Pannell, who homered twice and drove in a team-high nine runs.
McNeese began its season at the Tarleton State Texan Classic, where the Cowgirls collected wins against Bucknell twice and Marist, before falling to Tarleton State and Marist. Left Fielder Samantha Mundine led the team at the plate, batting .667 with a double, five RBIs and scored six times.
After opening the 2025 campaign with a 3-2 record TU will face Nicholls (2-2), Missouri State (0-5), No. 6 Tennessee (5-1) and the hosts, Lamar University (3-1) on Friday and Saturday. TU will close the weekend with a matchup against the McNeese Cowgirls (3-2).
First pitch against Nicholls on Friday is set for 1:00 p.m., with the game against Missouri State scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon. No. 6 Tennessee and Tulsa have a noon start time on Saturday before TU finishes the Texas portion of the tournament with the hosts at 2:30. Sunday's game against McNeese has a noon start time and will air on ESPN+, the first streamed game of the season for the Hurricane.
The Hurricane batted .276 in the opening weekend of the season at the Bearkat Classic. Claira Skaggs came through with six hits in 11 at-bats, recording a .545 batting average to lead the team. The senior third baseman drove in two and scored twice. Freshman Annika Dill introduced herself with a team-best seven hits on her way to a .438 batting average. Dill doubled in a run in her first collegiate at-bat and homered in her first at-bat of game two. She drove in four and scored six. Senior Celeste Wood drove six runs home to pace Tulsa, doubling twice and lifting a home run over the wall as well.
In the circle, Maura Moore and Brinly Maples combined for 29.1 of Tulsa's 34 innings over the five games. Moore finished the weekend 2-1 and spread 11 hits and six runs out over her 16.2 innings while striking out 18 batters and keeping opponents to a .190 average against her. Maples allowed 11 hits in 12.2 innings with six runs, five earned, while striking out five. Maples picked up her first complete game against No. 2/1 Texas, giving Tulsa a chance in a close 4-2 loss.
Historically, Tulsa has found a lot of success against the hosts, winning all six previous meetings with Lamar. The Cardinals and Hurricane last met in 2017, a 5-4 win for TU. Lamar opened its season with three straight wins before also succumbing to Texas, 13-7. Veronica Harrison won Southland Conference Hitter of the Week for the Cardinals, recording a .545 batting average and a pair of homers.
Nicholls is another team TU has had an advantage over, winning five of six against the Colonels and five straight in the series. The teams last met in 2018 for a pair of games at North Texas, with Tulsa winning 11-3 and 9-6. Nicholls went 2-2 in its opening weekend. Colonels Riley Rutherford (.462) and Erin Krause (.400) each hit above .400 in the opening weekend.
Missouri State opened its 2025 campaign in Boca Raton, Fla. and went 0-5 on the campus of FAU. It was a tough weekend that included games against teams from the Big 12, ACC, SEC and Big 10, as well as The American's FAU. The Bears only collected two runs and hitting .138 while allowing 44 runs on .424 hitting. Kayla Ulrich was a bright spot in the lineup, hitting .467 with seven hits and a double.
No. 6 Tennessee dropped its season opener 7-1 to Nebraska, but shook it off and rattled off five straight wins at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The Lady Volunteers had seven batters hit .300 or better, three batted above .400 and two with batting averages higher than .500. Saviya Morgan played and started all six games and batted .545 with six hits, four RBI and eight runs scored. Three different Lady Vols hit multiple home runs, including Taylor Pannell, who homered twice and drove in a team-high nine runs.
McNeese began its season at the Tarleton State Texan Classic, where the Cowgirls collected wins against Bucknell twice and Marist, before falling to Tarleton State and Marist. Left Fielder Samantha Mundine led the team at the plate, batting .667 with a double, five RBIs and scored six times.
Players Mentioned
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