MARSHALL, Texas – Having already clinched the right to host the American Southwest Conference Tournament at Taylor Field, the #2 East Texas Baptist University softball team will host their final regular season series on Thursday/Friday. It will mark the final time that ETBU will be competing against their conference rival the University of Texas Tyler.
 
This past weekend saw ETBU win another series as they took two-of-three at Hardin-Simmons University. The Tigers won the first two games of the series by scores of 8-0 and 2-1. Game one was a quick five-innings as Corley Carpenter (RBI), Emily Deramus (two RBI), and Daniella Solis (RBI) had two-hit games. Then, MacKenzie Anderson delivered two RBI in the second game with a home run. After the third game was delayed due to weather, the Tigers fell 10-8 despite Kaitlin Hunter collecting three RBI on two hits.
 
With the series win, ETBU have clinched the regular season ASC championship and will host the upcoming conference tournament. At 32-2 overall, ETBU is 23-1 in the conference. Solis has the team lead with a .422 batting average and 43 hits while Anderson (33 RBI, 11 HR), and Beatriz Lara (34 RBI) have 39 hits apiece. Lara is also unbeaten with 17 wins and an ERA of 1.39 to go with 136 strikeouts and nine shutouts.
 
This week will see the Tigers host UTT. Unlike previous years, this series will be non-conference due to UTT's transition in NCAA Division II. The Patriots are 29-2 on the season and currently riding a 14-game winning streak. For UTT, Nicole Garcia has a team-high .510 batting average and 50 hits while Victoria Gonzales has 41 RBI. The two of them also have four homers each. Colleen Bentke has won sixteen games with a team low 1.22 ERA.
 
For head coach Janae Shirley, the feeling of a rivalry coming to an end is bittersweet, but it doesn't change the mindset of the team. "UT-Tyler is a quality, talented program and our kids are going to have to play well," said Coach Shirley. "It's good! They need to play good competition and play people that will challenge them in that every out and at-bat counts. I think that's what we'll get with UT-Tyler. For us, it's been a lot of history between the two programs. It's sad to see a rivalry that won't continue because they're always big quality games. It will be the turning of the page and the start of the new chapter."
 
This week will also be senior weekend for ETBU as McKenzie Anderson and Morgan Arst will be honored for their outstanding careers. The ceremony will be on Friday before game two at 2:00 PM. The series will start this Thursday at 7:00 PM.