MARSHALL, Texas — It's been two weeks since East Texas Baptist University's doubleheader sweep of no. 14 Belhaven University, and the Tigers are hitting the road with two doubleheaders this weekend against Willamette University and Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. ETBU will face Willamette first on Saturday, with the first game starting at noon and the second to follow. On Sunday, the Tigers will face Southwestern starting at noon, with the second game following shortly after.
Two weeks ago, ETBU defeated 14th-ranked Belhaven in a doubleheader at home. The Tigers won 8-0 in the first game, run-ruling the Blazers in the sixth inning. In the second game, ETBU scored the only run with a home run from
Maci Shirley. Pitchers
Avery Holland and
McKenzie Jones earned the wins with two shutouts. Holland allowed no runs, three hits and only one walk, pitching all six innings in the run-ruled opener. Jones pitched a complete seven innings in the second game, allowing no runs, no walks and six hits.
Here are the game notes for this weekend's matchup.
Matchup Overview
This Saturday will be the inaugural meeting between the Willamette University Bearcats and the East Texas Baptist University Tigers. The Bearcats are coached by Paige Hall, who is in her seventh year as the head coach at Willamette. Willamette is 2-2 heading into this weekend and has scored 42 runs in only four games.
ETBU is familiar with the Southwestern Pirates, as the two teams have met 12 times in program history. The Tigers hold the edge with 10 wins, including the last nine in a row. ETBU has run-ruled the Pirates five times in series history, all ending in the fifth inning. Last season, the teams met in Marshall, with ETBU sweeping the doubleheader, 10-1 and 7-0. Southwestern is 5-3 heading into this weekend, having already faced one ASC opponent, Mary Hardin-Baylor, splitting a doubleheader with a 9-7 loss and a 7-5 win over the Crusaders.
Tigers By the Numbers
Through four games, ETBU has posted impressive numbers. Here are the Tigers by the numbers through week four:
ETBU has been hot at the plate, with a team batting average of .429 through four games. The highest single-game team average was .565, achieved in the second game of a doubleheader against Austin College. The Tigers have 91 at-bats this season, 39 hits and 26 RBI, totaling 30 runs. ETBU has hit four home runs and five doubles, while striking out only six times.
The Tigers bullpen has averaged a 0.60 ERA through four games, allowing just two runs all season, both in the opener. Through 23 1/3 innings pitched, ETBU has struck out 25 batters while allowing 14 hits, two errors and four walks.
ETBU's defense has backed its pitching staff, posting a .967 fielding percentage through four games. The defense has recorded 59 putouts on 86 chances, with 23 assists, one double play and four errors.
Stat Line Spotlight
No single player is solely responsible for the Tigers' strong start, but several standouts have made their mark early.
ETBU's offensive leaders through three weeks are
Makayla Menchue,
Katelynn Jones,
Izabella Morales and
Piper Morton.
Menchue, a junior from Hallsville, anchors the middle of the batting order. She leads the Tigers with a .625 batting average, .750 on-base percentage, eight RBIs, two home runs and 12 total bases. Menchue also tops the team with 24 putouts.
Jones leads ETBU with five runs scored and five walks, and she is tied with Morales for the team lead in stolen bases with three.
Morton and Morales share the team lead in hits with six apiece. Morales also leads the Tigers with two doubles.
ETBU's bullpen has been outstanding through four games. The Tigers' pitching leaders are
Alexis Kemp,
McKenzie Jones and
Avery Holland.
Kemp and Jones both own a 0.00 ERA. Holland leads ETBU in opposing batting average at .125, innings pitched with 11 1/3 and strikeouts with 14.
Conference Standouts
After only two weeks of play, ETBU has earned three American Southwest Conference Player of the Week Awards. In week one, the Tigers swept, with
Makayla Menchue being named Hitter of the Week and
Alexis Kemp earning Pitcher of the Week honors. In week two,
Avery Holland won Pitcher of the Week after a six-inning shutout over No. 14 Belhaven.
Holland allowed just three hits while striking out six. She retired the side in the fourth inning and recorded multiple strikeouts in both the first and sixth frames. No runner advanced past second base during her time in the circle.
Championship Standard
Under head coach
Janae Shirley, ETBU has become one of the most consistent programs in Division III. Shirley earned her 600th career win in 2025 and continues to lead the Tigers as national contenders. ETBU has hosted an NCAA regional every year since 2019, except for the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season. The Tigers have made 12 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances since 2013, winning four regional titles, two super regional titles and one national championship.
Securing the Hill
The Tigers have a perfect 66-0 regular-season home record dating to the 2023 season. Including postseason games hosted in Marshall, ETBU is 86-5 at home since 2023. Since 2021, the Tigers are 97-4 at home in the regular season.
Top of Conference
ETBU is 37-2 in conference play over the past two seasons and has not lost a series in ASC play since 2023. The Tigers have won three straight American Southwest Conference championships and earned ASC Coaching Staff of the Year the past two seasons. Last year, ETBU had 12 ASC All-Americans—six on the first team, three on the second team and three on the third team—and picked up 14 ASC Player of the Week awards.
Team 29
ETBU brings back 11 Student-Athletes from last season, including six upperclassmen. The Valor Girls also welcome some newcomers to the program, including 12 freshmen and two transfers.
Two of the Tigers' most experienced returning pitchers are
Avery Holland (29-3, 2.17 ERA, 127 strikeouts) and
McKenzie Jones (7-0, 2.79 ERA, 40 strikeouts). They have totaled more than 270 innings and 167 strikeouts.
Some offensive returners include
Izabella Morales (.408, 89 hits, 39 steals),
Katelynn Jones (.383 and 22 steals), and
Ava Rodriguez (Six home runs and 24 RBI).
Defensively, the Tigers bring back multiple players from the field who pose strong fielding percentages and contributed key putouts and assists.
Mallory Pyle returns as the only senior for the Valor Gals in 2026. Pyle has seen 184 at-bats in her three years with the program and recorded 53 runs with a .408 slugging percentage. Defensively The Utility Player has a .992 fielding percentage.
On the Air
The Tigers open against Willamette at noon Saturday, with the second game of the doubleheader to follow. On Sunday, ETBU faces host Southwestern at noon, followed by the series finale. All games will be played in Georgetown, Texas.
The Willamette games can be streamed
here, and the Southwestern games can be streamed
here.
