LIVE STATS | VIDEO | TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | GAME NOTES

LAREDO, Texas (May 2, 2018) – Texas A&M International University will play in its 10^thconsecutive Heartland Conference Softball Championship this weekend in San Antonio. The Dustdevils earned the four-seed after finishing the regular season 24-32 (18-12) and will face fifth-seeded Rogers State at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, at The Park at St. Mary's. The winner will move on to face St. Mary's at 4 p.m. with the loser moving into the elimination game at 6:30 p.m. 
 
Links for live stats, video and bracket for the Heartland Conference Softball Championships can be found at heartlandsports.org/Softball18. 
 
A LOOK AT THE DUSTDEVILS
The Dustdevils finished fourth for the second consecutive season punching their ticket to the conference tournament for a program-best 10^thstraight season. You might not be able to find a hotter team in the Heartland as TAMIU won eight straight conference games before dropping the final two games of the regular season to Lubbock Christian. 
 
Hitting
Maya Paul and Lindsey Smith continue to pace the Dustdevils offense combing to hit 20 doubles, six home runs and 36 RBIs. Paul, the Heartland Freshman of the Year, is hitting .327 during her first season in Laredo going 50 for 153 from the plate with a team-high 13 doubles. She also leads the team in stolen bases as she has swiped 21 bases on 22 attempts. Smith is hitting .367 in 31 games this season with seven doubles and five home runs for 17 RBIs. Her .611 slugging percentage and .418 on-base percentage are both tops on the team. Maddison Schofield, the Heartland Newcomer of the Year, has occupied the four spot in the lineup for a majority of the year and has not disappointed as the junior is hitting .306 with 10 doubles and five home runs while driving in a team-high 31 runs.  
 
Pitching
The Dustdevils have used a three pitcher system throughout the season with Melanie Lint, Delainy Thompson and Sara Caterson starting 54 of TAMIU's 56 games. Lint has a team-high 11 wins as the freshman is 11-9 in the circle with an ERA of 2.82 in 35 appearances and 16 starts. She has allowed 73 runs (55 earned) on 143 hits and 76 walks with 52 strikeouts. Thompson has been a featured piece in the Dustdevil rotation for four years as she holds program records in games started, complete games, shutouts and ERA. She needs nine more innings to become the second Dustdevil to ever throw more than 600 career innings. Caterson has gotten the game one start for a majority of the season for TAMIU and the trend could continue on Friday against Rogers State. The junior is 2-7 on the season with an ERA of 4.92 in 21 appearances and 15 starts. 
 
A LOOK AT ROGERS STATE
The Hillcats enter their first Heartland Conference Softball Championship as the fifth-seed after getting swept by Oklahoma Christian this past weekend. Previously to getting swept in the series finale, RSU had won seven straight to earn themselves a share of the regular season title heading into the final weekend of play. Andrea Vaughan was named the Heartland Coach of the Year after helping her team to the conference tournament for the first time. 
 
SEASON SERIES AGAINST RSU
The Dustdevils took the season series, 3-2, including a three-game sweep in Laredo on April 6-7. Three of the five games went to extra innings including an 11-inning instant classic where Schofield hit the walk-off home run. The junior hit .500 during the regular season against RSU with three home runs and four RBIs for a 1.063 slugging percentage. 
 
A LOOK AT ST MARY'S
The Rattlers won the Heartland Conference Regular Season Championship earning the right to host the conference tournament for the fourth consecutive season. StMU won four straight to end the regular season after losing nine of its previous 11 including seven straight in conference play. 
 
SEASON SERIES AGAINST StMU
St. Mary's took four out of five from the Dustdevils in 2018 with two of those wins coming in San Antonio. TAMIU's lone win came on March 24 when Melanie Lint held the Rattlers to three hits en route to her first career complete game shutout. The freshman is 1-0 with an ERA of 0.62 in three appearances against StMU this season allowing one run (one earned) on six hits and four walks. Brandi Giles had the best success at the plate against StMU hitting .300 in five starts while driving in one run. 
 
A LOOK AT LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN
The Lady Chaps finished the season with the highest winning percentage (.674) of any Heartland Conference team after going 31-15. They have the offensive firepower to win the conference tournament for a second straight season as they lead the conference in batting average (.293), runs scored (289), runs batted in (261), on-base percentage (.407) and slugging percentage (.484). 
 
SEASON SERIES AGAINST LCU
The Dustdevils will for some revenge if they are to meet up with the Lady Chaps in San Antonio after this past weekend. LCU won the final two games of last weekend's series in Lubbock to leapfrog TAMIU for the third seed in the tournament. Smith has enjoyed hitting against LCU with an average of .455 in three starts with two of her five hits going for extra bases. Cassie Cannon has been equally impressive with one home run and five RBIs. 
 
A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN
The Eagles finished the season on a high note winning five of their last six to move into second place in the conference standings. OC is 1-5 in neutral site games this year with the lone win coming against Pittsburg State back on Feb. 2. 
 
SEASON SERIES AGAINST OC
The Dustdevils went 3-2 against the Eagles this season including their first win in program history at Tom Heath Field. Paul hit .400 with one double and a home run while driving in three runs in five starts. Alyssa Acuna also had success against OC going 5 for 14 with one RBI. 
 
RECORD WATCH
9 –Delainy Thompson is nine innings short of becoming the second player in program history to throw over 600 career innings. The senior has thrown 591 during her four-year career over 106 appearances and program-best 93 starts.   
 
11 –With her next win in the circle this season, Melanie Lint would break the freshman record for most wins in a season. The freshman is 11-9 on the season with an ERA of 2.82 in 35 appearances and 16 starts. 
 
13 –Paul has a team-high 13 doubles which are also the sixth-most in a single season in program history. She would need six before the end of the season to tie Brenda Parnin's record of 19 set back in 2016. 
 
21 – With her next stolen base, Maya Paul will tie Taylor Vines' program record for stolen bases in a season. Vines stole 22 bases back in 2016 
 
55 – Cassie Cannon's 55 hits are the 10^thmost in a single season in program history and needs only five more to become the eighth player with 60 or more. Maddison Schofield (52) and Maya Paul (50) could also join the Top-10 with strong performances this weekend. 
 
215 –Alyssa Acuna will break the program record for most career games started in the Dustdevils second game of the Heartland Conference Championships. The La Mirada, Calif. product has started in 215 games entering the weekend and will pass Samantha Garcia (2009-11) when she takes her place at short stop on Friday afternoon. 
 
UP NEXT
The winner of the Heartland Conference Softball Championship will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.