Softball

Southern Miss, Texas State Matchup Spotlights Sixth Weekend of Sun Belt Softball League Play

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference softball league schedule enters the sixth weekend of play beginning Friday, April 17.

TOP OF THE LEAGUE
Despite having a nine-game win streak snapped in the midweek, Marshall has won 23 of its last 26 games dating back to Feb. 27, Marshall (32-11, 13-2 SBC) has pulled ahead for a two-game lead over second place ULM in the Sun Belt standings. The Thundering Herd lead the Sun Belt and rank No. 8 nationally in home runs (75),. while the pitching staff is third in the conference and No. 32 in the country in earned run average (2.99). In league play, the Herd leads all teams in home runs (31) and fielding percentage (.985), as the defense has committed just six errors in 15 games.
 
ALL EYES ON SAN MARCOS
Two of the league’s top teams meet in San Marcos this weekend as Texas State (29-16, 9-6 SBC) hosts Southern Miss (29-17, 10-5 SBC). Southern Miss is off to a strong start in Sun Belt play, as one of two teams tied for third place in the conference standings. Alongside first-place Marshall, the Golden Eagles are the only team to win all five of their Sun Belt series thus far, claiming two out of three against Louisiana (22-17, 5-7 SBC), App State (24-13, 4-8 SBC), Troy (24-14, 5-7 SBC), James Madison (16-20, 4-8 SBC) and Georgia Southern (19=23, 6-9). Through 15 conference games, Southern Miss leads the Sun Belt in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.407). The Golden Eagles will face a Texas State team that is coming off a midweek win over No. 3 Texas Tech. The Bobcats are fifth in the league standings and boast two of the best pitches in the league in Maddy Azua (1.91 ERA) and Emma Strood (2.02). Strood is coming off a two-win week with a save in 17.0 innings that earned her Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors. Azua pitched all seven innings in the team’s win over Texas Tech, allowing no runs and just five hits to earn her 20th win of the season.  
 
SERIES STATUSES
While Marshall and Southern Miss have won each of their first five Sun Belt series, just one team has won four of their five sets this season: ULM (29-18, 11-4 SBC). The Warhawks swept Louisiana (22-22, 5-10 SBC) App State (24-16, 4-11 SBC) and took two of three from Georgia Southern (19-23, 6-9 SBC) and South Alabama (24-18, 8-4 SBC). South Alabama and Marshall are the only teams to record multiple sweeps so far this year with two apiece.
 
MADE FOR MOON SHOTS
Three Sun Belt teams rank among the nation’s leaders in total home runs this season, as Marshall’s 75 big flies rank eighth, while Coastal Carolina’s 73 ranks 10th and App State’s 65 ranks 18th. Individually, Coastal Carolina junior first baseman Georgia Hood is tied for 7th with 19 homers, App State senior second baseman Makayla McClain’s 18 home runs are the 13th-most nationally, while Marshall sophomore third baseman Sydni Burko is tied for 26th nationally with 16.
 
RPI RUNDOWN
As of April 16, the Sun Belt Conference is one of just five conferences with 11 of its teams ranked in the top 100 of the NCAA’s Division I Softball RPI Rankings and comprises the most top 100 teams among all non-autonomy conferences. The Sun Belt is also the only non-autonomy conference with five teams listed in the top 60. Marshall leads the Sun Belt at No. 23 nationally—as the highest-ranked non-autonomy program in the country—and is followed by Texas State (31), South Alabama (45), ULM (54) and Louisiana (58) inside the top 60. App State (73), Coastal Carolina (75), Southern Miss (78), Troy (87) and Georgia Southern (95) round out the top 10 Sun Belt teams, followed closely by James Madison (100) and Georgia State (109).
 
RANKED WINS
Multiple Sun Belt teams earned wins over NFCA-ranked opponents during the first six weeks of the season. Texas State is the conference’s lone team with multiple ranked victories over No. 18 Clemson (Feb. 12), No. 15 Texas A&M (March 6) and No. 3 Texas Tech (April 15). Additionally, Coastal Carolina defeated No. 15 Arizona (Feb. 13), Georgia Southern topped No. 25 Clemson (Feb. 27) and Louisiana took down No. 13 Texas A&M (Feb. 27).
 
FUTURE CHAMPIONSHIP HOSTS
The 2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship will be hosted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and followed by James Madison University in 2027. The 2026 championship will mark the seventh time that Lamson Park – the site of the conference’s inaugural softball tournament event in 2000 – has served as the host site for the Sun Belt Conference championship. The Ragin Cajuns’ home facility previously hosted the tournament in 2000, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2018, and 2023. The 2027 event will be the first time Veterans Memorial Park hosts the Sun Belt’s tournament after the venue previously hosted seven-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournaments from 2014-2021, excluding the COVID-cancelled 2020 event. The Dukes won the tournament on their home field five times during that span.

SUN BELT SOFTBALL SERIES – WEEK 6
 
 Series   Friday  Saturday  Sunday 
 South Alabama at Marshall  5:00 p.m.  2:00 p.m.  11:00 a.m.
 James Madison at App State  5:00 p.m.  2:00 p.m.  11:00 a.m.
 ULM at Georgia State  5:00 p.m.  2:00 p.m.  11:00 a.m.
 Troy at Georgia Southern  5:00 p.m.  2:00 p.m.  11:00 a.m.
 Southern Miss at Texas State  6:00 p.m.  2:00 p.m.  12:00 p.m.
 Coastal Carolina at Louisiana  6:00 p.m.  2:00 p.m.  12:00 p.m.
 
All Times CT