With the start of a new semester comes the start of the spring season. Whether it be track & field, softball, baseball or tennis, many Tigers are gearing up for their first competitions of the semester. Check out a preview of each of our spring sports teams below.
Track & Field
Tiger track & field kicked off their season on Jan. 12 with the Leonard Hilton Invitational. The Tigers were led by seniors Britney Sullivan and Nkolika Nweke. Sullivan finished in the top 10 for the long jump and triple jump, while Nweke finished 21st in the 60-meter dash. Junior Blair Walker also finished in the top 10 in the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash.
Sullivan is looking forward to finishing out her last season strong.
“It’s been a long four years and I can’t wait to see how this season goes. Hopefully, we can end things with new records and amazing memories,” Sullivan said.
Nweke is aiming to accomplish all of the goals she’s set for herself.
“I’m most looking forward to working toward the goals I set out for the year and enjoying the little moments this season because it’s my last,” Nweke said.
The men’s team will be led by senior Cody Hall, who has accumulated numerous All-America honors over the last three years. The Tigers will travel to Houston on Feb. 9 for the Howie Ryan Invitational.
Tennis
The men’s tennis team opened up their season on Jan. 26 with a matchup against St. Mary’s University, followed by a matchup against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Tigers will be led by seniors Austin Crist, Kevin Lee, Clark Rivers and Matt Tyer.
Crist, a finance, accounting and economics triple major, is looking forward to climbing the national rankings once again.
“I’m looking forward to working with the team and breaking back into the top 10,” Crist said.
Their season will continue on Feb. 10, where they travel to Walla Walla, Washington to take on the University of Redlands and Lewis & Clark College.
The women’s tennis team will open up their season on Feb. 3 with two matches against St. Mary’s University and Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Tigers have two returning seniors, Cheyenne Duncan and Marie Lutz.
Last semester, Lutz and Andrea De Leon, a junior, finished as runners-up in the doubles championships at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women’s Southwest Region Championships. Duncan placed second in the “A” singles consolation final.
Duncan has extremely high hopes for this season.
“I honestly think this is the strongest team we have had since I have been here and I think we have the potential to go really far this year. Our team is extremely close and dedicated which helps because we all have the same goals,” Duncan said.
Baseball
The Tiger baseball team returns to the diamond on Feb. 9 at University of Houston-Victoria, followed by a game against East Texas Baptist University on Feb. 16.
Although the Tigers fell short in the SCAC championship against Centenary College last season, they are ready to redeem themselves this season. The Tigers are returning several key players, including Michael Davis, Jake Martin, Rafe Chaumette and Kevin Flores, all who earned SCAC accolades last season.
“The majority of our lineup this year will be returning guys and guys who learned how to hit together,” Chaumette said. “This team battled through a lot of adversity last year and I feel like we are poised to capitalize on a great opportunity this year.”
The Tigers will open up SCAC play on Feb. 23 at Southwestern.
Softball
The softball team will kick on their season on Feb. 2 with a doubleheader against McMurry University. The Tigers are led by seniors Rebecca Berreth, Sara McCarty and Sabrina Nieto. Berreth, a captain, is looking forward to enjoying her last season with some of her best friends. As far as team strengths for the season, she thinks the team cohesiveness is going to play a huge role this season.
“From what I have seen so far, the greater strength that this years team seems to have is cohesiveness and camaraderie, both of which make for a fun and enjoyable season no matter the outcome,” Berreth said.
The Tigers open up SCAC play on March 10 at Centenary College.
