After a 12-3 start to the season, the softball team is ranked at No. 23 in the NCAA Top 25 Division I softball rankings. 

The Shockers made history in 2021 after being ranked in the top 25 of all four major national polls for the first time in school history.

This is the first national ranking the Shockers have received this season. The ranking comes after the program went undefeated at the North Texas Invitational. They beat North Texas 8-6 and 5-3 and Northwestern State 7-1 and 5-2. 

Since the season started, a couple of players have been named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, including outfielder Lauren Lucas and shortstop Sydney McKinney. McKinney has also been named to the AAC Honor Roll and has been named NFCA Player of the Week. 

Offensively, the Shockers have scored 96 runs, 84 RBI’s and have collected 129 hits and 397 at bats. Defensively, they’ve recorded only nine fielding errors. 

Right-handed pitcher Lauren Howell has received AAC Pitcher of the Week and left-handed pitcher Alison Cooper has been named to the AAC Honor Roll. 

Howell’s ERA so far this season is 1.35 and right handed pitcher Alex Aguilar’s is 1.64. Cooper has a 3.34 ERA. The pitching staff as a whole has totaled 68 strikeouts, 74 hits and 35 runs over 12 games. 

The program will play its home opener against Western Illinois at 2:15 p.m. on Feb. 4 in Wilkins Stadium. Season tickets for softball games are sold out, but individual game tickets are still available.