The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball program is only playing its second season, but the Lions are already one of the better teams in NCAA Division II.
Richie Bruister: We’re the fastest team in the country, so we’re going to steal bases, we’re going to hit home runs, we’re going to play great defense. So we’re going to do those things that make it exciting for fans to watch.
Mark Haslett: The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team is in the second season of the program’s existence. They’re not playing like a new program, though. The Lions have won seven games in a row. They’re 19 and 5 overall and have a 5 and 3 record so far in the tough Lone Star Conference, which is arguably the top softball conference in NCAA Division II.
Bruister: And so we’ve put ourselves in a really, really good situation to make post-season. We’ve got a tough schedule coming up. We’ve got West Texas coming in, who’s number one in the country right now, which last year we beat them, which knocked them out of the number one spot in the country. So we’ve got some really good teams coming in to our place, and so we’re looking forward to that challenge.
Haslett: Lions Head Coach Richie Bruister. He came to A&M-Commerce from Texas Woman’s University, where Bruister helped the Pioneers go on a very successful run.
Bruister: My last year was our best season. We had great seasons up to then, but my last year, we went all the way to the national tournament and we were ranked as high as number six in the country. We won the Lone Star Conference regular season, the tournament champions, as well as the south central region champions, which got us to the national tournament in Virginia.
Haslett: So, why would someone who came so close to a national championship switch gears and take a job that involved building a new softball program from the ground up?
Bruister: Well when you step on campus here, you see the excitement. Our campus is awesome. The movement our university is making right now, it’s the place to be. And I saw the same thing. I was just like a student that comes here to school. I want to see what you have to offer. The second thing was: can I recruit to this university. And those two things were answered immediately. When my family stepped on campus, we fell in love with it and I said we can definitely recruit here. The second part of it is a winning tradition that we bring, and I say we, my assistant coach Christina May came from West Texas A&M, and so that’s who we beat my last year at Texas Woman’s for the Lone Star Conference Championship.
Haslett: College softball is a game characterized by speed. Bruister says that his squad is fast, but that they also have a variety of talents. Various leaders and role players combining for winning results.
Bruister: You know one thing, we’ve got a well-balanced team, and I think if you’re going to be successful, you have to be well-balanced. So certainly we couldn’t name all of them, but Cherie Jackson has been huge for us. She’s second in home-runs in the conference. She’s number one in RBI’s. I told her the other day, “you’re the type of player that if you were a major league baseball player, you’re the one that gets the $140 million contract.” And so we’re fortunate that she’s on our team. Speed-wise you’ve got to look at Baylea Higgs, Magen Lynch, Ciera Nunez. These folks are just flying down the base paths. And so we’ve got 91 stolen bases already in 24 games, so they’re doing great. Our pitching staff, they’re all our number one pitchers, is the way we look at it. They pitch as a committee. Brittany Woolridge is leading them right now, with I believe seven wins and a low 2.3 ERA. So they’re really doing good. Keeping us in the ballgame. So that’s some of our standout players from all around.
Haslett: Richie Bruister, Head Coach of the A&M-Commerce Lions softball team. Next home games: March 18th and 19th against West Texas A&M. For KETR News, this is Mark Haslett.
