UT Permian Basin softball kicks off conference play Friday against  No. 5 Texas A&M – Commerce in their first home series of the season.  This is the team's third attempt at playing their first home series after their originally scheduled opener was postponed against University of the Southwest due to logistical issues, and their series against Sul Ross this pas Tuesday was postponed due to weather. 

At the plate freshman Valerie Gonzalez has gotten off to a red-hot start, leading the Falcons with 10 hits through 11 games.  She also leads the team in RBI with four while being tied for the team lead in runs scored and stolen bases.  Tied with her is Alyssa Lopez who's having a resurgent start to the season.  As a sophomore Lopez hit just .159 with 14 hits, but through 11 games this season the junior leads the team with a .348 average and is second with eight hits.  Her best game came last weekend against Oklahoma Baptist going 3-4 with a double, an RBI and scoring twice. 

The Falcons had a busy weekend last week playing five games in three days in Tucson, Arizona at the 2019 Cactus Classic.  The Falcons went 1-4, pulling off a win over Fort Lewis and dropping a close one late to Oklahoma Baptist.  In the 4-3 win over Fort Lewis the Falcons scored the winning run on an error in the sixth inning.  Sloan Springfield threw 6.2 innings allowing just three runs before Abrie Castillo came in with two-on and two-out to record the save. 

Texas A&M – Commerce comes into this weekend ranked fifth in the country and 13-2 overall.  The Lions had a seven game winning streak snapped on Wednesday by Texas A&M International.  Starter Emily Otto took her first loss of the season in the first game of a doubleheader, a 7-5 defeat.  Otto leads their pitching staff with a 1.06 ERA in 53 innings.  She is 7-1 on the season in 10 appearances.  Katie Dean, 1.21 ERA and 5-0, and Alexis Velasquez, 2.10 ERA and 1-0, round out their pitching staff.  Ciera Nunez leads the team with a  .395 batting average while Bri Sims has a .361 average along with six home runs and 20 RBI.