TO READ THE FULL PREVIEW, CLICK ON THE "TRINITY SOFTBALL vs HOWARD PAYNE AND ETBU" LINK
 
Tiger Softball has their first home games of the season as they take on Howard Payne and No. 16 East Texas Baptist.
 
The Tigers (1-1) split their season opener against Concordia University. Offensively, the Tigers mashed. They would put up 26 total hits with sophomore Hayden Del Toro (Cypress, Texas / Cy Woods) accounting for six of them. TU would also nab six extra-base hits and steal four bases. Right hander Jordan Arce (Thousand Oaks, California / Thousand Oaks) would collect her first win of the season as she went eight innings and struck out 10. Although Trinity would drop game two, there were many bright spots for this young team early in the season.
 
Preview - Home.
 
The Tigers will have their home opener with a rescheduled doubleheader against Howard Payne on Tuesday, February 13th at 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM, then they will take on the 16th-ranked East Texas Baptist on Saturday, February 17th at noon and 2:00 PM. 
 
On the Howard Payne Jackets: Howard Payne is coming off of a 15-24 season. The offense was there, as the Jackets hit .340 and hit 60 doubles. However, the Jackets struggled to get on via the walk. Howard Payne had a .379 on-base percentage and only drew 64 total walks. The Jackets lost their top three hitters from last season, all hitting above .350. All time, the Tigers are 9-4 against Howard Payne.

On the No.16 ETBU Tigers: ETBU is coming off a stellar 39-7 season and a trip to the NCAA III National Tournament. ETBU would hit to the tune of .345 average but their pitching was what carried them. The Tiger staff posted a 1.76 season ERA, gave up less than 10 home runs, and collected 156 strikeouts. East Texas Baptist's lineup is deep, with 10 players hitting over .300. ETBU is also returning its top three hitters and second-best arm. This will be a good test for the home team as ETBU is an elite squad. The Tigers in maroon are 3-17 all time against the Tigers in blue and are 3-5 at home.

Looking Ahead - Home is Where The Tigers Are
 
Trinity will stay at home for back-to-back doubleheaders against Hardin-Simmons and McMurry on February 23rd and 24th.