The Trinity Tigers head into spring break with two home doubleheaders against Howard Payne University and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU).
 
The Tigers (8-2) picked up 2 wins against Hanover College and 1 win over Willamette University this past weekend. Angela Baltzell (Antioch, Calif. / Freedom) went 4/4 with 4 RBI against Hanover, continuing to add to her collection of 15 RBI this season. Ella Whitacre (Roanoke, Texas / Byron Nelson) picked up 5 hits on the weekend, and used her speed to score 4 times. Freshman Samantha Melendez (Pasco, Wash. / Chiawana) earned her first career hit, a 2 run double to the left-center wall. Hannah Flores (San Antonio, Texas / Taft) earned 2 hits against Hanover, one of which being a bases clearing, 3 run triple which turned into an in-the-park homerun on an error. In the circle, Josephine Koelewyn (Reno, Nev. / Academy for Arts Careers and Technology) and Cameron Bishop (Austin, Texas / Austin) threw a combined no-hitter against Hanover College. 
 
Preview - Spring Break Matchups
 
The Tigers kick off spring break with a home doubleheader against Howard Payne University on Saturday, March 7 at 12 PM and 2 PM, and close the break at home against Washington-St. Louis University on Friday, March 13 at 11 AM and 1 PM.
 
On the Howard Payne University Yellow Jackets: The Yellow Jackets (2-8) are off to a slow start to the 2026 season. Howard Payne's offense is led by freshman Graciela Quiroz who is batting .500 with 10 hits on the season. Senior Makayla Fuentes also stands out with a .450 average and 3 doubles on the season so far. The Yellow Jackets' pitching staff has struggled so far, with a combined ERA of 6.06. The Tigers will likely see senior Alyssa Silva in the circle, as she has had 7 appearances so far this year. 
 
On the WashU Bears: So far, the Bears (6-0) are off to a very strong start offensively, with a team average of .410. Freshman Emmy May is making a statement early in her career, hitting .545 with 3 doubles. The Bears lineup currently has 4 more players hitting .500 or above, and will definitely apply pressure to the Tigers' defense. In the circle, WashU has proved to have a strong pitching staff with a combined ERA of 1.75 in the past 6 games. Junior Maria Brooks leads the staff with 14 strikeouts, while freshman Jessi Szafoni leads in ERA at 1.43 in over 14 innings pitched. 
 
Key to the Series:
 
When facing the HPU Yellow Jackets, the Tigers should capitalize on a struggling pitching staff by being aggressive at the plate and piling on runs each inning. Against the WashU Bears, the Tigers will have to take a more strategic approach, getting runners on base, moving them over in sacrifice situations, and aiming to chip away each inning. On defense, the Tigers should expect a lot of action from the Bears' lineup, and should focus on taking every opportunity to get early outs. 
On the Horizon
 
Once spring break comes to a close, the Tigers will face Tufts University on Tuesday, March 17.