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21 - Mackenzie Morris (St. John's)
Juan DeLeon

SB: First road trip of season takes Huskies to Whataburger Invitational for games Friday and Saturday

Revamped schedule for tournament has HCU playing four games in two days



WHATABURGER INVITATIONAL - Stephenville, Texas (hosted by Tarleton Sate)

Friday – February 14, 2025 Saturday – February 15, 2025  
Houston Christian University takes to the road for the first time in the 2025 campaign as it travels to Stephenville, Texas to take part in the Whataburger Invitational. Originally scheduled for five games over three days, the schedule has been revamped due to weather concerns and now has the Huskies playing four times, twice on Friday and twice on Saturday.
 
The Huskies started the season with a hard-luck four-game homestand. HCU lost all four outings on the opening weekend, including the final three games by one run each.
 
A 5-0 loss to St. John's started the season off on Friday morning. Freshman Leah Hammack then tossed a complete game in her first career start only to drop a 1-0 pitcher's duel with New Mexico in the second game Friday.
 
The Lobos then defeated the Huskies 3-2 in the first game on Saturday despite a solid complete-game effort from Addy Prasifka. The junior gave up no earned runs and struck out a career-high six while making her first start since 2023. In the weekend finale, HCU rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead into the seventh only to see the Warhawks come back with two runs and steal a 6-5 victory.
 
The HCU offense improved as the weekend progressed, with the Huskies getting seven hits, two for extra bases and five runs by the final outing. Chloe Foster led the club, batting .400 in three games played. Haylie Savage followed with a .273 batting average, three RBI and two doubles, which moved her into eighth all-time in that category. AB Garcia had three hits and scored three runs while Keely Castillo, making her return to the diamond after redshirting last year, collecting three hits including two of the team's four extra-base knocks on the weekend.
 
A respectable 2.75 ERA on the weekend was had by the pitching staff, which saw three rookies make their debuts in the circle, including Hammack, who pitched twice.
 
Mary-Ellen Hall returns for her 34th season in the dugout of her alma mater. HCU returns just nine players off last year's 23-27 club that advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament and also handed Hall her 900th career victory. HCU welcomed an 11-player recruiting class that features five transfers and six rookies.
 
The Whataburger Invitational will see HCU play twice each on Friday and Saturday. The Huskies will take on Akron and host Tarleton State on Friday, followed by games against South Dakota State and Austin Peay on Saturday.
 
The Huskies are 0-2 all-time against Akron with both losses coming in 2011 at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida. HCU and host Tarleton will meet for the fourth time with the Huskies holding a 2-1 lead in the series. A doubleheader sweep in Stephenville by HCU in 2022 was returned with a 5-2 Texans win in Houston in 2023.
 
The games with South Dakota State and Austin Peay represent the first-ever match-ups between the programs.
 
In addition to Live Stats, all four games of the Whataburger will be streamed free via WAC International.
 
Next up after the Whataburger is a trip to Monroe, Louisiana for the Warhawk Invitational, which will see HCU play host ULM twice, Eastern Illinois University twice and Southern University once.
 
 
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