TYLER, Texas — Following a 4-0 weekend against Oklahoma Christian and Cameron, the UT Tyler Patriot softball team is looking to repeat as Lone Star Conference Regular Season Champions.
Saturday, six year senior Shannon Klaus had a great day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three RBI to lead her team to a sweep over Cameron. Earning herself this week's East Texas Professional Credit Union Player of the Week.
"I definitely give credit to the other teams pitchers," Klaus said. "They came out and they threw a really good game. Preparing that week we were able to watch a lot of film and know it was coming at us, and I think I just executed at the plate really well."
The Patriots hold the no. 1 spot in the 2022 NCAA Division II South Central Regional rankings.
"It's great to be a Patriot here at UT Tyler," Klaus said. "We're definitely a dominant team and it's awesome to be ranked but that's not something that we really focus on. Day to day we come out in practice and we work hard and we don't really pay attention to the polls."
After their 4-0 weekend, the team sits two games ahead of No. 13 Lubbock Christian for the top spot in the Lone Star Conference, and if the Patriots keep the top spot, they'll host the Lone Star Conference Championship tournament at Suddenlink field.
"Last year we won the conference in our first year in it," head coach Mike Reed said. "And that being the end was kind of sudden, and then you know, with COVID the years before kind of sudden. So this year, we had the opportunity to continue on and create more games for our seniors, so I think that was kind of everyone's focus to start the season."