The Sam Houston softball team kicked off its 2025 season this past weekend, hosting the Bearkat Classic.
This year marked the fifth edition of the tournament, and the team showed promise, finishing with a 3-2 record.
Head coach Garrett Valis was pleased with the team’s performance, calling it “a positive start” to the season.
“A lot of the things we expected to show up from a performance standpoint were evident, especially after watching our team prepare and practice,” Valis said. “It also helped identify areas where we need to improve and spend more time focusing on during practice. Overall, it was a strong start at home, and I think we’ll grow from it.”
The weekend started strong as Sam Houston defeated New Mexico 5-0 in its first game. Sophomore pitcher Amy Abke delivered an impressive performance, tossing five shutout innings. She allowed only one hit, walked four and struck out two. Fellow sophomore Abigail Young came in for two innings of relief, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one.
Offensively, the team took control early. In the third inning, Brodie Quinlan sparked the offense with a single to right-center, scoring Ella Hebel and advancing Samantha Graeter to third. Bella Perez followed with a single through the left side, and a throwing error allowed both Quinlan and Graeter to score, giving Sam Houston a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, Haleigh Carter scored on a sacrifice fly from Kristyn Whitlock, and Allie Saville’s base hit brought Carter home to put the team up 5-0.
The next game saw Sam Houston dominate Bryant University in a 13-0 win in just five innings. Freshman pitcher Tiffany Sanchez picked up her first win of the season, throwing four hitless innings with four strikeouts. Junior Makenzi Jenkins closed out the game with a perfect inning of relief.
The offense dominated, with Hallie Day and Samantha Graeter each hitting home runs during a third-inning explosion. Day hit a grand slam, bringing the team’s total to nine runs in that inning alone. Graeter added a three-run homer to push the lead to 12-0.
In game three, Sam Houston defeated Tulsa 4-1 in a tightly contested match. Sophomore Abigail Young earned the win after pitching five solid innings, allowing only one run and striking out four. Redshirt sophomore Kendall Daniel came in for two innings of relief, securing the win.
The team suffered its first loss of the tournament against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, falling 4-2. The squad struggled early, but a late rally in the fifth inning brought them within one run. Quinlan’s triple allowed Kinsey Hobbs to score, and a sacrifice fly from Ella Hebel tied the game. Despite strong pitching from Abke, Jenkins and Daniel, Sam Houston couldn’t capitalize on its late momentum and fell short.
The weekend ended with a showdown against the No. 2 ranked Texas Longhorns. Despite putting up a good fight, Sam Houston lost 8-3. Kendall Daniel took the loss after pitching just 1.2 innings, and Tiffany Sanchez threw five innings in relief. Offensively, the team didn’t get on the board until the fifth inning, when Bella Perez hit a solo homer. In the seventh, Karrlauhn Deas added a two-run shot to right field, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Longhorns.
After finishing last season with a 20-30 overall record and 8-15 in conference play, the Bearkats are looking to bounce back. The team has brought in six transfers and four freshmen to strengthen the roster after the departure of eight seniors.
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Sam Houston aims to build on the strong performances shown during the Bearkat Classic.
“We’re focusing on consistency—whether we’re spending 20 minutes in the batting cage or 10 minutes in the bullpen, we need to be consistent in that short period of time,” Valis said.
With a solid mix of returning veterans and newcomers, the team is optimistic about what the 2025 season holds.
“Our main goals are to compete for a top spot in the conference and earn a top seed in the conference tournament,” Valis said. “We also want to have a winning non-conference record and position ourselves to be playing in a regional. To achieve those goals, we’re focusing on being consistent in everything we do—our preparation, mindset, and attitude.”
