AUSTIN, Texas – After having their season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic last season, the Concordia Texas softball team is eager to return to the field once again, opening their 2021 season on Saturday in a doubleheader against Austin College.

The Tornados will enter the latest season with a mixture of returners as well as new faces to the program highlighted by seniors Ashley Hallmark and Simone Langland, as well as Texas Women's transfer Bailey Tisdale, who all three were named American Southwest Conference Preseason Players to Watch.

Second year head coach Jeff Staton believes this team is just scratching the surface of their potential.

"This year's team is the deepest most talented group position by position we have had in my time here at Concordia," said Staton. "We are still in the process of changing the culture to a tougher, more aggressive team that hates to lose more than we love to win. How well that change goes will determine our fate much more than the talent and depth. So far we are liking what we have seen and we feel very comfortable navigating the unknown of COVID and this season with this group of amazing girls."

After missing out on the conference tournament in 2019 and having their season canceled last season, CTX is hungry to return to the ASC Tournament and compete for a championship.

In the ASC's Preseason Poll, which has now moved to a two-division format, the Tornados were selected to finish fifth in west division after receiving 47 points.

Concordia Texas will play a full schedule this season, opening against the Roos of Austin College at home on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m., before traveling down to Houston for a matchup against St. Thomas (TX) on Feb. 13.

The Tornados will also have a couple of early season challenges in the month of February, facing off against No. 2 Texas Lutheran on Feb. 17 and then opening conference play against No. 1 East Texas Baptist in Marshall, Texas on Feb. 26-27.

In March, CTX will play ASC East opponents LeTourneau and Ozarks as well as non-conference games against Centenary and Trinity.

The back half of the season will decide the ASC West as the Tornados play all five west division opponents in the month of April and the beginning of May, concluding the regular season on the road with a three-game series against ASC Preseason West Division pick Mary Hardin-Baylor on April 30-May 1.

Concordia Texas will play a full schedule this season, but due to the unprecedented year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Staton and his program understand the circumstances at play and have stayed resilient and determined on the task at hand.

"We preach daily to focus only on things we can control because focusing on things we can't control, is a waste of time and energy," Staton said. "I'm sure there are a million excuses and complaints that can go under the COVID umbrella but we would rather spend our time thanking God for allowing us to be on the field at all. So if we hit a spot during the season in which we find ourselves with only nine players, we will play anyone, anywhere and be thankful for the opportunity."
 
On the field, the Tornados will have a variety of weapons to utilize at the plate, led by Hallmark, who was an on-base machine last year.

She finished last season second on the team in batting, hits, total bases as well as accumulating a team-best 11 walks. Hallmark made the most of her time on the base paths, recording 22 steals in 17 games, finishing the year second in the nation and two shy of the program's single-season school record.

Maddy Ellison and Anissa Garcia will also be a pair of bats the Tornados will rely on.

Ellison batted .286 last season with seven RBIs, six walks and a home run in 28 at-bats, while Garcia, who is in her fourth year with the program, hit .280 with six runs scored and a team-high nine RBIs.

In the circle, CTX will have a multitude of arms, featuring returners Heather Casiano and Langland..

Casiano, a 2019 All-ASC Honorable Mention, was a reliable arm out of the bullpen, tossing 11.2 innings and recording a pair of saves last season.

Langland, meanwhile, will look to return to form in her senior season. The Cypress, Texas native was an All-ASC Honorable Mention back in 2018 after a 63-strikeout season that included a no-hitter. Last year, she made 11 appearances, including six starts, posting a 2-2 record and tossed two complete games.

The Tornados will look to return to their winning ways in 2021 and Staton knows they have an opportunity for success.

"We expect to get better every day and if we do, we will have a great shot at going deep in our conference tournament," Staton said.