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The Teams:\u00a0Tarleton State Texans (31-17, 9-3 WAC) vs. North Texas Mean Green (26-21,\u00a014-7 The American)\u00a0
\nWhere:\u00a0Denton, Texas\u00a0
\nStadium:\u00a0Lovelace Stadium\u00a0
\nDay and Time:\u00a0Wednesday\u00a0at\u00a06\u00a0p.m.\u00a0
\nStreaming Platform:\u00a0ESPN+\u00a0<\/p>\n
SERIES NOTES\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tThis marks the 9th all-time meeting with North Texas dating back to April 21, 2021.\u00a0The Texans are currently 3-5 vs. the Mean Green.\u00a0
\n\tThis also marks the 4th time that the Texans have made their way to Denton. TSU is currently 0-3 at UNT.\u00a0
\n\tTarleton State won their last meeting against North Texas earlier this season 6-1.\u00a0
\n\tThe Mean Green\u00a0have\u00a0outscored the Texans 30-21 in eight meetings.\u00a0
\n\tTarleton State enters the game with a record of 31-17 (9-3 WAC) while North Texas enters with a record of 26-21 (14-7 The American).\u00a0
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\nQUICK HITS\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nTeam Comparison (Tarleton State vs. North Texas)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nSCHULTZ STRIKES AGAIN\u00a0<\/p>\n After another dominant weekend in the circle, Shelby Schultz<\/a> was named WAC Pitcher of the Week. This award marks the third weekly honor for the ace and the third consecutive week a Tarleton State pitcher has earned the honor. Schultz was previously tabbed as D1Softball’s Mid-Major Pitcher of the Week following a standout performance against Rhode Island in week seven, and WAC Pitcher of the Week for week nine after back-to-back shutouts and a flawless weekend in the circle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Schultz delivered another dominant weekend performance, going 2\u20130 with a 1.00 ERA across two appearances. She pitched two complete games, including one shutout, and totaled 14.0 innings\u2014accounting for\u00a0two-thirds of her team’s innings over the stretch. The left-handed pitcher was in complete control, allowing just two runs while tossing 12.0 scoreless innings and limiting opponents to a .212 batting average. She struck out 12 batters and issued only two walks.\u00a0<\/p>\n The sophomore has continued to be a reliable anchor in the circle for the Texans this season. Schultz leads the team with 94 strikeouts, logging 121.0 innings across 28 appearances with 20 starts, 11 complete games, 14 wins and two saves while holding opponents to a .270 batting average.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n ANOTHER TEXAN SWEEP\u00a0<\/p>\n Following a midweek win and a conference-series sweep, Braylin Pannill<\/a>\u00a0and Jaelynn Duke<\/a> each earned WAC weekly honors for week 10. A\u00a0three home\u00a0run week earned Pannill WAC Player of the Week honors, while Duke’s 0.58 ERA secured WAC Pitcher of the Week recognition. This marks the first weekly honor for both Texans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Duke delivered a dominant showing in the circle, anchoring the staff with a 0.58 ERA and a 2-0 record across two appearances. She logged 12.0 of the team’s 28.0 total innings, including an impressive outing in which she pitched all 7.0 innings. Duke allowed just one run on the week, walked only one batter, and held opponents to a .205 batting average.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pannill powered the Texans on both sides of the ball, turning in a standout week at the plate and in the field. The junior infielder hit .455 (5-for-11) with four runs scored, a double, three home runs, and eight RBI, leading the team in homers, RBI, total bases (15), and slugging percentage (1.364). She also posted a .500 on-base percentage and delivered in key moments with her power production. Defensively, Pannill was just as reliable, recording three putouts and five assists with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage across four starts at third base.\u00a0<\/p>\n HOME RUN RALLY\u00a0<\/p>\n Tarleton State Softball powered up at the plate in their series against Southern Utah, blasting five home runs across two games. In Friday’s opener, Jaelynn Duke<\/a> got things started with a solo shot in the third inning, before an explosive fifth inning saw Casey Schultz<\/a>, Isabella Bojkovic<\/a>, and Braylin Pannill<\/a> each go yard. Pannill\u00a0wasn’t\u00a0done, adding another home run in Saturday’s game three to cap off an impressive showing for the Texans.\u00a0<\/p>\n 250 KS\u202fAND\u202fCOUNTING FOR\u202fSCHULTZ\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n Shelby Schultz<\/a> struck out her 250th batter in the Texans 10-3 win over Southern Utah on April 10th. The sophomore pitched all 7.0 innings, allowing only three runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out three.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Schultz reached the 200\u00a0mark\u00a0while at the UNCG Tournament in North Carolina, where the Texans got the 8-1 win in their first all-time meeting against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on March 13th. The Temple, Texas, native finished her rookie season at Tarleton State with a total of 173 strikeouts.\u00a0<\/p>\n RECORD-SETTING DAY FOR DUKE\u00a0<\/p>\n Jaelynn Duke<\/a> tied Tarleton State’s D1 Era Individual Single-Game RBI Record in game one against ACU, recording a total of seven RBI across five innings. Duke is the fourth Texan to reach the mark following Kalyn Hill<\/a>, Georgia Capell, and Katy Schaefer. The sophomore hit her second grand slam in only four days to account for seven out of the eight RBI on the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n ON THE\u202fNATIONAL\u202fRADAR\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n Tarleton State’s bats\u00a0remain\u00a0on the national radar, with the Texans continuing to rank among the country’s leaders in multiple offensive categories. They are 24th in total hits (413, first in the WAC), 33rd in walks (184, first in the WAC), 39th in on-base percentage (.418, first in the WAC), 41st in runs (306, first in the WAC), 41st in sacrifice bunts (28, second in the WAC), 44th in RBI (273, first in the WAC), and 53rd in batting average (.323, second in the WAC). As of March 4th, the Texans were nationally ranked within the top 25 in 10 statistical categories, including 12th in the nation in hits (206) and 19th in triples (7). TSU also led the WAC in nine categories.\u00a0<\/p>\n As of Feb. 17, Tarleton State was nationally ranked top five in seven different statistical categories, including 3rd in both runs and RBI behind SEC\u00a0schools\u00a0Oklahoma and Florida. Hayden Fox<\/a>, Mikayla Wilson<\/a>, and Mariah Debose<\/a>\u00a0were each\u00a0tied for first or led the nation in different categories as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n BIG CROWD, BIG TEST\u00a0<\/p>\n Tarleton State welcomed the second-ranked team in the nation to Stephenville, battling in front of a sold-out crowd and a record-setting attendance at the Tarleton State Softball Complex as the Texans fell 12-0 to No. 2 Texas Tech. In the program’s marquee home matchup of the season, Tarleton State matched up with one of the nation’s premier arms in\u00a0NiJaree\u00a0Canady and showed resilience throughout the night, recording two hits to break up both the no-hit bid and the perfect game in front of a packed house.\u00a0<\/p>\n WIN NO. 300 FOR THE SKIPPER\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Head coach Mark Cumpian<\/a> earned his 300th victory at the helm of the Texans on Friday, March 20 against Rhode Island, where TSU defeated the Rams 11-1 in a five-inning run-rule victory. This is Cumpian’s 10th season as Tarleton State’s head coach, replacing the\u00a0winningest\u00a0coach in program history, Julie Mata, in 2017. Mata earned her 300th win in her 11th season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Cumpian earned his 275th career win on April 22,\u00a02025\u00a0vs. Prairie View A&M with a 7-2 win and earned his 250th earlier in the season with 10-2 run-rule walk-off win over Houston Christian (Feb. 14, 2025).\u00a0<\/p>\n VICKERS TABBED\u202fWAC PLAYER\u202fOF THE\u202fWEEK\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n Sophomore catcher Macie Vickers<\/a> was named WAC Player of the Week for week two, becoming the first Texan to earn a WAC weekly honor this season. Vickers started all five games during the Whataburger Invitational, catching for two and hitting as the designated for three. She averaged .438 on the weekend, tallying three runs on seven hits and driving in 10 runs in 16 at-bats, and had three extra-base hits totaling a pair of doubles and a triple. Behind the plate, Vickers did not have a single runner\u00a0attempt\u00a0to steal a base on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n WILSON\u202fAMONG\u202fELITE\u202fCOMPANY\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n Mikayla Wilson<\/a> earned a spot on Michella Chester’s Lineup of the Week for Week 1 alongside some of the nation’s best. The\u00a0freshman\u00a0from New Braunfels High School started all five games for the Texans in\u00a0right\u00a0field during\u00a0opening\u00a0weekend, kicking off her collegiate career batting .650 (13-for-20) with a team-high 11 RBI in five games. She also tallied seven runs and 16 total bases with a slugging percentage of .800. As of Feb. 8, Wilson led the Texans in five different offensive categories: at-bats (20), hits (13), RBI (11), total bases (16), and was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases.\u00a0<\/p>\n MID-MAJOR RANKING\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n Tarleton State was ranked #25 in D1Softball’s Mid-Major Rankings for week two. The Texans were the only team from the WAC to be\u00a0including\u00a0in the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n PRESEASON HONORS\u00a0<\/p>\n For the first time in program history, Tarleton State was ranked No. 1 in the WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Texans received four first place votes, ranking five points ahead of California Baptist.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following a big year and her WAC Freshman of the Year selection, Shelby Schultz<\/a> earned three more honorable titles: Preseason Co-Player of the Year, Preseason Pitcher of the Year, and Preseason All-WAC Team. She helped lead the Purple and White to their WAC Tournament appearance, pitching 8.1 innings in the title game against Grand Canyon.\u00a0<\/p>\n During her breakout season, the sophomore pitcher appeared in 33 games while starting 21. She finished the season nationally ranked 13th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.81), 21st in strikeouts per seven innings (8.4), and 30th in overall strikeouts (173), while leading the WAC in all three categories.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n WOOD RETURNS TO THE COWBOY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Following a handful of years away from Stephenville,\u00a0Nyka\u00a0Wood has made her return to Tarleton State as an assistant coach for the Texans. Wood returns to the Cowboy Capital of the World after most recently coaching at Akron from 2022-24. The former four-year standout backstop is no stranger to Cumpian’s staff as she served as a Graduate Assistant for the Texans in 2019 after wrapping up her playing career from 2015-18.\u00a0<\/p>\n BETTER TOGETHER\u00a0<\/p>\n Mark Cumpian<\/a> and Stefanie Phillips<\/a> have reached the decade mark of time spent together. The two joined forces as assistants in 2014.\u00a0They spent three seasons as assistant coaches together before Cumpian took over as head coach.\u00a0They have been together for 685 games with a record of 394-291 together. The pair reached their 650th game together in Tarleton State’s matchup against Pitt during their annual Texan Classic on Feb. 20, 2026. Game No. 2 of the doubleheader against Grambling in 2023 was the duo’s 500th game together on the Tarleton State coaching staff. The second game of Tarleton State’s sweep at UTA on April 29 was the duo’s 300th victory together on the coaching staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n CUMPIAN AMONG TARLETON STATE\u00a0ELITE\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u00a0didn’t\u00a0take long for Mark Cumpian<\/a> to climb to elite status of Tarleton Athletics coaches. With his 200th career win vs. Texas A&M Commerce on Feb. 19, 2023, Cumpian is the eighth head coach in Tarleton Athletics history (seventh with NCAA wins during the tenure) to reach the 200-win milestone. He is the fourth-fastest coach at Tarleton State to reach the milestone and the fastest among baseball or softball coaches to reach the plateau.\u00a0<\/p>\n
#00\u00a0Taylor McKean<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#1\u00a0Mikaila Gilliland<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#2\u00a0Addison Wittram<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#3\u00a0Hayden Fox<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#4\u00a0Madison Runyan<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#6\u00a0Braylin Pannill<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#10\u00a0Hannah Reed<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#11\u00a0Mikayla Wilson<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#14\u00a0Avery Pemberton<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#15\u00a0Gracie Riney<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#16\u00a0Katherine Brunner<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#18\u00a0Gisele Rayngay<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#19\u00a0Alyson Higginbotham<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#20\u00a0Alyssa Budisalovich<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#23\u00a0Jaelynn Duke<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#24\u00a0Isabella Bojkovic<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#25\u00a0Abigail Dowell<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter another dominant weekend in the circle against Utah Valley, Shelby Schultz<\/a> was named WAC Pitcher of the Week. This award marks the third weekly honor for the ace and the third consecutive week a Tarleton State pitcher has been named WAC Pitcher of the Week.\u00a0
\n\tTarleton State Softball secured another conference series sweep, defeating Utah Valley in three games (4-0, 15-1, 7-2). The Texans have now won seven straight games, their longest winning streak since opening the year with nine straight victories.\u00a0
\n\tTarleton State Softball powered up at the plate in their series against Southern Utah, blasting five home runs across two games.\u00a0
\n\tFollowing a midweek win and a conference-series sweep, Braylin Pannill<\/a>\u00a0and Jaelynn Duke<\/a> each earned WAC weekly honors for week 10. A\u00a0three home\u00a0run week earned Pannill WAC Player of the Week, while Duke’s 0.58 ERA secured WAC Pitcher of the Week recognition.\u00a0
\n\tBack-to-back shutouts and a flawless weekend in the circle earned Shelby Schultz<\/a> WAC Pitcher of the Week honors for week nine.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tJaelynn Duke<\/a> tied Tarleton State’s D1 Era Individual Single-Game RBI Record in their game against ACU on April 2nd (7 RBI) after hitting her second grand slam in only four days.\u00a0
\n\tAfter an outstanding weekend against Rhode Island, Shelby Schultz<\/a> was named D1Softball’s Mid-Major Pitcher of the Week for week seven.\u00a0
\n\tThe Texans have the second most wins across WAC programs thus far (31-17), trailing only California Baptist at 35-14.\u00a0
\n\tWhen the Texans score six runs in a game, they are 28-2 this season. When scoring five runs or fewer, they are 3-15.\u00a0
\n\tHead coach Mark Cumpian<\/a> earned his 300th victory at the helm of the Texans on March 20th against Rhode Island. This is Cumpian’s 10th season as Tarleton State’s head coach, replacing the\u00a0winningest\u00a0coach in program history, Julie Mata, in 2017. Mata earned her 300th win in her 11th season.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tTarleton State’s bats\u00a0remain\u00a0on the national radar, with the Texans continuing to rank among the country’s leaders in multiple offensive categories. They are 24th in total hits (413, first in the WAC), 33rd in walks (184, first in the WAC), 39th in on-base percentage (.418, first in the WAC), 41st in runs (306, first in the WAC), 41st in sacrifice bunts (28, second in the WAC), 44th in RBI (273, first in the WAC), and 53rd in batting average (.323, second in the WAC).\u00a0
\n\tShelby Schultz<\/a> ranks among the best in the WAC. She leads the conference in complete games (11), victories (14), and walks allowed per seven innings (1.50); is 2nd in shutouts (3), WHIP (1.29), games started (20), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.62); and is 3rd in innings pitched (121.0) and strikeouts (94).\u00a0
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\n\tBatting Average (.323 to\u00a0.304)\u00a0
\n\tSlugging Pct. (.475 to\u00a0.478)\u00a0
\n\tBB\/SO (184\/185 to\u00a0131\/155)\u00a0
\n\tOn-Base Pct. (.417 to\u00a0.379)\u00a0
\n\tSB-Att\u00a0(22-25 to\u00a024-33)\u00a0
\n\tHR (37 to\u00a045)\u00a0
\n\t2B (68 to\u00a071)\u00a0
\n\t3B (8 to\u00a08)\u00a0
\n\tRuns (306 to\u00a0267)\u00a0
\n\tERA (4.68 to\u00a05.16)\u00a0
\n\tWHIP (1.74\u00a0to\u00a01.78)\u00a0
\n\tOpp. Batting Avg. (.301 to\u00a0.307)\u00a0
\n\tSO\/BB (192\/145 to\u00a0190\/155)\u00a0
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\nLET’S GET PERSONAL\u00a0\u00a0
\nAll of the Tarleton State players have\u00a0great stories\u00a0and unique things about them — here are some of the most notable…\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tLoves to run and read \u2014 favorite genre is romance\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tMajoring in biomedicine \u2013 wants to be a Physician’s Assistant\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tChose Tarleton State because of the traditions, rooted in the backstory \u2013\u00a0didn’t\u00a0know about TSU before being recruited\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tHer best friend is\u00a0Mikayla Wilson<\/a>,\u00a0didn’t\u00a0know each other before Tarleton State\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLikes to read, liked\u202fto watch documentaries, especially serial killer ones\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tStephenville reminds her of home, as\u00a0it’s\u00a0about the same size of home, a cowboy town\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tShe likes to\u00a0rides\u00a0horses\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tHer uncle, Craig Smith, played shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tIs an avid Fortnite player\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLikes\u00a0shopping and watching a good Netflix show.\u00a0Likes\u00a0crime shows the most.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tBakes a little bit, makes a great cream cheese pound cake\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tEnjoys baking, has a famous chocolate chip cookie recipe\u202f\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tFishes in the\u00a0summer time\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tIs Greek\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLoves watching TV shows with her family, like White LOTUS, The Office, cartel shows\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tOne reason she chose Tarleton State is\u00a0it’s\u00a0close to her family, so they can come to the games\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tHer plan postgrad is to become a registered dietician after getting her master’s degree\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tTransferred to Tarleton State to live closer to her family and\u00a0is able to\u00a0hang out with them more\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLoves watching movies, has started cooking a lot more \u2013 loves watching comedy movies, any Adam Sandler movie especially. Her favorite Adam Sandler movie is Grown Ups\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tIs a\u00a0first generation\u00a0Tarleton State attendee, the first in her family to attend college and the first to play college softball (of course)\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes to go to the beach a lot\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tShe’s\u00a0a cleaner\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes to play Fortnite\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tReally likes Jessie Murph\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tShe’s\u00a0a dog mom, Willow Grace, a golden Aussie Doodle\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tIs the aunt of three (two nieces, one nephew)\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes to rope whenever\u00a0she’s\u00a0bored\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes to shop, go on walks\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLoves watching shows, the Summer I Turned Pretty, mystery shows, Netflix surfs\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLoves coffee, drinks a lot of it\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tChose TSU \u2013 a lot of her family went to Tarleton State, although she is the first athlete\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tWill pursue her MBA \u2013 wants to do something in marketing, might start a business with sister in marketing postgrad \u2013\u00a0possibly social\u00a0media management\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLikes to go on runs \u2013 has a dog, a Frenchie, Rufus\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tChose TSU because it felt like home, girls were really welcoming, has the\u00a0small town\u00a0field\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tInvolved with FCA at TSU\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLoves watching shows, favorite show is One Tree Hill\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tHer Great-great-great grandfather invented Coca Cola, John Pemberton\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLikes to take her dog, Cash, a corgi, on walks and play frisbee, got him in May\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes to watch tv series with her roommates,\u00a0Molly Cochran<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 just finished Stranger Things, likes Landman\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tIs Native American, Osage Tribe on her mom’s side\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tChose TSU because close to home and loves the family aspect and traditions \u2013 always wanted to know she wanted to come, and on visit, knew she had to come\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLikes hunting and fishing when not playing softball\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes lifting and going to the gym\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tInvolved with FCA\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLikes to do nails and likes to bleach dye hoodies, likes to craft a lot\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes her dogs and playing with her brothers, has two dogs, loves her grandma\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tChose TSU because close to home and likes the environment\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tPlan postgrad, wants to become a sports physical therapist and have her own business\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLikes to line dance\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tWatches Teen Wolf\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tHas changed major three times, now business\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tHas a\u00a02 year old\u00a0puppy, Owen\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tIs\u00a0really good\u00a0at Fortnite and baking \u2013 banana bread and corn bread\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tChose TSU because of the town and area, community\u00a0\u00a0
<\/p>\n
\n\tIs a great Fortnite player\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tHas a dog, Beaux,\u00a0doxie, long hair Dotson\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tReally likes Jessie Murph\u00a0\u00a0
<\/p>\n
\n\tLikes to go to the gym, wants to go law school, wants to be a sports lawyer postgrad\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLikes to cook or watch The Office\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tChose TSU, is big on family,\u00a0family oriented\u00a0ran program, close to home \u2013 parents\u00a0are able to\u00a0come to most games\u00a0\u00a0
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\n\tLoves to sew, likes to hang out with friends or her brother at home, family\u00a0time\u00a0and spending time at the church\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tSews things on sweatshirts\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tPlan\u00a0postgrad is to go to school radiology,\u00a0will\u00a0need to go to\u00a02-year course.\u00a0\u00a0
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