Angelina College Sets Date to Honor 2014 Softball National Champs

In Angelina College’s nearly 60-year history, there have been many outstanding performances and highlights by Roadrunner teams, but through all those years, only one team has claimed a national championship. That would be the 2014 Angelina College softball team.

This next week, that same team will celebrate the 10^th anniversary of its title with a much-anticipated reunion. The current Lady ‘Runner softball team will play host to the champs in a reunion ceremony scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday, April 20 at Lady Roadrunner Field.

The Lady 'Runners will play a doubleheader against Blinn College starting at 1 p.m., but those attending the reunion will have plenty of room and time to reminisce about one of the greatest moments in Angelina College Athletics history. Should weather force game cancellation, the ceremony honoring the 2014 team still will take place inside Shands Gymnasium.

A Look Back to the National Championship Season

Under coaches Mark and Barbi Mattson, the Lady Roadrunner softball team in 2014 featured just two sophomores on its roster. After a slow start in conference play, the team started coming together eventually earning a trip to the national tournament in St. George, Utah.

Once arriving, what transpired was legendary.

AC rallied from a 6-2 deficit to beat a ranked Southern Union College (AL) team 7-6 in extra innings. Next came another extra-inning thriller, with the Lady Roadrunners taking down Jefferson College (MO) team in a walk-off, 4-3 win in nine innings. Next would come an 8-2 win over Region XIV foe San Jacinto College, followed by a nail-biting 4-2 win over nationally ranked Central Florida College.

The Lady Roadrunners were in the national championship finals, needing one win in two tries to take the title. Central Florida didn’t make it easy, taking the first game by a 6-2 margin, setting up the winner-take-all match. AC’s ladies showed no signs of a letdown after the loss, jumping out to an 8-1 lead before taking an 8-5 win.

When the last out settled into shortstop Sage Martinez’ glove, the team didn’t really celebrate. There was a team hug in the pitching circle, but that was about it. It was as if they were as shocked as the rest of the softball world.

Prospective attendees for the reunion ceremony are asked to contact Sports Information Director Gary Stallard at gstallard@angelina.edu.