Pearland softball ranked No. 2 in the state

The Pearland Lady Oilers are currently 19-2 overall and 2-0 in district while the latest poll has them as the No. 2 Class 6A team in the state.

Pearland head coach Laneigh Clark begins her 26th season at the helm of the Lady Oilers softball program and is the winningest coach in Class 6A history in Texas and began this season with a 647-224-5 record. Counting her high school record in Louisiana, Clark has more that 700 career wins.

Clark was inducted into the Texas Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame in July of 2021.

Pearland made a run to the 2022 state softball tournament but fell short when they were swept by the Deer Park Lady Deer in the Class 6A Region III finals.

The Lady Deer advanced to the 2022 state tournament with a 40-4 mark while Pearland closed out their season at 32-10. That means both teams combined for a 72-14 record in 2022.

Pearland has won two state titles in 1996 and 2010 while also advancing to state in 2009 and 2011.

The Lady Oilers appear locked in to make another run at the District 23-6A title, the Region III crown, and a chance to bring home another state championship.

The top three returning players for Pearland with the highest batting average from that team include:     Senior outfielder and Texas A&M signee Hailey Golden who slashed .625/.674/.741 with 75 hits, 24 RBI, 61 runs and 37 stolen bases.

Senior infielder Kristyn Whitlock batted .457 with 53 hits, 51 RBI, 32 runs and six home runs (team leader) and senior outfielder Kennedy Drafton hit .547 with 41 hits, 37 RBI, 31 runs and 15 stolen bases. Junior Raenna Liscano batted .377 with 40 hits, 44 RBI and 32 runs as a sophomore.

On the mound, senior Abigail Gutierrez returns after posting a 14-1 record with an .096 ERA and 119 strikeouts while Isela Flores went 12-3 with a 3.98 ERA and 64 strikeouts as a freshman.

Other players that are having strong showings this year include: senior Lydia Njus, junior Trinity Perry, senior Gabbie Roundtree, junior Avery Welch, sophomore Jordan Smith, senior Darian Deleon, and junior Kelsey Martin.