LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State softball travels to Albuquerque, N.M., to take on I-25 rival New Mexico on Tuesday, May 2, at 5 p.m. (MT). Fans can watch the game for free on the Mountain West Digital Network.
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WHERE IN THE WAC
New Mexico State finished conference play as the Western Athletic Conference Regular Season Co-Champions. Both NM State and Grand Canyon finished the season with 11-4 in records in conference play. The Aggies will be the number one seed when they host the WAC Tournament, which begins on May 11.
New Mexico State posts a 23-22 overall record this season. As a team, the Aggies are batting .318, which ranks 19th in the NCAA. NM State leads the WAC with 45 home runs and 58 stolen bases as a team. Rachel Rodriguez leads the league with 18 stolen bases. Kelsey Horton leads the conference in batting average (.440), slugging percentage (.837), on-base percentage (.521), total bases (118) and home runs (14). Horton's batting average ranks 19th in the nation and her slugging percentage is 13th in the country.
HORTON HEARS A BOOM
Kelsey Horton left her mark in the conference record books during the 2017 season. She set the single season record for batting average (.535) and slugging percentage (1.258) in league play. She also tied the home runs per game record (0.60), which was set by Fiana Finau in 2015.
LAST TIME OUT
NM State finished 1-2 against Grand Canyon last weekend. The Aggies fell 14-8 in the series opener but came back to win the second game, 13-5, in six innings. In the series finale, NM State was defeated by the Lopes, 13-10. Victoria Castro posted a .515 batting average and had with a double, two home runs and a grand slam in the series.
KNOW YOUR FOE: NEW MEXICO
The Lobos enter the series with a 20-23 overall record and a 6-12 record in the Mountain West. UNM was swept by San Jose State in its last series and is on a four-game losing streak. Tess McPherson leads New Mexico in the circle as she posts an 8-11 record with a 4.54 earned run average. Jasmine Casados has started all 43 games for the Lobos and is batting .412 this season. She has 13 doubles and four home runs this year.
The Aggies defeated the Lobos 8-0 at the NM State Softball Complex earlier this season. Kelsey Horton and Nikki Butler each had a home run in the five inning victory. Kayla Green recorded the win in the circle. She struck out three and did not allow a walk in the game.
COMING UP
Following game at New Mexico, NM State finished the regular season at home against FAU. The game was previously scheduled as a doubleheader but will now be a single game, beginning at 5 p.m. (MT). The regular season finale will be broadcast on Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Southwest Plus, Fox College Sports Pacific, Altitude, and ESPN3.
