LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State softball team heads to Las Vegas for the annual Rebel Classic where the Aggies are set to take on DePaul, Portland State, tournament host UNLV, and No. 1 Washington. NM State opens play against the Blue Demons on Thursday, March 8, at 7 p.m. MT. Fans can view Friday's and Saturday's contests on the Mountain West Network.
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BATTLING THE BEST
New Mexico State takes on the number one team in the nation in Washington at the Rebel Classic. This is the second time this season the NM State squad faces a top-ranked team as the Aggies battled the two-time defending national champions Oklahoma at the Troy Cox Classic. and fell 2-0 in the contest. At the time, Rachel Rodriguez's double and single against OU's Paige Parker accounted for two of the seven hits the pitcher had given up all season.
LAST TIME OUT
NM State went 1-3 at the Devil Classic in Tempe, Ariz., last weekend. The Aggies picked up an 11-2 run-rule victory Coastal Carolina but fell to the Chanticleers in a pair of contests while also losing to No. 16 Arizona State.
In the 11-2 victory over CCU, Kelsey Horton and Victoria Castro hit their fifth home runs of the season while Sarai Mejia hit her first homer of her collegiate career. Analise De La Roca picked up the win, pitching 4.0 innings while allowing just one run on three hits and striking out a career-high seven batters.
KNOW YOUR FOE: DEPAUL
DePaul comes to Las Vegas with a 14-5 record this season. The Blue Demons post a 1.58 team earned-run avergage. and a .264 batting average. The team went 3-2 at the I-75 Challenge last weekend, picking up wins over Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State.
Missy Zoch has tallied a team-best 1.37 ERA so far this season. The sophomore is 8-2 in the circle with six complete games, four individual shutouts, and 63 strikeouts. Offensively, Morgan Greenwood is batting .365 during her 2018 campaign. The junior has tallied 19 hits with eight being doubles.
KNOW YOUR FOE: PORTLAND STATE
Portland State enters the tournament with a 2-12 record during the team's 2018 campaign. The Vikings post a .223 batting average and an 8.17 team ERA. One of the two wins for PSU this season was a 6-5 victory over NM State at the UTEPÂ Tournament.
Individually. Riley Casper leads the Viking squad with a .348 hitting clip. Darian Lindsey and Kaela Morrow each have 10 hits this season including three homers each. Emma Detamore leads Portland State in the circle with a 4.04 ERA. She holds a 0-3 record in the circle with once complete game and six strikeouts during 2018.Â
KNOW YOUR FOE: NO. 1 WASHINGTON
No. 1 Washington sits at a perfect 23-0 this season including 13 run-rule victories. The Husky pitchers rank seventh in the nation with a 1.14 ERA while the offense sits in fourth with a .374 batting average.
Kirstyn Thomas has started all 23 games for Washington and posts a .493 hitting clip so far this season. The senior leads the team with 10 home runs and holds a 1.070 slugging percentage. In the circle, Gabbie Plain is 7-0 this season while she posts a 0.70 ERA. She has pitched three complete games and a pair of individual shutouts. Taran Alvelo follows Plain with a 0.84 ERA and an 11-0 record. The junior has appeared in 12 contests and tallied nine complete games and six individual shutouts.
KNOW YOUR FOE: UNLV
Host team UNLV holds a 14-6 record during the 2018 season. The Rebels post a .283 batting average and a 3.34 ERA as a team. The team picked up win over Western Athletic Conference opponents Utah Valley and Seattle U but fell in a close contest to NM State's Battle of I-10 rival UTEP.
Myranda Bueno leads the Rebels with a .429 hitting clip during her 12 games played this season. She has recorded 15 hits during her junior season including three doubles. In the circle, Janine Petmecky is 8-1 with 11 appearances so far this season. The senior posts a 1.21 ERA with five compete games and three shutouts.
COMING UP: HOME SWEET HOME
Following the tournament in Las Vegas, New Mexico State returns to the NM State Softball Complex to host Minnesota. The Aggies begin the three-game series on March 16 with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. MT.
