LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The NM State Aggies (3-10) are back at The Spring Games for the third and final time this season, as they will play six games in three days at the Sleepy Hollow Complex in Leesburg, Fla. The Aggies will take on Central Michigan (9 a.m.) and North Dakota (11:30 a.m.) on Friday before facing Florida Gulf Coast (11:30 a.m.) and Middle Tennessee (2 p.m.) on Saturday. The Aggies will end the weekend with two games on Sunday against Toledo (8 a.m.) and South Dakota (1 p.m.). All six games will be streamed live on FloSoftball with a paid subscription.

Going Through the Gauntlet
The NM State Aggies are off to a rough start in the 2021 season, but have been challenged with a gauntlet of a schedule. Through 13 games, the Aggies have faced a nationally-ranked opponent in six of those games. This is the only time in program history that the Aggies will have played six games against nationally-ranked opponents in its first 13 games of the year. In 2018, the Aggies opened up the season with five ranked opponents in its first 12 games. 

Aggie Rundown
The Aggies returned its top five hitters from the 2020 season, and they have all shined so far in the 2021 season. 

Slap hitter Hailey Tanori leads the team in batting average, hits and doubles. Tanori is hitting .350 and has used her speed on the base paths to go 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts this year. Tanori is currently on a six-game hitting streak which is the longest hitting streak of her career.

Redshirt freshman Matalasi Faapito is second on the team in batting average, as she is hitting .313. She has knocked in four runs and has had one home run on the year.

Junior Kayla Bowen has been a nice surprise for the Aggies, as she is hitting .261 on the year with two doubles and three RBIs. She smacked her first home run of the year against #5 Florida

The Aggies continue to get its power from redshirt freshman Ramsay Lopez. Lopez has hit a team-leading three home runs on the year and has knocked in a team-high seven RBIs.

Redshirt senior Nikki Butler usually finds her way on base, but it may not be in the most conventional way. Butler is well on her way to break her own single-season hit-by-pitch record. Butler set the record in 2018, as she was hit 18 times, and so far in 2021, Butler has been hit eight times, which leads the NCAA. 

In the circle, Faapito leads the way for the Aggies with a 4.78 ERA. Last time out against Florida, Faapito came in to relieve Felicia De La Torre and allowed just two hits in 3.2 innings pitched.

Scouting the Chippewas
The Central Michigan Chippewas have played just three games this year and are 1-2 with a win over Northern Kentucky and two losses to Tennessee. Senior Morgan Gardner has led the Chippewas through three games hitting  .444. In the circle, Grace Lehto leads the Chippewas with a 3.77 ERA. Last season, Central Michigan finished 6-13 in the shortened season.

Scouting the Fighting Hawks
North Dakota enters The Spring Games with a 3-4 record after picking up two wins against Southern on Feb. 19. The Fighting Hawks are led by junior pitcher Jannay Jones. Jones leads the team with a 0.88 ERA and is coming off a no-hitter in her last time out against Southern. The offense has produced just 12 runs in seven games, as Jocelyn Kirk will lead the way with .333 average.

Scouting the Eagles
Florida Gulf Coast holds a 6-8 record but much like the Aggies, the Eagles have been challenged with a tough schedule. The Eagles opened the season with four games against #21 UCF and faced #15 Florida State last weekend. The Eagles are 1-5 against ranked opponents with its one win coming against UCF. The Eagles are led by Johneisha Rowe and Farley Callaghan who are hitting .297 and .294 respectively.

Scouting the Blue Raiders
The Aggies will face off against Middle Tennessee for the second time this year, as the Blue Raiders took a 3-0 win on Feb. 12 at The Spring Games. Since the win over the Aggies, Middle Tennessee is just 1-5.  They will be led by Kelci Hill who is hitting .300 for the Blue Raiders. In the circle, Amber Baldwin and Kailey Ahlstrom have been solid posting ERAs of 2.63 and 2.73 respectively

Scouting the Rockets
Toledo went 3-2 last weekend at the Black & Orange Challenge in Macon, Georgia, as they defeated Alabama A&M twice and Mercer once but dropped two games against Pittsburgh. The Rockets are led by Erin Hunt who was the MAC Pitcher of the Week this past week. In 2021, Hunt boasts a 1.59 ERA with 26 strikeouts.

Scouting the Coyotes
The South Dakota Coyotes opened up the season 1-5 on opening weekend on Feb. 11-14 but have not played a game since due to COVID issues. The Coyotes lone win has come against Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 13. The Coyotes are led by Makayla Tsagalis who is hitting .417 and has drove in three runs.

Last Time Out
The Aggies gave a spirited effort against the fifth-ranked Florida Gators but came up just short in the 6-2 loss.
NM State was one of three teams to score two or more runs against the Gators.

For updates throughout the season, follow the Aggies on Twitter (@NMStateSoftball), Instagram (@nmstatesoftball) and Facebook (NM State Softball)

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