LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The NM State softball team (21-18, 6-3) looks to stay on top of the WAC standings, as they face Dixie State (18-21, 6-6) on Friday and Saturday at Karl Brooks Field in St. George, Utah. Friday's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. with game two beginning approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game. The series finale will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday. All three games will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network. 

Faapito Makes History
Matalasi Faapito sketched her name into the record books last Friday against Tarleton State, as she threw the first no-hitter by an Aggie since May 20, 2011. Faapito was the first Aggie to do so since Alex Newman. Faapito allowed just two base runners. She struck out five batters as well.

On Top of the WAC
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, NM State is currently tied at the top of the WAC standings with Seattle U. Both teams hold a 6-3 record in the conference. The Redhawks hold a 2-1 advantage against the Aggies this season. The Redhawks end the regular season with series against Tarleton State, Dixie State and Grand Canyon. The Aggies round out the season with Dixie State, Utah Valley and California Baptist. The WAC Tournament begins on May 13 in Seattle, Wash.

Late Inning Magic
The Aggies have played a staggering seven extra inning contests so far in 2021 and are 4-3 in those games. The Aggies have had three walk-off wins this season. The Aggies' most recent walk-off victory came on Apr. 2 against Grand Canyon when Maya Martinez hit a three-run home run with two outs to give the Aggies the 8-6 win. The Aggies are 12-5 in games decided by two runs or less this season.

Heating Up
Associate head coach Cat Heifner has the Aggie bats rolling in WAC play. In conference play, the Aggies are hitting .314 as a team. The Aggies have smacked 12 home runs and 50 RBIs while scoring 56 runs in nine conference games. Matalasi Faapito, Brianna Gallegos, Gabby Aragon and Nikki Butler are all hitting above .400 in conference play.

Faapito and Butler Sweep WAC Player of the Week Awards
Redshirt freshman Matalasi Faapito and redshirt senior Nikki Butler were awarded the WAC Pitcher of the Week and the WAC Hitter of the Week on Monday morning. This is the first time each individual has won either award this season. Butler and Faapito are the second Aggie duo to be honored by the WAC this season, as Felicia De La Torre and Hailey Tanori were named WAC Pitcher of the Week and WAC Hitter of the Week on Mar. 22.

Faapito was the star of the weekend in the circle, as she tossed the first Aggie no-hitter in a decade on Friday against Tarleton State. Faapito allowed just two base runners in the Aggies' 8-0 win. Faapito got the nod again on Saturday and had another solid performance in the Aggies' 13-3 win. She pitched five innings and allowed just two earned runs while striking out five Texan batters. Faapito ended the weekend 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA. She struck out 10 total batters and surrendered just one walk.

Butler had her best game of the season on Friday, as she entertained the home crowd with two home runs in game one of the weekend series. Butler hit a two-run home run in the third inning to give the Aggies a 3-0 lead. In her next at bat, Butler drove the pitch deep to left field for her first grand slam of the year. Butler hit .571 on the weekend with seven RBIs. She had an on-base percentage of .600 and a slugging percentage of 1.429.

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

Matalasi Faapito continues to have a terrific season, as she leads the conference  with a .434 batting average, 12 home runs, an .850 slugging percentage and a .507 on-base percentage. Faapito has recorded a hit in 26 out of the last 29 games.

Slap hitter Hailey Tanori continues to be one of the most consistent Aggies in the batter's box, as she has recorded a hit in 30 out of the Aggies 37 games this season. She is hitting .338 on the year with 11 RBIs. Tanori also leads the team with 12 steals.

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, she's been hit 15 times. Butler had her best weekend of the year against Tarleton State, as she hit .571 against the Texans with two home runs and seven RBIs. The 2019 WAC Player of the Year is hitting .299 with four home runs and 24 RBIs.

After a slow start to the season, Ramsay Lopez has found her groove in the batter's box in the last 13 games. Lopez has recorded a hit in 13 out of the last 16 games. Lopez is hitting .250 with eight home runs and 15 RBIs.

In the circle, the Aggies found its groove last weekend against Tarleton State, as they allowed just three runs in three games against the Texans. Faapito's no-hitter stole the show for the weekend, but Chloe Rivas was also terrific, as she threw her first career complete game shutout. On the year, Faapito has a 4.26 ERA with an 8-8 record. Rivas holds a 5-1 record in the circle with a 4.34 ERA while Felicia De La Torre leads the group with a 4.06 ERA.

Fountain of Youth
Out of the 23 players, 18 are either freshman or redshirt freshman. The Aggies have just two seniors in Keala Brown and Nikki Butler on the roster. The Aggies brought in 10 newcomers with several of them making an immediate impact for the Aggies.

The Aggies have gotten solid production from several true freshmen most notably Jayleen Burton who is hitting .303 in 33 at-bats and has emerged as the starting shortstop. Both Brianna Gallegos and Kendra Levesque each recorded their first career home runs against Tarleton State.

Scouting the Trailblazers
Dixie State comes into the weekend 18-21 overall and 6-6 in the WAC. The Trailblazers dropped its series last weekend against Utah Valley. The Trailblazers are led by sophomore standout Hannah Hughbanks. Hughbanks leads the team with a .408 batting average. She has hit five home runs and driven in 29 runs. The Trailblazers get its power from Mikaela Thomson and Meagan Anders. The two have combined for 19 home runs and 63 RBIs. In the circle, Carissa Burgess does the heavy lifting for the Trailblazers, as she has made 25 appearances this season. She posts a 12-11 record with a 4.11 ERA.

Last Time Out
The Aggies swept its first conference opponent since May 3-4, 2019, last weekend against Tarleton State. The Aggies dominated all three games by scores of 8-0, 2-0 and 13-3.

Up Next
The Aggies will conclude its home slate next weekend against Utah Valley. The teams will play a doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Friday before concluding the series at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Saturday will be senior day for the Aggies, as the Aggies will honor Nikki Butler as well as the seniors from the 2020 season. The 2020 seniors include Brandy Hernandez, Caity Szczesny, Shelby Shultes and Jeanelle Medina.

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