Game Seven
NM State (1-6, 0-0 WAC) vs. UTEP (7-9, 0-0 C-USA)
Wednesday, March 2 | 6 p.m. MT | NM State Softball Complex | Las Cruces, N.M.
Watch | Live Stats | NM State Game Notes

First Pitch
After a seven-day hiatus, the Aggies are back at home as they get set for the first of two meetings with Battle of I-10 rival UTEP. Despite picking up its first win of the season in the Troy Cox Classic, NM State dropped its other three matchups to sit at 1-6 on the season. This will also mark the Aggies' final home game on the schedule until they return to host Grand Canyon on March 18-19.
 
The Aggies should not be too concerned with the bumpy start as they posted the exact same record through seven games last season - a season in which they went on to win the WAC Regular Season title.
 
Where to Watch
Round one of the 2022 installment of the Battle of I-10 will available to watch on WACsports.com/watch. Fans interested in following the Aggies this season will need to create an account on WACsports.com/watch, however, it is a free service once an account is created.
 
Aggie Rundown
NM State put its first tally in the win column last weekend as they took down UT Arlington, 12-7, on Friday, Feb. 18, in the historic Troy Cox Classic. In the win over the Mavericks, the Aggies were led by senior Kayla Bowen who finished the contest 3-for-4 at the plate, including a double and three RBIs. Yazzy Avila also continued her hot start as she knocked in a run while reaching base three times via a pair of hits and a walk. Riley Carley also smacked a three-run home run as part of a seven-run fourth inning.
 
In total, the Aggies posted 26 runs across four games last week - facing the likes of Nebraska, UT Arlington and Northern Colorado.
 
 
Legend in the Dugout
Kathy Rodolph has had a remarkable career as the head coach of the Aggies. In her 19th year at the helm, Rodolph is the winningest coach in NM State with a 545-447 record. She's led the team to four WAC Tournament Championships and six WAC Regular Season Championships, including last season when the team went 14-4 in conference play. She is also a five-time WAC Coach of the Year. She has helped the Aggies capture the last eight WAC player of the year awards and back-to-back WAC Freshman of the year awards. Additionally, Rodolph has helped 17 players earn NFCA All-Regional Team honors.
 
Statistically Speaking
Kayla Bowen has been one of the Aggies' shining stars as she is hitting .500 to rank second in the WAC through the first two and half weeks of play. Bowen also ranks seventh in on-base percentage (.524) and ninth in slugging percentage (.650).
 
Ramsay Lopez and Riley Carley also rank near the top of the conference in slugging percentage as Lopez's mark of .824 is good for fourth and Carley's average of .778 is good for fifth.
 
As a team, the Aggies are slugging .456 which is good for third-best in the league while they rank fifth in both batting average (.296) and on-base percentage (.375).
 
Scouting the Miners
The Miners will carry a record of 7-9 when they make the 40-mile trip up to Las Cruces from El Paso. In its first 16 games, the Miners' victories have come over Idaho State, Abilene Christian, Creighton, Illinois State, Buffalo and North Dakota State. Five of the Miners' wins came within their first seven tilts as they opened the season 5-2 before dropping seven of their last nine.
 
At the plate, UTEP is led by sophomore Lexi Morales who is currently hitting at a clip of .349/.481/.372. Meanwhile, Kaylin Jackson has been the most dangerous hitter as she has brought in 13 runs off just 12 hits this season. Jackson also paces the Miners in home runs with two on the season, both of which came in the last three outings.
 
Aalijah Alarcon does most of the heavy lifting in the circle as she leads the Miners in innings pitched, wins, appearances, starts, strikeouts while maintaining a 3.73 earned-run-average.
 
History vs. UTEP
NM State has dominated the series since the UTEP program was created in 2004 - compiling a record of 34-8 against the Miners. The Aggies are also currently on a two-game win streak and have won nine of the last 10 matchups and 16 of the last 18. This will be the first time the two programs will share a field since 2020 as last year was the first time the Battle of I-10 went without challenge since the two first met in 2004.
 
The most recent wins have reflected the series record as the Aggies have outscored the Miners 17-1 in a pair of 5-inning run-rule victories. In fact, the last six duals have failed to reach a full seven innings, including two years ago when the Aggies were on the wrong side of an 11-3 score in a game that ended after five innings on March 19, 2019. This also marked the last time the Miners beat the Aggies.