Games 10-14
Friday, Feb. 24 | 4:30 p.m. MT
NM State vs. Nebraska | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Friday, Feb. 24 | 6:30 p.m. MT
NM State vs. Creighton | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Saturday, Feb. 25 | 11:30 a.m. MT
NM State vs. Oklahoma State | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Saturday, Feb. 25 | 2 p.m. MT
NM State vs. New Mexico | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

Sunday, Feb. 26 | 11:30 a.m. MT
NM State vs. CSU Bakersfield | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

First Pitch
After coming up with wins over both host UTSA and Texas State at the I-35 Classic last weekend, the Aggies will be riding a two-game win streak as they get set to host the Troy Cox Classic.
 
This year's installment of the premier invitational will include No. 4 Oklahoma State, a Nebraska program that was receiving top-25 votes just one week ago, NM State rival New Mexico along with a pair of solid programs in Creighton and CSU Bakersfield.
 
In total, 12 games will be played across three days at the NM State Softball Complex with the Aggies participating in two games on Friday, two games on Saturday and one game on Sunday.
 
Bowen Back at it Again
Senior Kayla Bowen entered the 2023 season as the Aggies' leading returner in RBIs after bringing in 41 runs in 2022 and she has picked up right where she left off.
 
Bowen is currently tied with Paige Knight and Devin Elam for the team lead in RBIs with six a piece. Bowen also ranks tied for first on the Aggies in hits with eight thus far.
 
Lunar Leading the Nation
With just nine games in the book, freshman Kendal Lunar is already making a big impact on the Aggie offense.
 
The Alamogordo, N.M., native is currently averaging 0.86 doubles per game to rank first among all Division I hitters. She also paces the WAC in total doubles with six through the first two weekends - a number that is also good for second in the nation.
 
Dix Will Get it Done
NM State junior pitcher Emily Dix picked up her second save of the season to help the Aggies earn a shutout win over Texas State last weekend.
 
With that performance, she now ranks seventh in the nation in total saves. In addition, her two saves equal the Aggies' team total from the entire 2022 season.
 
Power at the Plate
Once again the Aggie offense is one of the best at hitting the long ball. Thus far, the Aggies have combined to hit 13 home runs to average 1.44 home runs per game, ranking 11th in the nation.
 
Aggie Accolades
Graduate student Kayla Bowen was named to the Preseason All-WAC team as the lone representative for the Aggies. Last season, Bowen earned Second Team All-WAC honors after hitting .369 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI. She paced the team in hits (59), doubles (13), and total bases (105).
 
Covering the Bases
The Aggies return a strong core of players at the batter's box and in the circle, led by 2022 WAC 2nd Team selections Kayla Bowen and Jillian Taylor. Taylor was also named to the 2022 WAC All-Defensive Team for her efforts with the glove. On the year, Bowen hit .369 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles and 41 RBI. Taylor led the team in batting average (.376) while collecting 47 hits, seven home runs and nine doubles; she was also solid with the leather, recording 82 putouts with five assists, along with turning a pair of double plays.
 
NM State's infield looks to provide a productive season on both sides of the field, with a pair of starters coming back for another season and an impact transfer from within the conference. Jayleen Burton is coming off a sophomore season where she produced 17 hits and a trio of RBI while providing strong defense from the shortstop position. Paige Knight transferred in from the prestigious Oklahoma program ahead of the 2022 season, and made an instant impact as an Aggie, batting .284 and launching seven home runs with 25 RBI.
 
Coming in from UT Arlington, junior Jessica Carreon is looking to be a spark plug for the Crimson & White offense. Last season as a Maverick, Carreon started every game, recording 17 runs scored, seven multi-hit games, led the team in walks drawn (21) and swiped nine bases.
 
In the outfield, Gabby Aragon looks to build on a productive season that saw the now-junior from Carlsbad make 31 appearances for the Aggies, collecting nine RBI and five extra base hits, while providing 26 putouts and a pair of assists.
 
Laurali Patane and Jordin King return for the 2023 season after accounting for 72% of innings pitched, 69% of total strikeouts and 85% of the wins at NM State to lead a staff that includes junior college transfers Ana Rodriguez, Emily Dix and Aydenne Brown.
 
Behind the plate, sophomore Hannah Lindsay looks to build upon a strong freshman campaign, which saw her record the third-highest batting average on the team (.341), while crushing eight home runs and totaling 21 RBI.
 
Legend in the Dugout
Kathy Rodolph has had a remarkable career as head coach at NM State. Entering her 20th season at the helm, Rodolph is the winningest coach in NM State history with a 556-480 record. She's led the team to four WAC Tournament Championships and six WAC Regular Season Championships, the most recent coming in the 2021 season when the Aggies went 14-4 in conference play.
 
She is also a five-time WAC Coach of the Year. She has helped the Aggies capture eight WAC player of the year awards and a pair of WAC Freshman player of the year awards. Additionally, Rodolph has helped 17 players earn NFCA All-Region Team Honors.
 
Scouting the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State was picked to finish second in the Big XII behind in-state rival Oklahoma. The Cowgirls placed two student-athletes on the 2023 Big XII Preseason Team including infielder Kiley Naomi and unanimous selection Kelly Maxwell. Maxwell was named D1 Softball Player of the Week (Feb. 14) after completing a two-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against #24 Oregon and six shutout innings with eight strikeouts against Ole Miss. On the year she is 4-0 with a 0.58 ERA, pitching 24 innings and collecting 45 strikeouts to just six walks. Naomi was named the most recent Big XII Player of the Week (Feb. 21) after going 7-for-12 (.583) with four home runs and 12 RBI over five games in the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational. On the season, she is hitting .458 with 11 hits, nine runs scored and an OPS of 1.563. Currently, the Cowgirls are ranked fourth in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll with a record of 8-1.
 
History vs. Oklahoma State
The Aggies and Cowgirls have met one time prior, in 2017 at the Mary Nutter Classic. NM State fell 7-4.
 
Scouting the Lobos
The Lobos were picked eighth in the nine-team Mountain West, and are currently 3-5 on the year. Most recently, they went 1-2 at the Dr. Natalicio Memorial tournament in El Paso, Texas. Freshman Keyannah Chavez leads UNM in batting average (.476), with ten hits and a pair of RBI. Amber Linton leads the pitching staff, sporting a 2-2 record on the year with a 5.82 ERA in 21.2 innings pitched (18 earned runs, 17 strikeouts, 14 walks).
 
History vs. UNM
NM State is 27-14 against the Lobos, including a record of 8-2 over the last ten matchups. Last season, the Aggies won both games of a doubleheader in Albuquerque (12-8, 8-5) and dropped a return game in Las Cruces (13-4).
 
Scouting the Huskers
Last season the Huskers went 41-16 winning the Big Ten Tournament and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament at the Stillwater regional. This season NU is 5-5, most recently playing at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational where they went 1-4 against Oklahoma State (ranked fifth at the time), UCLA (second), Virginia Tech (eighth), Texas A&M and Arkansas (fourth). Billie Andrews leads Nebraska at the plate, hitting .400 on the season with five home runs and nine RBI over the ten games. Courtney Wallace serves as the staff's ace, pitching 32.0 innings on the year with a 4-2 record and a 2.19 ERA (23 strikeouts, 12 walks). Wallace also ranks third on the team in batting average (.333), hits (10), and total bases (11).
 
History vs. Nebraska
NM State holds a 6-12 record against NU, though the Aggies have won two of the last three matchups. At last season's Troy Cox Classic, Nebraska defeated the Crimson & White 14-4.
 
Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton was predicted to finish fifth in the nine-team Big East, and currently holds a record of 3-6 with a two-game losing streak. 2022 Big East Player of the Year Kailey Wilson returned to the Bluejays for the new season and continues where she left off, leading the team in batting average (.400), doubles (6), RBI (8) and OPS (1.396) while tied atop the leaderboard in hits (10) and home runs (2). The Bluejays' pitching staff is led by Alexis Wiggins, who paces the team with a 2-2 record and a 3.20 ERA in 19.2 innings. Creighton is led by new-hire Krista Wood, who amassed a 238-164 record at South Dakota State and earned three Summit League Coach of the Year awards.
 
History vs. Creighton
The Aggies are 6-0 all-time against the Bluejays, dating back to their first meeting in 2006. Most recently, NM State defeated Creighton 9-1 in a five-inning affair at the 2019 NM State Invitational.
 
Scouting the Roadrunners
CSU Bakersfield was picked tenth in the Big West Preseason Poll and holds a record of 2-8 on the season. Reina Castillo leads Cal State Bakersfield at the plate, hitting .320 on the year with a .730 OPS. Castillo has also spent time in the circle this season, pitching 11.0 innings and sporting a 0-3 record with a 12.09 ERA. Brianna Sanchez serves as the staffs ace, pitching 34.1 innings on the season with a 3.47 ERA, 1-2 record and 11 strikeouts to 17 walks. Daniel Sperl leads the 'Runners in his first season as head coach following a three-year stint as a Sports Information Director at CSUB.
 
History vs. CSUB
The Aggies are 21-6 all-time against CSUB, including a 9-1 record over the last ten meetings. Last time out, NM State came away with an 11-3 win in Bakersfield during the 2019 season.