Games 18-21
Thursday, Mar. 9 | 4:30 p.m. MT (DH)
NM State at Fresno State
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Friday, Mar. 10 | 2:00 p.m. MT
NM State vs. CSU Bakersfield
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Saturday, Mar. 11 | 10:30 a.m. MT
NM State vs. UC Santa Barbara
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First Pitch

After hosting back-to-back tournaments at the NM State Softball Complex, the Aggies hit the road to play guest at the Bulldog Classic beginning with a double header against host Fresno State on Thursday evening.

Following a pair of bouts with the Bulldogs, the Aggies will take on CSU Bakersfield and UC Santa Barbara on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

This weekend will mark the first time that the Aggies hit the road since Jan. 19 when they took on the field at the I-35 Classic hosted by Texas State and UTSA.

Lunar Launches

Just 17 games into her freshman campaign at NM State, Kendal Lunar is making quite the impact for the Aggie offense.

The Alamogordo, N.M., native ranks third among all Division I hitters and paces the WAC with nine doubles on the season, while also ranking second in the nation in doubles per game (0.64).

Brown Sits 'Em Down

NM State junior pitcher Aydenne Brown has emerged as one of the most impactful players on the Aggies' squad this season.

On the year, Brown is dominating in the circle to the tune of a 5-2 record with a 4.04 ERA – leading the team in wins, ERA, innings pitched (42.1), strikeouts (51) and batting average against (.021).

Her 51 strikeouts and 8.4 K's per seven innings top the WAC, placing her 72nd and 77th among Division I pitchers, respectively.

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 25 home runs to average 1.47 home runs per game, ranking sixth in the nation.

After a two-home run weekend in the NM State Round Robin, Jillian Taylor now leads the Crimson & White with five home runs.

Dix Dealing In the Circle

Impact transfer Emily Dix continues to embark on an impressive first season with the Aggies, picking up her third save of the season in the win over UTEP.

Her three saves on the year rank sixth in the nation in total saves; posting more saves than the Aggies as a team during the entire 2022 season.

Last Time Out: NM State Round Robin

Across two days last weekend as the host of the NM State Round Robin, the Aggies picked up three wins, including two over I-10 rival UTEP.

Friday's pair of games was highlighted by a five-inning run-rule victory over the Miners in which the Aggies hit four home runs.

The Aggies then posted a perfect 2-0 record on Saturday, including a 6-4 that came on behalf of a walk-off home run from Jillian Taylor.

Scouting the Bulldogs

Fresno State Is 7-10 on the year, currently riding a five-game winning streak, their most recent loss coming to WAC member Seattle U. Alesia Denby drives the Bulldog offense – leading the team in runs (17), doubles (4), triples, (2), home runs (4) and RBIs (18).

In the circle, Fresno State uses three primary pitchers: Taylor Gilmore (2-2, 2.83 ERA, 26 strikeouts / 2 walks, 29.2 IP), Serayah Neiss (2-5, 4.55 ERA, 28 strikeouts / 20 walks, 32.1 IP) and Shelbi Denman (3-0, 5.03 ERA, 21 strikeouts / 14 walks, 23.2 IP). The Bulldogs rank 108th in DI scoring (4.35), 141st in batting average (.260) and 200th in earned run average (4.36).

History vs. Fresno State

NM State is 4-19 all-time against Fresno State, with no meetings between the two since the 2014 season, when the Bulldogs came away with a 6-4 win at home. The Aggies last won at the 2011 WAC Tournament, taking a 5-0 victory to send NM State to the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting the Roadrunners

CSU Bakersfield was picked tenth in the Big West Preseason Poll and holds a record of 4-17 on the season. Maya Williams leads Cal State Bakersfield at the plate, hitting .271 on the year with a .710 OPS. Brianna Sanchez serves as the staff's ace, pitching 49.2 innings on the season with a 4.79 ERA, 2-5 record and 20 strikeouts to 30 walks. As a team, CSUB ranks 279th in DI softball in runs per game (2.11), 285th in batting average (.175) and 290th in earned run average (9.11). 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. CSU Bakersfield

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. The two teams were scheduled to square off at the Troy Cox Classic two weeks ago, but the teams agreed to a weather-related cancelation.

Scouting the Gauchos

UC Santa Barbara is 10-7 on the season, most recently picking up a win over Howard at the Lancer Invite. Madelyn McNally leads the team on offense, hitting .421 with seven extra base hits – including four triples, tied for most on the squad. Camryn Snyder commands the circle for UC Santa Barbara, sporting a 4-3 record with a 3.50 ERA while racking up 16 walks and 35 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched. The Gauchos lead the country in triples per game (0.76), rank 26th in batting average (.260), tied for 54th nationally in scoring (5.35) and 135th in earned run average (3.50).

History vs. UC Santa Barbara

This will be the first meeting on the softball diamond between the Aggies and Gauchos.

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