Game 35
NM State (17-17, 6-6 WAC) at Tarleton (22-21, 6-6 WAC)

Friday, April 14 | 3 p.m. MDT (DH)
Game 1: Live Stats | Watch 
Game 2: Live Stats | Watch 

Saturday, April 15 | 11 a.m. MDT
Game 3: Live Stats | Watch 

First Pitch
NM State softball continues its time in the Lone Star State, this time traveling to Stephenville, Texas as the Aggies face off with Tarleton for the final time as WAC foes.
 
After taking the series at home against Sam Houston, the Aggies played I-10 rival UTEP on Tuesday night, falling to the Miners 7-3. 
 
On the season, Tarleton is 22-21, with a 6-6 mark in WAC play. Most recently the team played a three-game series against Grand Canyon, winning the first game in Phoenix 5-2 before dropping the next two games by a combined score of 17-1.
 
Lunar Launches
34 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 6th among all Division I hitters and leads the WAC in doubles per game (0.40). Lunar also ranks 21st in the nation in total doubles (12).
 
Bowen's Box
Kayla Bowen has flat-out dominated from the batter's box over the past few weeks. The fifth-year Aggie has hit safely in 14 of her last 15 games and currently owns a seven-game hit streak dating back to March 31st against Grand Canyon.
 
Bowen has earned back-to-back WAC Hitter of the Week awards, recording 11 hits, five home runs, 12 RBIs and a pair of doubles in three-game series against Grand Canyon and Sam Houston - including a walk-off home run to take the series from GCU.
 
Bowen currently leads the team in batting average (.379), slugging percentage (.738), on-base percentage (.434), hits (39), runs scored (28) and total bases (76).
 
Power at the Plate
As is tradition at NM State, the Aggie offense is one of the best at hitting the long ball. Thus far the Aggies have combined to hit 53 home runs, averaging 1.53 per game - sixth in the nation and first in the WAC.
 
The Aggies have hit a home run in 27 of their 34 games this season, going 17-10 in games where they record at least one home run - and an 0-7 record in games they don't.
 
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 on March 5.
 
Her three saves on the year rank 26th in the nation and second in the WAC - totaling more saves than the Aggies as a team during the entire 2022 season.
 
Five Runs, More Fun
It's pretty simple; when the Aggies score runs, they win games. This season, the magic number for NM State appears to be five - After their series with Sam Houston, the Aggies sit at a 14-1 record in games they record at least five runs.
 
However, the Aggies struggle when they fail to reach that number, tallying a record of 3-16 in which they produce four runs or fewer.
 
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).
 
Most recently, Bowen was named WAC Hitter of the Week (April 10th) for the second consecutive week, following an impressive showing against Sam Houston in which she put up three home runs and eight RBIs while recording a slash line of .667/.750/1.778 in nine at-bats.
 
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 immediate 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 574-497 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 of the Year awards. Additionally, Rodolph has helped 17 players earn NFCA All-Region Team Honors.
 
Scouting the Texans
Tarleton is 22-21 on the season, with a 6-6 record in conference action. The Texans struggle away from the confines of the Tarleton Softball Complex (10-15), but boast a strong .667 winning percentage at home (12-6). 
 
Junior Katy Schaefer leads the Texans at the plate, hitting .364 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. For the week of February 20th, Schaefer was named WAC Hitter of the Week after hitting .650 with nine RBIs and three runs scored in a week that Tarleton went 7-0 (wins over Prairie View A&M, Creighton, Northern Colorado, Akron and Texas A&M Commerce).
 
Gracie Garcia serves as the staff ace for Tarleton, going 11-7 with a 3.75 ERA in 108.1 innings pitched. Her most recent outing came against Abilene Christian, pitching 3.0 innings while allowing five hits, five runs and four walks while tallying three strikeouts.
 
History vs. Tarleton
NM State is 3-0 all-time against the Texans, most recently taking a 13-3 win in a six-inning affair on April 17th, 2021.