Friday, April 28 | 4 p.m. MDT
Game 1: Live Stats | Watch

Saturday, April 29 | 10 a.m. MDT (DH)
Game 2: Live Stats | Watch 

Game 3: Live Stats | Watch 

 

First Pitch

The Aggies trek deep into the heart of Texas this weekend for the final road series of 2023, where they are set to play Stephen F. Austin for just the second time in program history.

The Aggies are coming off a series loss at home this past weekend to UT Arlington, dropping games one and two of the series before taking game one, 8-5 on Saturday.

On the season, SFA is 22-21, with a 10-8 mark in WAC play – good for the third best record in conference play so far. Most recently, the Lumberjacks took on Abilene Christian, where the 'Jacks dropped the three-game series after falling in games one and two before taking the 10-0 (5 inn.) on Saturday.

Lunar Launches

36 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 15th among all Division I hitters and leads the WAC in doubles per game (0.33).

Bowen's Box

Kayla Bowen has flat out dominated from the batter's box this season, especially over the last month. The fifth year Aggie has hit safely in 19 of her last 21 games and currently leads the team in nearly every hitting category: Batting average (.383), slugging percentage (.800), on-base-percentage (.452), runs batted in (32), hits (46), runs scored (35), total bases (96) and walks (13) – and is second on the squad in home runs with 12.

Bowen recently became the first player since Nikki Buttler (April 2021) to earn 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.

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 66 home runs, averaging 1.65 per game – the fifth best mark in the nation and first in the WAC.

The Aggies have hit a home run in 33 of their 40 games this season, going 19-15 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 top 50 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 16-3 record in games they record at least five runs.

However, the Aggies struggle when they fail to reach that number, tallying a record of 3-18 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 player of the year awards. Additionally, Rodolph has helped 17 players earn NFCA All-Region Team Honors.

Scouting the Texans

UT Arlington holds a 22-21 on the season, with a 10-8 record in conference action – the third best mark in the WAC. The Texans struggle away from the confines of the Tarleton Softball Complex (6-11) but boasts a solid 11-7 record a when playing at home.

Mackenzie Bennett currently paces the team in batting average, holding a .346 average heading into the weekend. Bennett also leads her team in hits (47) and doubles (10) and places second on the team in slugging percentage (.625), RBIs (33), triples (2) and home runs (8).

Gabby Garcia leads the team in home runs (15) while ranking second in the WAC in that category – just ahead of Aggies slugger Riley Carley, who comes in at third with 13 homers.

Brooke Gainous is the 'Jacks ace in the circle as she leads the team in ERA (2.96), wins (10), saves (2) and innings pitched (116.0).

History vs. Tarleton

Friday will mark just the second time these two sides have met in their history. The Aggies took the lone matchup with the 'Jacks back in February 2012, shutting