LAS CRUCES, N.M. - There is no rivalry more storied in NM State Softball program history than that along I-25. The Aggies and Lobos have met 156 times over the years, with another pair set for Tuesday. New Mexico is 10-25, most recently falling in two of three to UNLV. The Crimson & White are coming off a 2-1 series win over UTEP, improving to 6-3 in CUSA play. Now, the Aggies will look to build on their 10-5 home record by taking on their rivals from Albuquerque. 

 

How to Follow

Who: New Mexico (10-25, 2-4 MWC) at NM State (16-12, 5-3 CUSA)

Where: NM State Softball Complex - Las Cruces, NM

When: Tuesday, March 26 (Game 1 at 4:00 PM)

Live Stream: ESPN+

Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com

All-Time Series Record: UNM leads 85-71

Last Meeting: NM State 2 @ UNM 8 (March 28, 2023) 

 

The Aggies welcomed UTEP over the weekend, earning a 2-1 series win. For the first time, the series against the Miners was a conference matchup, with the Aggies improving to 6-3 in CUSA play. Desirae Spearman pitched a complete game in the series finale, striking out 12 Miners and improving to 4-0. The freshman phenom is posting a season ERA of 0.23 and picked up her first CUSA Pitcher of the Week award. 

Meanwhile, UNM played its second Mountain West series of the year, welcoming UNLV to Albuquerque. The Lobos won the second matchup 2-1 in the eighth inning, but the Rebels bookended the series with victories. 

 

UNM has produced 19 runs in its past 6 outings, including just nine in its most recent series. For the season, the Lobos are averaging 3.2 runs per contest. Meanwhile, the Aggies are posting 4.43 runs per game, including an average of 5.0 since March 9. 

 

PATMON POWER

The Aggies' first-ever CUSA win in program history came on Saturday, March 9. The benchmark victory was highlighted by one of the best individual performances by an Aggie in recent history as Dezianna Patmon finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate, including a grand slam to help produce six of the Aggies' nine runs. The six-RBI day for the transfer from North Carolina A&T marked the most RBIs by an Aggie in a single game since Nikki Butler recorded a half-dozen RBIs on April 16, 2021.

 

Patmon is leading the Aggies with 30 hits and 23 RBIs this season. The junior is also second in total bases (50), home runs (5) and OPS (1.119). 

 

FRESHMAN PHENOM

Along with Patmon, freshman standout Desirae Spearman has been a shining star in the Aggie lineup. In just her first 17 games at the collegiate level, Spearman is maintaining a .458 batting average while pacing the Aggies in home runs (9), OPS (1.682), ranking second on the team in RBIs (22), third on the team in total hits (22) and first on the team in total bases (55) despite missing 11 of the Aggies' 28 games due to injury.

Additionally, the El Paso, Texas, native has been dominant in the circle. She has begun the season with a 4-0 record and 37 strikeouts while maintaining a 0.70 ERA in four appearances and 30.0 innings of work. 

 

On Feb. 16, Spearman tossed a complete game, shutout victory over Nebraska when she gave up just one hit and led the Aggies to a 3-0 win. In the series finale versus UTEP, she went another 7.0 innings, punching out 12 Miners and securing a win in her first pitching appearance in 35  days.

Currently, Spearman is posting a team-best ERA and has allowed just 18 hits and zero home runs. She also ranks second in the conference with her nine total offensive home runs despite missing nearly half of the Aggies' games due to injury.

 

FEAR NONE

Last month, the Aggies opened the annual Troy Cox Classic with a victory over Big Ten foe Nebraska to mark the program's first win over a Power Five program since the 2020 season when the Aggies defeated the same Nebraska program twice.

The following week, the Aggies added to their list of impressive early victories as they defeated (RV) Grand Canyon on Friday evening before knocking off Arizona State on Sunday morning to tally their second Power Five win of the season and first win over a Pac-12 program since 2020.

 

NEW YEAR, NEW CONFERENCE

In 2023, the Aggies finished 21-25 overall, with a 10-14 mark in WAC play. On July 1, 2023, NM State joined Conference USA, and will be a first-year member of the league in 2024. Also new to the conference are Jax State (ASUN), Liberty (ASUN) and Sam Houston (WAC). FIU, LA Tech, Middle Tennessee, UTEP and Western Kentucky are the five returning members of the conference. 

 

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

NM State Softball played its first season in 1975. Now, in 2024, the Aggies entered season No. 50, with 1,144 wins and a much loftier reputation. The program was the class of the WAC for over a decade, earning six regular-season crowns and four conference tournament championships. Softball was NM State's second women's team sport and has brought 10 championship trophies home to Las Cruces. This May, the Aggies will look to win the CUSA Tournament Championship on their home soil.

 

LEGENDARY STATUS

Entering her 21st season as the Aggies' leader, Head Coach Kathy Rodolph is already easily the winningest coach in program history. Before Rodolph, the program had not won a championship (regular-season or tournament). Under her direction, the Aggies have claimed 10 pieces of hardware, and boast a 591-517 record. Making stops at El Paso CC and Angelo State before coming to Las Cruces, Rodolph has an individual mark of 784-613 as a head coach. At NM State, she has recruited and coached 17 NFCA All-Region members and eight WAC Player of the Year winners. The Aggies have won 20 or more games in 17 seasons under Rodolph.

 

BEST OF THE BEST

In the program's first year in a new conference, two Aggies have already stood out among the league. Last month, CUSA unveiled its Preseason All-Conference Team, highlighted by Riley Carley and Kendal Lunar. The pair of seniors each put forth stellar campaigns in 2023 and will look to lead their team into new territory in 2024.

Riley Carley started all 44 games she appeared in last season, leading the team with 16 home runs and 14 walks. In her junior year, she ranked second among all Aggies in RBIs (30), batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.750) and OPS (1.012). Carley was named to the All-WAC Second Team in 2023.

As a true freshman, Kendal Lunar made quite the impression in 2023. The first-year Aggie posted six home runs and 20 RBIs with an OPS of .870. Starting 38 games in total, including each of the final 30 a season ago, Lunar is poised for a productive 2024 campaign behind the plate as a sophomore, and was selected to the CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team accordingly.

 

ON DECK

After the doubleheader against the Lobos, NM State will stay home for a weekend series with San Diego. The three-game series will open with a doubleheader on Friday, March 29, beginning at 1:00 PM MT. On Saturday, the two sides will square off a third and final time at 12:00 PM. The Aggies and Toreros will square off on ESPN+, with live statistics available on nmstatestats.com.

 

For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2024 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).

 

##NM State##