LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Last weekend, NM State Softball returned to action with six games as part of the 2025 NM State Invitational. UC Santa Barbara, Colorado State and Kansas City all participated, with the Aggies facing each school twice. The hosts wrapped up the weekend at 4-2 after an offensive explosion from all over the lineup. This weekend, (#17) Nebraska headlines a visiting group that also includes Northern Colorado, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Montana. 
 
The Aggies will begin against the nationally-ranked Cornhuskers at 2:00 p.m., on Friday, before taking on Northern Colorado approximately 30 minutes later. Over the course of the weekend, 13 games will take place on the field, including seven NM State contests. The action will carry into Monday, when the Crimson & White will suit up for an afternoon doubleheader against Montana and former Aggie assistant Stef Ewing.
 
2025 Troy Cox Classic
Game 1: Friday (9:00 AM) - Nebraska vs. Texas A&M - CC [Nebraska Radio] [Live Stats]
Game 2: Friday (11:30 AM) - Texas A&M - Corpus Christi vs. Northern Colorado [Live Stats]
Game 3: Friday (2:00 PM) - Nebraska @ NM State [Radio] [Live Stats] [Nebraska Radio]
Game 4: Friday (5:00 PM) - Northern Colorado @ NM State [Radio]  [Live Stats]
 
Game 5: Saturday (9:00 AM) - Montana vs. Nebraska [Nebraska Radio] [Live Stats]
Game 6: Saturday (11:45 AM) - Nebraska vs. Northern Colorado [Nebraska Radio] [Live Stats]
Game 7: Saturday (2:15 PM) - Texas A&M - CC vs. Montana [Live Stats]
Game 8: Saturday (4:30 PM) - Northern Colorado @ NM State [Radio]  [Live Stats]
Game 9: Saturday (7:00 PM) - Texas A&M - CC @ NM State [Radio] [Live Stats]
 
Game 10: Sunday (9:00 AM) - Montana vs. Nebraska [Nebraska Radio]  [Live Stats]
Game 11:  Sunday (11:30 AM) - Texas A&M - CC @ NM State [Radio]  [Live Stats]


Game 12: Monday (1:00 PM) - Montana @ NM State [Radio]  [Live Stats]
Game 13: Monday (3:30 PM) - Montana @ NM State [Radio]  [Live Stats]
 
LAST TIME OUT
On Sunday, the Aggies earned a pair of wins to cap off the weekend at 4-2 overall. NM State took down Colorado State by a score of 7-4 behind a pair of home runs and a solid day in the circle from UTEP transfer Faith Aragon. The true sophomore earned her first win with the program, before Taryn Bennett did the same against Kansas City in the finale. The Hampton transfer tallied 5.0 solid innings and let her offense flex its muscle against the Roos. Nine Aggie extra-base hits were far too much for the visitors to match as the home side cruised to an 11-5 win. 
 
SUPER SLUGGERS
Over the course of Sunday, Lauren Garcia racked up 10 RBIs and three home runs, while driving in eight runs and blasting two four-baggers in game two. For the tournament, the New Mexico transfer sent four balls over the outfield fence, tied with Kendal Lunar for the team lead. The duo represent two of the 10 players in all of Division I who belted four or more home runs across the opening weekend.
 
The team ranks fifth in the nation with a slugging percentage of .706, while slotting in 12^th with a .389 batting average. The unit leads the country with 17 doubles, due in large part to 10 from incoming transfers. Garcia led the way with four individually as her exceptional week included four two-baggers.
 
THE BIGGEST BAT IN THE COUNTRY
There have been few debuts in program history that rival that of Lauren Garcia. After three seasons with New Mexico, the El Paso, Texas, native made her way back to the Borderlands. In 15 at-bats, the Montwood High School product racked up nine hits, including eight for extra bases. Four home runs and as many doubles each led the team as the redshirt sophomore tallied a whopping 25 total bases in just six games. Garcia accounted for 12 RBIs, including 10 on Sunday alone; eight of which came against Kansas City in the final game of the weekend. Her eight RBIs were also tied for the most by an Aggie in a single game in five seasons (Kayla Bowen: Feb. 23, 2020). A team-high .600 batting average was just the beginning of the El Paso native's remarkable individual marks, as three walks boosted her on-base percentage to .667. The team-high eight extra-base hits resulted in the nation's best 1.667 slugging percentage and an otherworldly 2.333 OPS. 
 
FRESH FACES
17 newcomers grace the 2025 squad, including eight true freshmen. The first-year student-athletes are comprised of one local Las Cruces product, four California natives, two Arizonans and a Texan broken into three catchers, two infielders, an outfielder, a pitcher and a utility player. 
 
Two sets of three relatives make up a majority of the transfer crop. First, the Aragons; a local trio that includes sisters Faith and Grace as well as cousin Johnna. All three Aragons hail from nearby Carlsbad, N.M., and saw action at UTEP a season ago. The former earned an All-CUSA Freshman Team selection in 2024 as a pitcher.
 
Additionally, three more sisters enter the building as Taylor, Kenzie and Payton Nicholson will don the Crimson & White in 2025. Taylor and Kenzie have each made stops at Arizona State, while Kenzie is most recently from CUSA foe Jax State. Payton spent her freshman season at Georgia State as a utility/infield player.  
 
Taryn Bennet, Lauren Garcia and Kristiana Watson round out the crop of nine additions. Bennet spent her freshman season as a pitcher at Hampton, Garcia faced the Aggies in the Battle of I-25 each of the past three seasons at New Mexico and Watson will enter as a redshirt junior with two prior stops at Power Five institutions.
 
HISTORY UNMATCHED
When NM State Softball is mentioned, one name immediately comes to mind; Kathy Rodolph. As she enters her 22^ndseason at the helm, the legendary head coach has amassed 608 wins with the Aggies; well more than half of the program's all-time total (1,140). 
 
Last season, Rodolph surpassed two career milestones, doing so in dramatic fashion both times. On April 12, the Aggies found themselves down to their final out against FIU while trailing 6-5. After a Devin Elam single knotted the affair, Riley Carley sent a missile to left-center field to walk off a series-opening win and etch Rodolph's 600^th program win into the record books. 
 
A few weeks later, on the same field, more magic ensued. In their first game of the CUSA Championship, the Aggies trailed by two runs on their home field against Jacksonville State in the bottom of the seventh inning. Two straight home runs tied the ballgame at 5-5, queueing an extra eighth inning. After two straight outs to start the inning, senior standout Jillian Taylor launched a ball over the left field fence to advance her side to the next round in thrilling fashion. The victory was extra sweet for Coach Rodolph, as it was the 800^th of her career, including stops at El Paso CC (1999-00) and Angelo State (2002-03).
 
Over her time with the Crimson & White, Rodolph has guided the squad to six WAC Regular-Season Championships, four WAC Tournament Championships and four NCAA Regional appearances. Rodolph is also a five-time WAC Coach of the Year and has had 17 players named to an NFCA All-Region team. Under Rodolph, the Aggies have captured nine of the last 10 Conference Player of the Year awards and three of the last four league Freshman of the Year Awards.
 
LEAGUE ON NOTICE
Devin Elam and Desirae Spearman each earned All-CUSA Preseason Team honors late last month. A season ago, Elam and Spearman combined for 92 hits, 23 home runs and a total of 37 extra-base hits. The pair accounted for 76 starts across 79 outings, tallying 239 at-bats. In the batter's box, the pair of outfielders recorded a net .385 batting average while reaching base on .445 of all at-bats, mashing their way to a .741 slugging percentage and a 1.186 OPS. Spearman was tied for the team lead with 43 RBIs while Elam ranked second with 36, racking up a combined 31.7% of all runs batted in for Kathy Rodolph's offense in 2024. 
 
The duo each earned First Team honors from the conference in 2024, including Spearman's two selections; one at outfielder and one at pitcher. The two lead the 2025 squad into their second year in the league. CUSA's preseason coaches' poll tabbed the Aggies as the third-highest favorite, receiving just one fewer point (82) than WKU (83). Both teams were in the final two games of last year's postseason tournament, but each fell to eventual champion Liberty, who was picked first in the poll with 99 points. The Lady Flames were awarded Preseason Player (Rachel Roupe) and Pitcher (Elena Escobar) of the Year by CUSA.
 
SCOUTING THE FIELD
Nebraska (3-2) is led by legendary Head Coach Rhonda Revelle, who already possesses 1,127 wins in her 33^rd season with the program. Jordy Bahl also made national headlines after making her return after only playing one game in 2024 due to injury. The star Oklahoma transfer not only went the distance in the season opener, but launched her career first home run at the plate in a convincing 7-1 upset of sixth-ranked Tennessee. 
 
Northern Colorado (1-3) rolls into Las Cruces fresh off a win over a CUSA foe in LA Tech. The Bears are led by third year Head Coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm, who boasts a total record of 54-52 in her time with the program. 
 
The Aggies' third opponent of the weekend will be Texas A&M – Corpus Christi (1-4). Kathleen Rodriguez steers the ship for the Islanders, with 72 wins and 76 losses to her name across four seasons. Her squad wrapped up its weekend with its own win over CUSA competition, defeating Sam Houston 4-2.


On Monday, NM State will clash twice with Montana, who enters the weekend at 1-4. Stef Ewing is in her first season in charge of the Grizzlies after coaching Cal State San Marcos for five years. Ewing was an assistant coach for Kathy Rodolph and Cat Heifner from 2016-18, helping guide the Aggies to three regular-season WAC titles and two NCAA Regionals. 
 
For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2025 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).