TUCSON, Ariz. – NM State Softball is set to hit the road for the second time in the past few days as a bout with the nation's 13^th-ranked team awaits on Tuesday. Arizona will host the Aggies for a doubleheader in Tucson, with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. MST. The Crimson & White have a pair of opportunities to add ranked victories to their résumé after doing so already against then-No. 25 Liberty earlier this month.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Who: NM State (22-22, 9-12 CUSA) at #13 Arizona (37-9, 14-7 Big 12)
Where: Hillenbrand Stadium– Tucson, Ariz.
When: Tuesday, April 22 (3:00 and 5:00 p.m. MST/local) [4:00 and 6:00 p.m. MDT] 
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Record vs. Arizona: 9-75
Under Kathy Rodolph: 2-32
All-Time Record in Tucson: 5-51
Last Meeting: Arizona 11 @ NM State 3 [6] – April 9, 2024 (Las Cruces, N.M.)
Current Streak: Arizona, 22 wins (since April 9, 2013)
 
LAST TIME OUT
NM State visited Western Kentucky for a three-game set on the road over the weekend. The home side picked up its first sweep of 2025, holding the Crimson & White to just six runs over the series. Three Aggies combined for a team four-home run weekend, but just one run was scored outside of the long ball as the offense stalled elsewhere. Over the 19 innings, NM State tallied just 14 hits and a .212 batting average en route to suffering its second sweep of the year and its eighth loss in the past nine games. 
 
AGGIES ACROSS AMERICA
NM State is in the midst of a grueling 11-day stretch of the season, consisting of eight games and just three at home. After an upset win over No. 25 Liberty, the Aggies faced a shortened week as they trekked 1,414 miles to WKU for a series from Thursday to Saturday. Following 11 bus rides covering 248 miles and four flights totaling 2,500-plus miles, the squad returned home to Las Cruces around midnight on Saturday night. 
 
After an off day on Easter Sunday, the group hit the road once more on Monday morning, gearing up for the 280-mile trek to Hillenbrand Stadium as the road trip covered its third time zone and fifth state in a 48-hour span. NM State will head back home immediately following Tuesday's doubleheader, with a scheduled arrival in the early hours of Wednesday morning ahead of a Friday-Sunday series and Senior Weekend against Middle Tennessee.
 
WATSON AND THE WILDCATS
Uttering the name Laura Espinoza-Watson stirs strong memories within Hillenbrand Stadium. The two-time national champion wrapped up a legendary career with a record-breaking 1995 campaign that still awes the softball world to this day. The shortstop was a remarkable cleanup hitter, belting 37 home runs in her final spring with the program. 30 years later, her 128 RBIs and 232 total bases still hold as the most by a Division I player in a single season. Among the many greats to ever don the Arizona uniform, none have ever tallied more home runs in a career than Espinoza-Watson (85).
 
Kristiana Watson, the daughter of the Wildcat legend, made her NM State debut earlier this season. After beginning her collegiate career at Arizona State and Duke, the first baseman carried on the tradition of wearing her mother's number (30) with the Crimson & White. Watson is the lone Aggie to start every game this season, making 41 appearances at first base and three as the designated player. With 12 home runs, 14 doubles and an OPS of 1.091, the Duke transfer has jolted Kathy Rodolph's offense as the squad has posted a collective .308 batting average in 2025. 
 
Kristiana's brother, David, is a former football player at Arizona and a graduate assistant with NM State this season. He has coached third base nearly all season, and at 6-foot-6, the former offensive lineman is hard to miss when the Aggie bats hit the field. 
 
TWO GONE FROM TUCSON
Riley Carley and Kristiana Watson each call The Old Pueblo home. The duo made connections well before playing at NM State together as they played on the same club softball team in Tucson. After Watson made two stops at Power Four institutions (Arizona State and Duke), she teamed up with her childhood friend ahead of Carley's sixth and final season with the Crimson & White. 
 
This season, the pair has combined for 75 hits, 59 RBIs, 14 home runs and 23 walks. Fellow Aggie Violet Redondo was also raised in Tucson, but the true freshman has missed all of 2025 as she recovers from a torn ACL.
 
SHE DOES IT ALL…
Heading into April, Desirae Spearman was named as the third-best two-way player in the country by Softball America. The true sophomore was not only last year's CUSA Freshman of the Year, but her remarkable campaign as a pitcher and outfielder won her Player of the Year honors in the league as well. 
 
This season, Spearman has delivered just as well in the circle. Despite missing three games this season, she still ranks second on the team in innings pitched (91.0) behind only Faith Aragon (107.2) for the team lead. The El Paso native still paces the Aggies in both strikeouts thrown (89) and ERA (3.69). In 17 starts, the two-way star has amassed nine victories, placing her in a tie for seventh among all CUSA pitchers in 2025. 
 
At the plate, the second-year Aggie has staked a clear claim as the best hitter in CUSA, ranking among the nation's top 12 in six different offensive categories. She paces the conference in home runs (17), walks drawn (42), slugging percentage (1.010), on-base percentage (.607) and OPS (1.617) despite ranking 61^st in at-bats (105).
 
SUPER SLUGGERS
Just 11 players in all of Division I have more home runs than Spearman (17). The sophomore's prowess as a long ball threat has granted her 42 walks drawn this season; a mark that places her well atop the conference and tied for fifth in the nation. The second-year Aggie is on pace (46.61) to surpass her own mark of 43 RBIs that led last year's squad. However, Spearman is far from alone in an Aggie lineup that has been daunting for opposing pitchers in 2025. 
 
The team ranks 40^th in the nation with a slugging percentage of .512, while ranking third in CUSA with a .308 batting average. The unit is slotted within the top 50 nationally in doubles (67) and home runs (56), with just under half of its 362 base knocks (170) courtesy of seven incoming transfers. 
 
Five Aggies rank among the conference's top 50 in hits, due in large part to two newcomers; Kristiana Watson (51) and Faith Aragon (34). The former sits at second in the conference with 43 RBIs, only behind Preseason Player of the Year Rachel Roupe. Watson, having appeared in all 44 games thus far, is on track to tally 50.82 RBIs during the regular season.
 
ALL OR NOTHING
Over their past seven outings, NM State has posted 12 runs for an average of 1.71 per night. Of the last 11 Aggies to cross the plate, all but two have come via a home run. During the seven-game sample size, the Crimson & White offense has produced a .248 overall batting average, but that number dips to .211 when excluding the six home runs. 
 
The Aggies' offensive woes have produced eight losses in their last nine contests, turning what was a promising 8-4 start to CUSA play into a 9-12 mark. The slide has the squad on the outside looking in at the six-team league tournament field, needing a solid showing in the last two weeks of the regular season to make a trip back to WKU Softball Complex for a postseason appearance.
 
AGGIES OF THE WEEK
NM State added some hardware on March 31, courtesy of Faith Aragon. The sophomore standout was named CUSA Pitcher of the Week after tossing two complete games against Sam Houston as the Crimson & White swept the Bearkats. Across 13 scoreless innings, first-year Aggie allowed just six hits and one walk while striking out 15 batters, including a career-high nine on Saturday. Aragon picked up her second career honor after earning the same distinction once with UTEP a season ago.
 
Last month, Devin Elam returned from an eight-game injury absence and made an immediate impact that earned her CUSA Co-Hitter of the Week honors. The 2024 All-CUSA First Team selection posted a .600 batting average as she racked up six hits in three outings against Jax State, leading the offense to another series win. With a walk, two doubles and a home run, Elam notched 11 total bases and a 1.736 OPS. For the week, the California native tallied seven RBIs to pace an NM State offense that scored 26 runs in a 3-1 week that began with a rivalry win over New Mexico. 
 
After the opening week of the season, Lauren Garcia earned similar recognition. The UNM transfer posted a team-high .600 batting average, boosted by three walks for an on-base percentage of .667. Her squad-best eight extra-base hits resulted in a then-nation's best 1.667 slugging percentage and an otherworldly 2.333 OPS. Conference USA recognized the remarkable weekend by tabbing Garcia as the first CUSA Player of the Week for 2025. 
 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Arizona is under the direction of Caitlin Lowe, who holds a 142-74-1 record in her four seasons with the program. The Wildcats are out to a 37-9 start in 2025, holding a 14-7 record in Big 12 play that currently has the squad in sole possession of second place. Over the weekend, they dropped two of three contests at home against No. 14 Texas Tech. 
 
On the field, the Wildcats are led by Regan Shockey, who headlines the offense with a .402 batting average and 16 stolen bases. The pitching staff is centered around two options – Devyn Netz and Miranda Stoddard – both of whom possess an ERA below 2.50. Netz, who also paces the squad with 15 home runs, easily leads the Wildcats in innings pitched (113.1) and earlier this spring became the first player in Division I history to throw a perfect game and hit a home run in the same outing. Stoddard has a team-best ERA of just 2.04 in 2025, flexing a perfect 9-0 record with one save.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Aggies and Wildcats have met 84 times in history, with Arizona holding a 75-9 record. In Tucson, the home side has an advantage of 51-5, with the last such contest coming on March 15, 2023. Arizona has won each of the past 22 meetings, dating back to NM State's last win in the series on April 9, 2013.
 
LAST SEASON'S MATCHUP
Arizona visited the NM State Softball Complex on April 9, 2024, taking both contests. The visiting Wildcats won each in six innings, prevailing by a two-game combined score of 28-11. Devin Elam performed well against the former Pac 12 power, posting four RBIs on as many hits in the doubleheader. The sophomore outfielder belted a home run in the fifth inning of game one scoring two Aggies on one of her five long balls of 2024.
 
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).