LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State softball team heads to the Grand Canyon State for the ASU Invitational from March 8-10. The Aggies are set to take on No. 25 Michigan, No 21 James Madison, South Dakota, Lehigh and host No. 16 Arizona State. NM State's first game of the tournament against the ranked Wolverines is set for 4:30 p.m. MT on Friday.
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HORTON HITS A BOOM
Kelsey Horton continues to climb in the career record books during her senior campaign. The slugger sits in second for home runs (60) and total bases (443), while also ranking fourth in runs scored (175) and RBI (182). The senior also cracked the top-five for career doubles (40) and hits (221).
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies hosted No. 12 Arizona at the NM State Softball Complex for a doubleheader on Tuesday. New Mexico State fell to the Wildcats fell during both contests.
During the 11-3 loss, Horton put up a pair of home runs for the Aggies, bringing in the three runs. Samaria Diaz went 5.0 innings and allowed 10 runs on 12 hits while also striking out eight. Kayla Green pitched 1.0 innings and gave up one run on two hits.
Victoria Castro came through with the only NM State run in the 11-1 loss, a leadoff long ball in the fourth inning. Analise De La Roca pitched all 5.0 innings, allowing 11 runs with only three earned. The sophomore also struckout a pair but walked four batters.
TRACKING THE WOLVERINES
No. 25 Michigan heads ASU at 9-8 on the season after going 3-0 at the Judi Garman Classic last weekend. The Wolverines pulled off an upset in their tournament opener, knocking off No. 2 UCLA 3-1 and followed the victory with a win over then-ranked No. 5 Washington. Overall, the team is batting .253 with a 2.35 ERA in the circle.
Freshman outfielder Lexie Blair comes into the tournament batting a team-best .362 with six of her 21 hits for extra bases. In the circle, Alex Storako leads the Wolverine squad with 58 strikeouts during her 49.0 innings pitched. Meghan Beaubien paces the pitchers with 14 appearances and 56.0 innings pitched while also throwing 54 strikeouts.
SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS
No. 16 Arizona State sits at 15-6 for the season, including a victory over then-ranked No. 9 Texas and a pair of wins against Princeton last week at the Sun Devil Classic. As a team, the Sun Devils are batting .324 while also holding a 3.88 team ERA.
Kindra Hackbarth leads the ASU squad at the plate with a .424 batting average accompanied with an .818 slugging percentage. The junior leads the team with nine doubles and is second with five home runs, behind Maddie Hackbarth, who has amassed eight so far this season. Abby Andersen paces the Sun Devils in the circle with her squad-best 3.00 ERA. Junior Samantha Mejia is the team leader in strikeouts with 37 on the season.
KNOW YOUR FOE: NO. 21 JAMES MADISON
James Madison comes into the tournament with a 7-4 record for the 2019 season. The team posts impressive wins over then-ranked No. 6 Tennessee and then-ranked No. 19 Oregon this season. At the Wildcat Invitational, the Dukes went 2-2 with wins over Drake and Kent State. As a team, JMU holds a 2.05 ERA and .297 batting average.
Megan Good, National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-American and Shutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Player of the Year in 2017, leads the Dukes with 41 strikeouts this season. The redshirt senior holds a 2.01 ERA with seven appearances and four complete games thrown. Offensively, Kate Gordan leads the JMU squad with 11 RBI and a .865 slugging percentage. She also paces the team with five home runs, which is followed closely behind by Good with four long balls.
LOOKING AT THE COYOTES
South Dakota enters the tournament with a 14-8 record on the season. At the Lopes Classic last weekend, USD went 2-3 with wins over Northern Colorado and Grand Canyon. As a team, the Coyotes post a .315 batting average and a 3.26 ERA in the circle.
Alexis Devers leads the South Dakota pitchers this season with a 2.21 ERA and 31 strikeouts on the year. The redshirt sophomore is 5-3 in her 11 appearances and has thrown three complete games. On offense, Jamie Holscher comes in batting .464 in her 22 games played. She's amassed seven doubles and six home runs while striking out just three times.
BREAKING DOWN THE MOUNTIAN HAWKS
Lehigh travels to the Grand Canyon State, holding a 5-2 record this season. The Mountain Hawks went 4-1 at the Courtyard by Marriott Seahawk Softball Classic last weekend, recording wins over UMBC, UNC Wilmington and North Carolina A&T. The team holds a 2.57 ERA and a .348 batting average.
Parker Boyd posts the most appearances in the circle as she has four including three starts. The junior posts a 4.28 ERA with 19 strikeouts in her 18.0 innings pitched. Jaelynn Chesson leads the squad with a .520 batting average and 13 hits so far this season.
COMING UP: ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Following the tournament, the Aggies head to Lubbock, Texas, for a doubleheader at Rocky Johnson Field against No. 15 Texas Tech. First pitch from the contests on March 13 is set for 3 p.m. MT.
