Games 24-26
NM State (12-11, 1-2 WAC) at Utah Tech (18-9, 3-0 WAC)
 
Friday, March 24 | 2 p.m./4:30 p.m. MDT (DH)
Game 1: Live Stats | Watch | Weekend Notes
Game 2: Live Stats | Watch | Weekend Notes
 
Saturday, March 25 | Noon MDT
Game 3: Live Stats | Watch | Weekend Notes
 
First Pitch
NM State's stretch of 26 days without a home game rolls on as the Aggies return to the state of Utah for a three-game series with Utah Tech in St. George.
 
Last week, the Aggies faced off with the Trailblazers' in-state rivals Utah Valley to open up WAC play. NM State put an end to a four-game losing streak when they topped the Wolverines 7-4 in the final matchup of the weekend.
 
The Aggies now collide with a Utah Tech team who is on a three-game win streak after sweeping Abilene Christian on the road during the first weekend of conference action.
 
Friday represents just the seventh all-time meeting between the Aggies and Wolverines with the Aggies winning four of the first six contests. The Aggies will be familiar with St. George though as all six times the Aggies have faced the Trailblazers has taken place in Utah Tech's home stadium.
 
Lunar Launches
23 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 fifth among all Division I hitters and paces the WAC with 11 total doubles on the season. Lunar also ranks third in the nation in doubles per game (0.55).
 
Brown Sits 'Em Down
NM State junior pitcher Aydenne Brown has emerged as one of the most impactful players on the Aggies' squad this season.
 
On the year, Brown is dominating in the circle – leading the team in wins (6), ERA (3.99), innings pitched (52.2), strikeouts (59) and batting average against (.213). Her 59 strikeouts also rank second in the WAC.
 
Power at the Plate
Once again the Aggie offense is one of the best at hitting the long ball. Thus far, the Aggies have combined to hit 33 home runs to average 1.43 home runs per game, ranking ninth in the nation.
 
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 eighth in the nation in total saves while also totaling more saves than the Aggies as a team during the entire 2022 season.
 
Run Protection
It's pretty simple; when the Aggies score runs, they win games. After the win over Maine, NM State sits at a perfect 9-0 in games that it tallies at least six runs.
 
On the other hand, NM State has yet to win this season when scoring two or fewer runs - posting an 0-8 record in games of this nature.
 
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).
 
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 instant 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 568-487 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 Trailblazers
Utah Tech is currently 18-9 on the season and 3-0 to begin WAC play. After winning 19 games last season, Utah Tech is off to its best start since 2020 when they were 19-7 before the season was abruptly canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
UTT recently bounced back from a three-game skid with a series sweep over Abilene Christian over the weekend and now improves to 3-0 in WAC play, tied for first with Stephen F. Austin.
 
At the plate, Utah Tech features three players who excel in the batting average department, hitting over .400 for the season. Lauren Almeida leads the team with a .462 batting average while also pacing the team in doubles (10) and slugging percentage (.731).  Tanya Windle (.451) and Shea Clements (.408) are the other two Trailblazers to feature a plus .400 batting average and rank top three in the team in other statistical categories along with Almeida.
 
In the circle, the Wolverines will rely on the three-headed attack of Sauren Garton, Attlyn Johnston and Kate Dollinksi who represent the only three UVU pitchers to throw more than ten innings this season. Garton enters Friday with a 2.57 ERA and seven complete games while Johnston holds an ERA of 3.21 and has walked only eight batters in 52.1 innings of work this year. The trio has combined to strikeout 117 batters on the season and carry a 3.41 ERA as a group.
 
History vs. Utah Tech
Friday will mark just the seventh meeting between the two schools with the Aggies caring a 4-2 record over the Trailblazers dating back to the 2021 season when UTT first joined the conference. After securing the first three meetings against the Trailblazers, the Aggies dropped the next two matchups in their series last season, before securing a 10-9 victory in the series finale which saw the crimson and white erupt for 17 hits as a team.
 
With the Aggies' moving to Conference USA ahead of the 2023-24 academic year, the weekend series will be the last time the Wolverines and Aggies will share the field as conference opponents unless they meet again in the WAC Tournament.