LAS CRUCES, N.M. - NM State returns to action on Friday night following a tough weekend in Lubbock, Texas, where its only victory came over Merrimack in the weekend opener. The Aggies will look to regain their footing as they welcome Western Kentucky in what will be the Aggies first conference series since joining Conference USA.
 
The Aggies' weekend at home will begin on Friday night at 6 p.m. when they collide with program that it has not matched up against since they shared league membership in the WAC in 2005. The weekend's first contest will mark the 23rd all-time meeting between the Aggies and Hilltoppers.
 
FRESHMAN PHENOM
The Aggies early success can also be largely contributed to the individual success of freshman Desirae Spearman who's numbers not only stack up against the best freshman in the nation, but against the best players in the country period.
 
Despite being out the last two weeks due to injury, the freshman standout ranks inside the top 50 in the nation and second in the conference in home runs (6). In addition to her impressive start at the plate, Spearman has also been dominant in the circle. The El Paso, Texas, native already has a shutout victory over Nebraska on her resume and is managing a league-leading ERA of 0.30. In her first two weeks of collegiate action, Spearman claimed CUSA Freshman of the Week honors twice.
 
FEAR NONE
Three weeks ago, the Aggies opened the annual Troy Cox Classic with a 3-0 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 in the same season.
 
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.
 
SPEEDY SOFTBALL
Last week in Lubbock, the Aggies played in five games and did not see a single game reach seven innings. In the opener, the Aggies dismantled Merrimack in five innings before falling via run rule in each of the ensuing four games. The stretch of five straight shortened games marks the longest such stretch for the Aggies since 2016 when the Aggies saw six consecutive games end prior to reaching the seventh inning.
 
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. The Aggies will officially begin league play next weekend when they play host to Western Kentucky.
 
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 588-514 record. Making stops at El Paso CC and Angelo State before coming to Las Cruces, Rodolph has an individual mark of 781-609 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.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans interested in following the Aggies this weekend can do so via StatBroadcast at NMStateStats.com. Additionally, fans can tune into 91.5 KRUX to listen live.

ON DECK
After the three-game home series versus the Hilltoppers, the Aggies will travel to East Texas to meet up with Sam Houston. The series against the Bearkats is scheduled to begin on Friday, March 15.