LAS CRUCES, N.M. - In the shortest turnaround of the season, Aggie Softball will find themselves back at home for a high-stakes doubleheader. After playing three at Jax State over the weekend, NM State will host (RV) Arizona for a pair on Tuesday. The Wildcats are 24-12-1, most recently winning the last two of a three-game set with Utah. Meanwhile, the Aggies will look to win versus their third Power Five program of the season.
How to Follow
Who: Arizona (24-12-1, 7-8 PAC 12) at NM State (21-15, 7-5 CUSA)
Where: NM State Softball Complex - Las Cruces, N.M.
When: Tuesday, April 9 (Game 1 at 3:00 PM MDT)
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Series Record: Arizona leads 75-9
Last Meeting: NM State 1 @ Arizona 9 [5 inn.] (March 15, 2023 - Tucson, Ariz.)
LAST WEEK
A week ago, NM State played three games at Jax State, coming out on top in the second game. The hosting Gamecocks took the bookends of the series, both ending via video review. In Saturday's win, the Crimson & White recorded a season-high 18 hits, setting a mark that had not been reached in a conference game since 2,898 days prior at UMKC when they matched that total.
Desirae Spearman had an exceptional week at the plate, posting three home runs, four hits, four RBIs and five walks. The freshman posted an OPS of 2.985 on the week, thanks in part to an on-base streak that at one point reached nine-straight at-bats, but the stretch ended in the final at-bat of the series on a controversial game-ending review. For the first time this season, Spearman did not win a CUSA weekly award while playing.
NM State will now return home, where it boasts a 14-6 record in 2024. They have two wins against teams in the receiving votes category this season, including a home 3-0 shutout of Nebraska in the second weekend of the campaign. The Huskers were held to just one hit in the loss.
PATMON POWER
The Aggies' first-ever CUSA win in program history came on Saturday, March 9. The benchmark victory was highlighted by one of the best individual performances by an Aggie in recent history as Dezianna Patmon finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate, including a grand slam to help produce six of the Aggies' nine runs. The six-RBI day for the transfer from North Carolina A&T marked the most RBIs by an Aggie in a single game since Nikki Butler recorded a half-dozen RBIs on April 16, 2021.
Patmon is leading the Aggies with 40 hits, ranking second in 68 total bases and 26 RBIs this season. The junior is also second in home runs (7) and OPS (1.103).
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Along with Patmon, freshman standout Desirae Spearman has been a shining star in the Aggie lineup. In just her first 23 games at the collegiate level, Spearman is maintaining a .438 batting average while pacing the Aggies in home runs (12), OPS (1.632), RBIs (29), total bases (70) and ranking third on the team in total hits (24) despite missing 13 of the Aggies' 36 games due to injury.
Additionally, the El Paso, Texas, native has been dominant in the circle. She has begun the season with a 6-1 record and 45 strikeouts while maintaining a 1.74 ERA in nine appearances and 44.1 innings of work.
On Feb. 16, Spearman tossed a complete game, shutout victory over Nebraska when she gave up just one hit and led the Aggies to a 3-0 win. In the series finale versus UTEP, she went another 7.0 innings, punching out 12 Miners and securing a win in her first pitching appearance in 35 days.
Currently, Spearman is posting a team-best ERA that ranks 51st in the country (1.74 ERA). She has allowed just 32 hits and four home runs. She also ranks second in the conference with her 12 total offensive home runs despite missing over a third of the Aggies' games due to injury.
FEAR NONE
In February, the Aggies opened the annual Troy Cox Classic with a 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.
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.
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.
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 599-520 record. Making stops at El Paso CC and Angelo State before coming to Las Cruces, Rodolph has an individual mark of 792-615 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. With their 20th win against San Diego on March 30, the Aggies have won 20 or more games in 18 seasons under Rodolph.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
After not seeing action in all of 2023 due to injury, Kayla Lunar became the only Aggie to start each of the first 36 games in 2024. The Alamogordo High School product has been the model of consistency, appearing at third base in every starting lineup this season. With the bat this season, Lunar has 21 hits, including five extra-base knocks and a no-doubt home run versus UTEP on March 23. The only other Aggie to appear in all 36 contests this season is Dezianna Patmon, who has started 30 games as the designated player.
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 Aggies 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.
ON DECK
After the three-game series against the Wildcats, NM State will remain at home for a CUSA weekend matchup against FIU. The three-game series will start Friday, April 12, with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 PM MT. The Aggies and Panthers will square off on ESPN+, with live statistics available on nmstatestats.com.
For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2024 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).
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