April 25, 2011

LOGAN, Utah - - Tuesday, April 26 Utah (27-17, 5-1 Mountain West) at Utah State (10-38, 4-11 WAC)

Friday-Saturday, April 29-30Utah State (10-38, 4-11 WAC) at Nevada (12-29, 3-12 WAC)
Utah State's Weekend Schedule4/26        Utah at  UTAH STATE, 3:00 p.m.4/29        UTAH STATE at Nevada* (DH), 3/5:00 p.m.4/30        UTAH STATE at Nevada*, 2:00 p.m.

QUICKLY - Utah State softball (10-38, 4-11 WAC) looks to snap a three-game losing streak after dropping three-straight to second-place Fresno State. This week, the Aggies will take in-state rival Utah on Tuesday, April 26 at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field at 3 p.m. Following the game with the Utes, Utah State will travel to Reno to take on Nevada April 29-30.

Complete Release in PDF Format

KANESHIRO TOPS THE CHARTS - Senior shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro hit two home runs in Utah State's five-inning win over Cal State Northridge on Feb. 19 to move into first place in the USU record books in career home runs with 26. She was tied with Sandy Taylor (1997-2000) with 24 career home runs. This season, Kaneshiro leads the team with eight home runs and now has 31 career long balls. The senior added a home run against Fresno State last week.

FRIENDLY CONFINES - Utah State won its first game at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field on Friday, April 15 with a 4-3 win over Boise State. USU is now 2-8 at home this season with six home games remaining.

AGGIES IN WAC OPENERS - Utah State is 1-5 in Western Athletic Conference openers since joining the league in 2006. This season, the Aggies fell to No. 21 Hawai`i, 5-2, in Honolulu on March 25. Last season, USU won its first WAC opener when the Aggies defeated Nevada 12-4 in six innings. In 2009, the Aggies lost to WAC-newcomers Boise State, 2-0 in Logan. The Aggies have taken on Fresno State twice in WAC openers in its first two years in the league.

2011    L   Hawai`i, 2-52010    W   Nevada, 12-4 (6)2009    L   Boise State, 0-22008    L   Nevada, 1-12 (5)2007    L   Fresno State, 0-8 (5)2006    L   Fresno State, 2-3Total   1-5

SISTERS AND TEAMMATES - The Aggies have two sets of sisters on the team this season. Shasta and Shelbi Tyteca and Megan and Nichole McDonald both wear the blue and white for Utah State this season. Senior Shasta Tyteca is one of the Aggies' leading hitters with a .286 batting average, while sophomore pitcher Shelbi Tyteca has started 19 games in the circle this season. Senior Megan McDonald has started 36 games for USU, while freshman Nichole McDonald has seen time in 12 games.

WAC TO STREAM SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT - The Western Athletic Conference, in conjunction with its Web site partner NeuLion, has announced it will stream the 2011 WAC Softball Tournament live from Fresno, Calif. Viewers can sign up by visiting www.WAC.tv

The double-elimination tournament will be held May 11-14 at Bulldog Diamond on the campus of Fresno State with the first game beginning at 4:30 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday. Every game of the tournament can be viewed for a single subscription price of $14.95 which will include on-demand viewing of any of the games the following day.

More information and how to subscribe to any of these video streaming events can be found at www.WAC.tv.

THE FINAL STRETCH - Utah State has six WAC games remaining. The Aggies are currently fifth in the league ahead of Louisiana Tech ( 3-12), San Jose State (3-12) and Nevada (3-12). The top six teams advance to the WAC Tournament in Fresno, Calif. May 11-14. New Mexico State still holds the top spot in the WAC (14-1), followed by Fresno State (13-2), Boise State (12-3) and Hawai`i (8-7), respectively.

USU IN SEASON-OPENERS - The Aggies are 23-12 all-time in season-openers, defeating Maine in the season opener in 2010, 7-5... In 2009, USU lost to No. 12 Tennessee, 11-3, in the first game of the season... Utah State lost the 2008 opener, 10-1 vs. UC Davis but won the first game of the 2007 season, 11-2 over Southern Utah.

WAC TICKET INFO - All-session tickets for the 2011 WAC Softball Tournament are on sale now. The all-session pass is good for all 10 games (11 if the second game on Saturday is necessary).

Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone at (559) 278-3647, or by downloading this PDF and submitting the order form to the address indicated. Tickets can also be purchased at the Bulldog Diamond ticket booth starting one hour prior to the first game each day. (Cash only accepted at Bulldog Diamond).

SERIES HISTORY VS OPPONENTS - UTAH - Utah is 27-17 this season with a 5-1 Mountain West Conference record. This is the first meeting this season between the Utes and the Aggies. Overall, Utah holds 54-89-1 advantage over Utah State. Last season, the Utes swept the Aggies in Salt Lake City, 8-7 and 8-3. Utah is led by Tia Palauni who is hitting .397. She has 29 RBI and 29 hits this season. In the circle, Generra Nielson is 19-10 with a 3.08 ERA. Naomi Amu is 8-7 in the circle for the Utes with a 2.88 ERA.

NEVADA - Nevada is 12-29 overall this season and 3-12 in WAC action. The Wolf Pack is tied for sixth in the league with San Jose State and Louisiana Tech. Last season, USU beat Nevada twice as snow halted one of the games of the series. The Aggies captured 12-4 and 11-7 wins in Logan. The Wolf Pack holds a slight 14-19 series lead. Erin Jones is the top hitter for Utah State this season with a .360 batting average. The Wolf Pack have five players batting over .300 this season. In the circle, Mallary Darby is 12-21 with a 5.16 ERA. She has logged in 180.1 innings this season as the main pitcher for Nevada.

LOGGING IN THE INNINGS - Utah State's sophomore pitchers Mandy Harmon and Shelbi Tyteca are both logging in a lot of innings this season. Harmon has pitched 142.0 innings so far this season She is only 46 innings away from tying M.L. Ramm-Flippen who pitched 188.0 innings in 1981. Tyteca has pitched 108.2 innings this season. Harmon is first in the WAC in appearances with 38, while Tyteca is seventh with 27.

FANTASTIC FRESHMEN - Utah State has two players hitting over .290 this season and both are freshmen. Freshman Kassy Uchida leads the team hitting .341 this season. She leads the team with 46 hits this season. Fellow newcomer Krista Bava is hitting .292 this season with 31 hits and 16 RBI.

COACH'S OPENERS - Carissa Millsap-Kalaba is the eighth Aggie softball head coach and became the fifth USU head coach to win a opening game at the helm of the Aggies, last season. USU is 5-3 in head coach openers.

LIVE STATS - Fans can follow Utah State through the USU web site at www.UtahStateAggies.com via GameTracker and visiting the Utah State softball schedule page.

GOODBYE LAREE - The matriarch and namesake of Utah State softball, LaRee Johnson died on March 14. LaRee enjoyed contributing to many local entities. Her favorite was the softball field at Utah State University which bears her and her husband's name. She loved her Utah State Aggies. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Utah State Women's Softball Program.

PEARLY ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Utah State is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Aggies' 1981 AIAW National Championship. USU won back-to-back titles in 1980 and 1981.

ADMISSION - All games at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field are free admission to the public.

BE HOME LATE - When the Aggies opened home play on April 1, it was the second-straight season that USU's first home game was in April. It was the 26th time in the 36 years of Utah State softball that the Aggies' first home game is in the month of April:

The Aggies had the latest home-opener in the WAC... USU also had the latest home-opener in the state of Utah, later than Weber State (March 22 vs. Utah State), Utah (March 11 vs. Utah Valley), BYU (March 24 vs. Weber State), Utah Valley (March 29 vs. BYU), Southern Utah (March 9 vs. Utah) and Dixie State (Feb. 26 vs. Southern Utah).

AGAINST THE BEST - Then-No. 21 Hawai`i was the fifth ranked team that the Aggies have faced this season. USU is 0-8 against ranked teams with two losses to UCLA and falling to Oregon, Arizona and Stanford. USU also lost three games to the Rainbow Wahine. Four of the five ranked teams that USU has faced have come from the Pac-10 Conference. The Rainbow Wahine were the first ranked team not from the Pac-10 Conference that USU has faced this season.

SEASON 36 - The 2011 season marks the 36th year of softball at Utah State... The Aggies enter the season with a 802-905-3 (.470) overall record... USU has one college World Series appearance (1984, tied for 7th) and four NCAA Tournament appearances (1984, 1989, 1992, 1993)... Utah State won the 1980 and 1981 AIAW National Championships... This is USU's sixth year in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

AGGIES IN THE WAC - Several Aggies have made their way into the top 10 in the WAC statistics. Senior outfielder Joreigh Landers is tied for fifth in doubles in the WAC with nine. Fellow senior infielder Kelley Kaneshiro is first in the WAC in one painful category, hit by pitches with 12. Sophomore pitcher Mandy Harmon is first in appearances with 38, while sophomore pitcher Shelbi Tyteca is fourth with 33. In WAC games only, Tyteca is third in strike outs looking with 16.

TIDBITS ABOUT UTAH STATE - * Freshman Kassy Uchida leads the team with 12 multiple-hit games, including one four-hit games. Senior Joreigh Landers is second with 10 multiple-hit games. Junior Ashley Ventura, senior Kelley Kaneshiro, freshman Krista Bava, sophomore Tina Ferguson and Landers all lead the team with three multiple-RBI games.

* For the second-straight season, Utah State took on the defending Women's College World Series champion. In 2010, the Aggies defeated WCWS champion, Washington, 7-4, in San Diego. This season, USU faced head coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba's alma mater, UCLA two times. The Bruins captured the 2010 WCWS defeating Arizona. UCLA topped USU 19-1 in five innings in Los Angeles and defeated USU 13-3 in five innings in Las Vegas.

* Utah State will take on at least six teams that were ranked in the preseason National Fastpitch Softball Coaches' Association (NFCA) top-25 poll, including the defending champion, UCLA Bruins, who were No. 1 to begin the season. The Aggies will also take on Pac-10 opponents, Stanford, Arizona and Oregon. Utah State will also face Western Athletic Conference rival Hawai`i and in-state foe BYU, which were ranked No. 8 and No. 16, respectively to start the season.

MILLSAP-KALABA TIDBITS

* Carissa Millsap-Kalaba (Cal-uh-ba) comes to Utah State after five seasons as the head coach at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif... While at Biola, Millsap-Kalaba led the Eagles to five-straight playoff appearances, the longest streak in the program's 17-year history... Her teams also finished no lower than fifth in the tough Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC), posting an overall mark of 59-61... During her tenure at Biola, she compiled an overall record of 143-93 (.606 winning percentage), averaging just under 29 wins per year.

* Carissa Millsap-Kalaba enters her second season at Utah State after a successful first season.

* During her first season at the helm of the Aggie squad, USU went 20-30, winning twice as many games than the 2009 team. USU ended the season 5-14 in Western Athletic Conference action. The Aggies had a marquee win on Feb. 19 defeating then-No. 1 and defending Women's College World Series champion, Washington, 7-4.

* After transferring from Hofstra University, Kalaba played two seasons at UCLA where the Bruins won the Women's College World Series title in 1999.

* During her tenure at Biola, she compiled an overall record of 143-93 (.606 winning percentage), averaging just under 29 wins per year.

* The former Carissa Millsap is married to Joe Kalaba, who is the travel coordinator for the Utah State Athletics Department.

UP NEXT - Following the games this week against Utah and Nevada, Utah State will return home to take on Louisiana Tech in its final three-game WAC series of the season, May 6-7.