PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball is set to open its 2019 campaign this weekend in the Titan Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The Aggies will start the weekend against Northwestern and Loyola Marymount on Friday, Feb. 8, at 11 a.m. (MT) and 4:30 p.m., respectively. Tournament play will continue on Saturday, Feb. 9, with a 4 p.m. contest with Pacific and a 6:30 p.m. meeting with the host Titans. Opening weekend will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 10:30 a.m., when the Aggies take on Louisville.
ABOUT THE TITAN CLASSIC
The Titan Classic is in its second year under its current name, but this is the fourth season Cal State Fullerton has hosted a tournament on opening weekend. The tournament will feature 20 games between eight teams. Along with the Aggies and host-Cal State Fullerton, the Titan Classic welcomes Buffalo, Idaho State, Louisville, Loyola Marymount, Northwestern and Pacific. All games will be played on the two diamonds at Anderson Family Field.
Tickets to the Titan Classic games can be purchased online at fullertontitans.com, or on gameday at the box office. Full day passes for the tournament are available for $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for youth. The entirety of the tournament will be streamed online by FloSoftball. A monthly or annual subscription and related fee is required to view the weekend's games. A radio broadcast will be provided by Cal State Fullerton for all games played on Field 1 (Utah State vs. Northwestern and Cal State Fullerton). Live stats and limited social media coverage will also be available for each game of the Titan Classic.
FAMILIAR WITH FULLERTON
This weekend's Titan Classic will mark the third-straight season Utah State will open the year in a tournament at Cal State Fullerton. The Aggies played in the 2018 Titan Classic and opened the 2017 campaign in the Easton Invitational. Additionally, this will be the third year in a row USU will play Cal State Fullerton and Loyola Marymount in its opening weekend.
LEADING OFF
This weekend marks the opening of the 2019 season for Division I softball. All-time, Utah State is 25-18 in its season openers. Last season, the Aggies went 2-3 in their opening weekend at the Titan Classic.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Utah State will play two first-time opponents this season in Florida and Louisville. There are also two teams on the Aggies' schedule that USU has played just once in the past in Ball State (1999) and Central Michigan (1988).
WEST COAST, BEST COAST
This season, Utah State will play all six softball members of the West Coast Conference. The Aggies will play a home-and-home with in-state rival BYU and will play Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Saint Mary's, San Diego and Santa Clara in their first four preseason tournaments. All-time, Utah State is 74-97 against WCC teams, including San Francisco, which no longer has a softball program.
CALIFORNIA GIRLS
Though the Aggies will be on the road this weekend, 12 players will be playing in their home state. The Utah State roster features players from 10 California cities, with four within 30 miles of Fullerton. Freshman infielder Kenzie Bolin, freshman catcher Gabriella Jimenez, sophomore third baseman Kennedy Hira, sophomore pitcher Delaney Hull, redshirt freshman first baseman/outfielder Bri Lerma, senior catcher Bailey Lewis, senior outfielder Mia Maher, freshman pitcher Chloe Nightingale, senior pitcher Alissa Noble, freshman infielder Lexi Orozco, junior outfielder Riley Plogger and freshman outfielder Emily Tidd all call the Golden State home.
BACK TO THE GOLDEN STATE
This weekend marks the first of four trips the Aggies will make to California this season. Utah State will play in two additional preseason tournaments this spring, in the Silicon Valley Classic, co-hosted by Santa Clara and San José State, and the Mustang Classic at Cal Poly. Additionally, USU will return to San Jose for a Mountain West series against the Spartans. The Aggies will also host two California teams in conference play, in Fresno State and San Diego State.
COVERING THE CONFERENCES
Utah State will play teams from 12 different athletic conferences this season. Outside of Mountain West play, the Aggies will take on multiple teams from the West Coast Conference (6), Big Sky (5), Big West (2), MAC (2) and WAC (2), as well as single opponents from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Missouri Valley, Pac-12 and SEC.
TAKING ON THE BEST
Utah State has six opponents on its 2019 schedule that are either ranked or receiving votes in the two preseason softball polls. In preseason tournament play, the Aggies will take on No. 5 Florida and No. 12 Arizona State. Northwestern, Cal State Fullerton, Boise State and Fresno State are all listed among teams receiving votes.
In No. 5 Florida, the Aggies will face their highest-ranked opponent since the 2011 season, when the team played No. 4 Hawai'i in the WAC Tournament. According to available information dating back to the 1997 season, Utah State is 31-91 against nationally ranked opponents.
MISS USA CANDIDATES
Utah State will face seven players that were named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List this season. The list includes three players from Florida, and one each from Arizona State, Boise State, BYU and Northwestern.
YOU SAY GOODBYE
Utah State softball sent off its five-member senior class at the conclusion of the 2018 season. Third baseman Amee Aarhus, catcher Brina Buttacavoli, outfielder Jazmin Clarke, outfielder Emily Hunter and pitcher Jordyn McCracken all celebrated their collegiate careers on Senior Day against San José State, and all appeared in the season finale at San Diego State.
I SAY HELLO
Utah State welcomes 10 new players to its roster for the 2019 season. The Aggies added Kenzie Bolin (San Marcos, Calif./San Marcos HS), Ryann Holmes (Queen Creek, Ariz./Queen Creek HS/Mesa CC), Gabriella Jimenez (Sacramento, Calif./C.K. McClatchy HS), Erin Kuba (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson HS/Indian Hills CC), Alissa Noble (Chino, Calif./Don Lugo HS/Toledo), Chloe Nightingale (Camarillo, Calif./Adolfo Camarillo HS), Lexi Orozco (San Marcos, Calif./San Marcos HS), Hannah Sisul (Oregon City, Ore./La Salle Catholic College Prep), Emily Tidd (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley HS) and Kapri Toone (Tremonton, Utah/Bear River HS) to Logan this fall.
HELLO AGAIN
Along with several new players on the roster, Utah State added two new assistant coaches in the offseason. Laura Heberling and Jo Koons were hired in June, 2018. Heberling came to Logan from the University of South Carolina Beaufort, where she spent the last five seasons as head coach. Koons also comes off a head coaching gig, having spent the 2018 season at Lassen College.
I WAS BUT THE LEARNER...
Assistant coaches Laura Heberling and Jo Koons are no strangers to head coach Steve Johnson, as both played collegiate softball for him. Koons was on the Utah State roster for Johnson's first two seasons, while Heberling played her senior year at UNC Pembroke, Johnson's first head coaching job.
ONE TEAM TO THE NEXT
Utah State's roster features two pairs of players that also played high school softball together. Sophomores Kennedy Hira and Delaney Hull played for Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo, Calif., while freshmen Kenzie Bolin and Lexi Orozco came to USU from San Marcos High School in San Marcos, Calif. Additionally, Bolin, Orozco and freshman Emily Tidd played on the same club softball team.
ALL-AMERICAN AGGIES
Utah State's two junior college transfers both earned NJCAA All-American honors last season. Ryann Holmes was named a Division II third-team All-American at Mesa Community College. Erin Kuba received NFCA NJCAA Division I All-American accolades at Indian Hills Community College. Holmes and Kuba were also both named Player of the Year in their respective conferences.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior outfielder Mia Maher enters the 2019 season ranked second in career stolen bases with 47. Additionally, junior outfielder Riley Plogger's name is listed on several single-season record lists. Plogger is tied for second on the single-season walks list with 27 in 2018 and ranks on four single-season record lists from her 2017 performance, as she is fifth in RBIs (39), tied for seventh in runs (34) and triples (5) and 10th in slugging percentage (.616)
THE 2019 AGGIES
Utah State returns seven starters from a year ago in sophomore pitcher Delaney Hull, senior catcher/first baseman Bailey Lewis, sophomore infielder Emery Marshall, sophomore outfielder Leah Molina, junior outfielder Riley Plogger, sophomore infielder Stephanie Reed and senior first baseman Bailee Trapp. In all, the Aggies welcome back 12 players from the 2018 roster. Last season, Utah State posted an overall record of 18-34, while going 7-17 in Mountain West play.
PRESEASON PICKS
Utah State was picked eighth in this season's Mountain West preseason poll. Boise State was picked to defend its 2018 title, claiming 64 points and eight of the league's first-place votes. Fresno State followed, earning the final first-place vote and 57 total points. San José State was slated third with 50 points, with UNLV coming in fourth with 35 points. San Diego State took the fifth-place spot with 31 points, followed by Nevada (29 points) and Colorado State (26 points) in sixth and seventh, respectively. The Aggies' eighth-place ranking came with 21 points, while New Mexico wrapped up the poll with 11 points in ninth place.
UP NEXT
Tournament play will continue for the Aggies next week, as the team heads to Tempe, Ariz., for the Littlewood Classic. Utah State will open the weekend against Central Michigan on Friday, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m., followed by a 5:30 p.m. meeting with San Diego. On Saturday, Feb. 16, the Aggies will take on No. 5 Florida at 5:30 p.m., and Illinois State at 8 p.m. The tournament will come to a close on Sunday, Feb. 17, when USU will play host No. 12 Arizona State.
