LOGAN, Utah – Utah State softball (6-9) opens its final tournament of the season on Friday, March 8, with a pair of games against Iowa State (9-8) and Cal Poly (3-14) at the Mustang Classic.
After heavy rains in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Thursday, games have been pushed back from the originally scheduled times to allow time for the field to dry. The Aggies will now take on the Cyclones at 1 p.m. (MT), and the Mustangs at 6 p.m. Tournament play will continue on Saturday, March 9, when USU plays Iowa State at 11 a.m., and Cal Poly at 1:30 p.m.
All Mustang Classic games will be played at Cal Poly's Bob Janssen Field. Admission to the tournament is free. Live stats will be available for each game of the tournament, while an audio stream will be available for Utah State's games against Cal Poly. Limited social media coverage will also be provided through the Utah State softball accounts.
Iowa State enters the weekend with a 9-8 record, coming off a 3-2 weekend at the Lopes Up Classic at Grand Canyon last week. As a team, the Cyclones are batting .238 (105-of-441), led by junior infielder Sammi Williams, who is batting .328 (19-of-58). Four pitchers have seen time in the circle for Iowa State, posting a combined ERA of 2.33. Jamie Pinkerton is in his second season as the head coach at ISU, where he has an overall record of 32-41. Iowa State leads the all-time series against the Aggies, 4-1, with the teams last meeting in 2017, a 2-1 win for the Cyclones.
Cal Poly opens the tournament with a 3-14 record, with its last win coming against Colorado State on Feb. 23. Overall, the Mustangs are batting .234 (104-of-445), with senior catcher Makenna Young leading the team with a .340 (18-of-53) batting average. Cal Poly has utilized four pitchers this season, posting a 4.84 team ERA. Jenny Condon is in her 16th season at the helm of the Cal Poly program, where she has an all-time record of 404-378-1. Former Big West rivals of the Aggies, the Mustangs lead the all-time series, 21-16. The teams last played in 2012, a 1-0 win for Utah State.
For the Aggies, junior outfielder Riley Plogger leads the team at the plate, batting .375 (15-of-40). As a team, USU is batting .284 (109-of-384). In the circle, freshman Chloe Nightingale leads the pitching staff with a 5.69 ERA, while the three pitchers have allowed 117 hits and 85 earned runs with a combined 6.28 ERA.
Fans can follow the Aggie softball program on Twitter, @USUSoftball, on Facebook at /USUSoftball or on Instagram, @ususoftball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
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