PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (11-17, 2-6 MW) continues its 2019 season this week with four games as it plays at Idaho State (13-17, 4-1 Big Sky) on Wednesday, April 3, at 3 p.m., followed by a three-game Mountain West home series against New Mexico (10-24, 1-8 MW). USU and the Lobos will open the weekend on Friday, April 5, at 4 p.m. The two teams will also play at 4 p.m., on Saturday, April 6, before wrapping up the series on Sunday, April 7, at noon.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans wishing to attend the game at Idaho State can do so at no cost. Live stats will be provided by the Bengals.
All of the 2019 Mountain West games, as well as all USU home games, will continue to be broadcast as a USU Athletics Production on the Mountain West Network. All video feeds will be available live and in archive form at utahstateaggies.com/watch. Live stats will also be provided by SIDEARM for all home games, while road contests will also have live stats available. Links to each option will be available online prior to every game. In-game updates will also be provided through the team's social media outlets. Admission to Utah State home games is free.
UTAH STATE'S BEST
Senior first baseman Bailee Trapp was named the America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week this week. Trapp had an explosive weekend at the plate in Utah State's three-game series at Colorado State. In the series opener, Trapp was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, including two home runs. She also added five putouts at first base. In the second game, Trapp was 1-for-1, while drawing three walks. She had one RBI and four putouts in the game. In the series finale, Trapp was 1-for-2 at the plate with a home run. She was hit by a pitch once and tallied five putouts defensively. On the weekend, Trapp batted a team-best .833 (5-of-6) with three home runs. She scored three runs and had five RBIs, while drawing three walks and adding a hit-by-pitch. Defensively, Trapp finished the series with 14 putouts and a perfect fielding percentage.
AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN WEST
All-time, Utah State has played 411 games against current members of the Mountain West, the most of any NCAA conference. The Aggies are 176-235 against Mountain West teams, including a 23-25 record against New Mexico.
BIG SKY COUNTRY
Wednesday's game at Idaho State will be the Aggies' fourth against a Big Sky team this season. USU posted wins over Montana (11-1) and Weber State (9-0), and fell to Northern Colorado, 9-5, earlier this season. The Aggies had a game against Southern Utah canceled earlier this year. All-time, USU is 167-112 against current members of the Big Sky.
FAMILIAR FACES
The Aggies have ties to members of both opponents the team will see this week. Idaho State head coach Candi Letts was the head coach at Utah State from 2007-09, posting a 41-107 record.
USU sophomore outfielder Leah Molina will see a former teammate in the New Mexico series, as she and Lobo sophomore catcher Sydney Broderick both attended Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Ariz.
RILEY'S RECORDS
Junior outfielder Riley Plogger has earned a spot on two career record lists. Plogger currently ranks fifth on the career runs list with 93, and is ninth on the all-time walks list with 60.
WALK IT OUT
Utah State drew six walks in the March 30 game at Colorado State. Three of those were dealt to senior first baseman Bailee Trapp. Her three walks are the most for an individual player since the 2016 season. That year, Victoria Saucedo drew three walks in the team's win against Maryland.
TAKING TURNS
A different player has led Utah State at the plate in each weekend of play this season. Junior infielder Ryann Holmes batted a team-high .333 (3-for-9) in the Titan Classic, while junior outfielder Riley Plogger led the team with a .615 (8-of-13) batting average at the Littlewood Classic. Sophomore outfielder Stephanie Reed took the top spot at the Silicon Valley Classic, batting .563 (9-of-16), while sophomore designated player Kennedy Hira led the team in the Mustang Classic, batting .571 (8-of-14). Freshman second baseman Kenzie Bolin led the team in the first weekend of Mountain West play, batting .500 (4-of-8) at Nevada, and freshman shortstop Lexi Orozco was the top offensive performer in the week against Weber State and UNLV, batting .500 (4-of-8). Last week, senior first baseman Bailee Trapp led the Aggies in the outing at Colorado State, batting .833 (5-of-6), with three home runs and three walks.
TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM
Utah State batters have been hit by pitches 34 times this season, leading the Mountain West. Freshman Kenzie Bolin leads the team and ranks second in the conference with seven hit-by-pitches, while junior third baseman Erin Kuba and junior outfielder Riley Plogger have each been hit by pitches five times. The Utah State single-season hit-by-pitch record is 12, set three times by Noelle Johnson (2016) and Kelley Kaneshiro (2011, 2012).
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
Utah State has had seven games impacted by rain this season. Last week, the series opener at Colorado State was suspended mid-game, forcing the teams to finish it the following day. The Aggies played just two of three scheduled games against UNLV, and the entire slate of games at the Red Desert Classic was cancelled as well. The Aggies had just two games called for rain last season.
ROUNDING THE BASES
Utah State has had at least one extra-base hit in all but four games this season. In all, the Aggies have hit 31 doubles, two triples and 24 home runs. Every USU player in the batting order has had at least one extra-base hit this season. Nine Aggies have hit at least one home run, while 11 have hit a double. Freshman shortstop Lexi Orozco is the team leader in doubles with six, while she and senior first baseman Bailee Trapp have hit a team-high six home runs. Junior utility player Ryann Holmes and sophomore outfielder Stephanie Reed have each hit one triple.
SCORING TO WIN
Utah State is 5-1 this season when scoring 10 or more runs in a game. Conversely, the Aggies are 0-9 when their opponent holds them to two or fewer runs. Defensively, USU is 8-0 when holding its opponents to two or fewer runs, and is 0-7 when the opposing team scores 10 or more.
FIVE OR SIX IS ENOUGH
Utah State has been a participating team in 11 run-ruled games so far this season, in which the Aggies are 4-7. Just past the mid-point of the 2019 campaign, the 11 shortened results are the most USU has had since the 2015 season.
KAPRI SAVES THE DAY
Freshman pitcher Kapri Toone is the only USU pitcher to earn a save this season, doing so in the March 15 win at Nevada. Toone pitched 1.2 innings against the Wolf Pack, not allowing a hit or a run and maintaining Utah State's 5-4 lead.
CIRCLING THE INFIELD
En route to a 14-0 five-inning win over CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 22, the Aggie infield combined to hit a team cycle over four consecutive at-bats in the second inning. Freshman shortstop Lexi Orozco led-off with a double, while junior second baseman Ryann Holmes followed with USU's first triple of the season. Junior third baseman Erin Kuba then hit a single, while senior first baseman Bailee Trapp completed the cycle with a home run.
HIT AFTER HIT
Utah State put together a season-high 14 hits in two games at the Littlewood Classic, doing so in both of its wins against San Diego and Illinois State.
A CONSISTENT SPOT
Utah State has had just two players hold the starting spot in the same position all season. Senior first baseman Bailee Trapp and junior left fielder Riley Plogger have both started all 28 games in their respective positions. The Aggies have had two different players start at second and third base, while four players have taken turns in the other five positions.
COVERING THE CONFERENCES
Utah State has played teams from 12 different athletic conferences this season. Outside of Mountain West play, the Aggies took on multiple teams from the West Coast Conference (6), Big Sky (5), Big West (2), MAC (2) and WAC (2), as well as one opponent each from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Missouri Valley, Pac-12 and SEC.
I SAY HELLO
Utah State welcomed 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.
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.
LAST WEEK
Utah State posted an 0-3 Mountain West record last week as it dropped a three-game series at Colorado State (L 10-11, L 3-6, L 4-8). Three pitchers appeared in the circle for the Aggies, posting a combined ERA of 7.78, while allowing 26 hits and 20 earned runs. Together the three struck out eight batters and walked 11. Senior first baseman Bailee Trapp led the Aggies at the plate, batting .833 (5-for-6) with three home runs. Trapp was also tops defensively with 14 putouts.
UP NEXT
Utah State faces another split week of competition next week. The Aggies will host in-state rival BYU on Tuesday, April 9, at 4 p.m. The team will then travel to Boise State for a three-game Mountain West series. The Aggies and the Broncos will open the weekend on Friday, April 12, at 4 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. game on Saturday, April 13. The series will conclude on Sunday, April 14, in a noon game.
