PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (20-15, 6-0 MW) will look to continue its eight-game winning streak as the Aggies travel to Fresno, California, to take on Fresno State (9-27, 2-7 MW) on Friday, April 8, at 7 p.m. (MT), Saturday, April 9, at 4 p.m. (MT), and Sunday, April 10, at noon (MT).
 
FOLLOW ALONG
This week's games will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, while live stats will be available via StatBroadcast. Links and live updates will be available on the USU softball social media pages.
 
AGGIES VS. BULLDOGS
Fresno State leads Utah State in the all-time series 48-15. The Aggies most recently snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Bulldogs with a 6-5 victory on Feb. 28, 2021.
 
HOT STREAK
Utah State's eight-game winning streak marks just the seventh time in program history USU has won at least eight-straight games and is just the second time the Aggies have done so since the turn of the century as Utah State won eight in a row in 2014. USU's 6-0 mark in Mountain West play is its second-best start in league action in program history, trailing Utah State's 11-0 start in the Intermountain Athletic Conference in 1981, the same year the Aggies won the AIAW World Series.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Utah State is 13-4 this season when the Aggies record a home run in a game. USU's last 13 homers have led to an Aggie victory as Utah State is 9-0 over the stretch.
 
CONFERENCE-OPENING SWEEPS
Utah State broke out the brooms against New Mexico (5-4, 4-2, 13-4) and Colorado State (2-0, 2-0, 6-1) in back-to-back weekend sweeps to open Mountain West play. It is the first time since 2016 USU has recorded two three-game MW sweeps since 2016.
 
THE CIRCLE GAME
Utah State's pitching staff proved dominant against Colorado State as the Aggies swept the three-game series (2-0, 2-0, 6-1). Freshman Mia Reynolds pitched a complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the series, and senior Kapri Toone pitched back-to-back complete games to close out the weekend. The duo combined for two complete-game shutouts, a combined ERA of 0.33 and held the Rams to a .139 batting average.
 
SHUT IT DOWN
Utah State's pitching staff has recorded three complete-game shutouts in the 2022 season, beginning with freshman Mia Reynolds in the 11-0 victory against Yale (March 6). Reynolds and senior Kapri Toone then posted back-to-back complete-game shut outs as the Aggies defeated the Rams 2-0 in both Game 1 and Game 2 of the series. 
 
BOMBS AWAY
Senior shortstop Lexi Orozco ranks second on the USU career record list with 36 home runs. She is just three homers away from tying the all-time record of 39 career bombs. Orozco previously set the single-season home run record with 13 in 2019 and has sent nine balls out of the park so far in 2022.
 
CLIMBING UP THE RECORD LIST
Orozco sits in the top 10 of several USU career record lists as she ranks first in slugging percentage (.653), second in home runs (36) and second in runs batted in (130). Orozco needs four more homers and three more RBIs to break the USU program records. 
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Utah State is second in the Mountain West and is 34th in the nation in total doubles with 50. Senior shortstop Lexi Orozco leads the Aggies with 11 doubles to tie for first in the MW and rank 26th nationally.
 
DOUBLE THE FUN
Utah State is tied for first in the Mountain West in fielding double plays with 17 this season. USU is 14th in the nation with 0.49 double plays per game. The Aggies also rank first in fielding double plays in MW play with six. On the season, senior shortstop Lexi Orozco ranks second in the MW in fielding double plays with 11, while junior first baseman Makenzie Macfarlane ranks fifth with nine. In conference play, Macfarlane ranks first in fielding double plays with six, while Orozco is tied for third with four. 
 
SMOOTH CRIMINALS
Utah State stole more bases in February of 2022 (20) than in the entire 2021 season (16). Junior center fielder Mazie Macfarlane leads the team with 16 stolen bases to rank second in the Mountain West and 48th in the nation.
 
STEALING HOME
Junior center fielder Mazie Macfarlane stole home in the top of the fourth inning in Utah State's 8-2 victory at Dixie State (Feb. 19), becoming the first Aggie to steal home since Megan McDonald vs. Utah Valley on April 20, 2010. 
 
WALK THIS WAY
Utah State has recorded three walk-off victories so far in the 2022 campaign. 
 
WALK THIS WAY - PART II
Utah State trailed Saint Mary's 5-0 early in Game 1 of the teams' doubleheader on Feb. 26. The Aggies scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth and senior shortstop Lexi Orozco tied it up at 5-apiece in the bottom of the seventh with a lead-off home run to left field. Junior center fielder Mazie Macfarlane lifted USU to a 6-5 victory with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. 
 
WALK THIS WAY - PART III
Utah State trailed Maine 6-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth in its home opener on March 18. The Aggies tied it up after scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Senior shortstop Lexi Orozco stepped up to the plate and posted a two-RBI double to right center to secure the 8-7 walk-off Utah State victory.
 
WALK THIS WAY - PART IV
Utah State and Weber State were tied 1-1 through four innings on March 29. The bats were hot in the final three frames as the Wildcats scored eight runs between the fifth and sixth innings, while the Aggies scored seven runs in the frames. Weber State extended its lead to 10-8 in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the inning, senior shortstop Lexi Orozco trimmed the lead to two with an RBI double. With two outs and a runner on third, it was then sophomore second baseman Zaia Castruita's turn at the plate. She blasted the first pitch she saw cross the plate over the left field wall to lift Utah State to the 11-10 victory over in-state rival Weber State.
 
EXTRA, EXTRA
Utah State is 4-0 in 2022 in extra-inning games, coming back to win all four contests. The Aggies first defeated Saint Mary's 6-5 in eight innings after trailing 5-0 through five innings (Feb. 26). USU then recorded a 6-5 win against Boston University after trailing 4-2 through six frames (March 5). Utah State posted an 8-5 victory at Santa Clara after trailing 4-1 through five innings (March 13). The Aggies most recently defeated Maine 8-7 in extra innings after trailing the Black Bears 6-3 midway through the sixth.
 
SATURDAY IN THE PARK
Eight of Utah State's 20 victories have been on Saturday. 
 
SIX IS A MAGIC NUMBER
Sixteen of Utah State's 20 victories in 2022 have come when the Aggies have scored six or more runs.
 
MAKE SURE TO TOONE IN
Utah State is 10-2 in 2022 when senior Kapri Toone makes the start in the circle for the Aggies. 
 
LOOK AT ME, I CAN BE CENTER FIELD
Junior center fielder Mazie Macfarlane is the only Aggie in the 2022 campaign to have started in all 35 games. She is also the only USU player to start at the same position in every game played. Macfarlane has led off for Utah State in all but one game in 2022.
 
FIRST-CAREER HOMER
Three Aggies have registered their first collegiate home run at the Division I level this season as freshman second baseman Ariel Lopez hit a two-run homer against UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 11), senior right fielder Sydnee Smith hit a three-run bomb in USU's 8-2 victory at Dixie State (Feb. 19), freshman third baseman Claudia Medina had a solo home run in Utah State's 2-0 win against Colorado State (April 2) and sophomore designated player Libbie Hawker recorded her first career homer with a two-run shot to left center against the Rams (April 3). 

MOUNTAIN WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior shortstop Lexi Orozco was named the Mountain West Player of the Week on March 8 after posting a .667 batting average (8-of-12) as Utah State went 2-3 at the San Diego Classic. In all, Orozco registered eight hits, including three homers and four doubles, as well as a slugging percentage of 1.750. She also drew six walks and scored four runs at the classic, while posting a team-high 10 RBIs, and led the team defensively with 20 putouts and three assists over the weekend.  
 
CAME OUT SWINGING
Utah State had its best opening weekend offensively in the Steve Johnson era at the Campus Diamond Kickoff as the Aggies posted a .333 batting average, while registering 49 hits and 32 runs. Eleven Aggies recorded at least one hit during the weekend, while nine USU players posted multiple hits. Six Utah State players hit a combined 12 doubles, led by freshman catcher Taryn Edds and junior outfielder Mazie Macfarlane with three each. Three Aggies hit a home run at the kickoff in senior shortstop Lexi Orozco (3), senior catcher/third baseman Gabriella Jimenez (2) and freshman infielder Ariel Lopez (1). 
 
DOUBLE VISION
You're not seeing double as there is a set of identical twins on the Utah State roster. Wearing number 41, Makenzie Macfarlane is a catcher and first baseman. Mazie Macfarlane, an outfielder, wears number 15. The duo are mirror image twins, with opposite features. For example, Makenzie is right-handed, while Mazie is left-handed. 
 
THIS IS OUR TURF
LaRee & LeGrand Johnson Field received an upgrade this offseason as FieldTurf (Fast Grass) was installed in the outfield, warning track and halo, replacing the grass used in previous seasons. A new drainage system was also installed under the turf to help move snow or rain more quickly. New padding from Field Wall Pads/Sports Graphics was installed in the outfield. The infield is all clay. 
 
CALIFORNIA GIRLS
Fourteen of the 21 Aggies on the 2022 roster have come to Utah State from California in seniors Gabriella Jimenez (Sacramento), Bri Lerma (Downey), Lexi Orozco (San Marcos) and Emily Tidd (Temecula), juniors Makenzie and Mazie Macfarlane (Rocklin), sophomores Zaia Castruita (Chula Vista) and Jessica Stewart (Salinas), and freshmen Taryn Edds (Anaheim), Giselle Gonzalez (San Diego), Ariel Lopez (San Marcos), Claudia Medina (West Sacramento), Claire Raley (Clovis) and Mia Reynolds (Tulare).
 
HOME GROWN
Utah State has five players from the state of Utah in senior Kapri Toone (Tremonton), juniors Nya Laing (Logan) and Tyler Thornton (Millville), sophomore Libbie Hawker (Bountiful) and freshman Emily Dority (South Jordan). 
 
-USU-