PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (25-24, 10-8 Mountain West) continues Mountain West play by taking on No. 22 San Diego State (33-12, 16-2 MW) in San Diego, California, on Friday, May 6, at 7 p.m. (MT), Saturday, May 7, at 5 p.m. (MT), and Sunday, May 8, at 1 p.m. (MT).
 
FOLLOW ALONG
This week's games will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, with live stats available through StatBroadcast. Links and live updates will be available on the USU softball social media pages.
 
AGGIES VS. AZTECS
San Diego State leads the all-time series 23-10. The Aggies' last road victory over the Aztecs was a 3-0 win on April 30, 2016.
 
AGGIES VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
Utah State's last win against a ranked opponent was a 7-4 victory over No. 1 Washington in the opening game of the Campbell-Cartier Classic in San Diego on Feb. 19, 2010. 
 
TRIP AROUND THE BASES
Utah State is 17-9 this season when the Aggies record a home run in a game. Twenty of USU's last 23 homers have led to an Aggie victory as Utah State is 13-5 over the stretch.
 
BOMBS AWAY
Senior shortstop Lexi Orozco ranks second on the USU career record list with 38 home runs. She is just one homer 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 11 balls out of the park so far in 2022. 
 
BOMBS AWAY - PART II
Utah State has two players who have recorded double-digit home runs in the 2022 season in senior catcher Gabriella Jimenez (12) and senior shortstop Lexi Orozco (11). The duo also recorded 11 bombs in the 2021 campaign, with the mark tying for sixth on the USU single-season record list. Nine of Jimenez's 12 homers have occurred during Mountain West play as she is tied with Boise State's Kelsey Lalor to lead the league. 
 
BOMBS AWAY - PART III
Jimenez knocked four balls out of the park in the series against Nevada, recording at least one home run in each game. Jimenez provided the game-tying home run in both Game 2 and Game 3 against the Wolf Pack as the Aggies pulled away with the 6-5 and 8-7 victories, respectively. 
 
TOP OF THE RECORD LIST
Senior shortstop Lexi Orozco sits in the top 10 of several USU career record lists as she ranks first in runs batted in (135), first in slugging percentage (.646) and second in home runs (38). Orozco needs two more homers to break the USU program record. 
 
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 shutouts as the Aggies defeated the Rams 2-0 in both Game 1 and Game 2 of the series. 
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Utah State is second in the Mountain West in total doubles with 62. Senior shortstop Lexi Orozco leads the Aggies with 13 doubles to tie for second in the MW, while junior center fielder Mazie Macfarlane is fifth in the league with 11 two-baggers.
 
DOUBLE THE FUN
Utah State ranks first in the Mountain West in fielding double plays with 25 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 12. On the season, senior shortstop Lexi Orozco ranks second in the MW in fielding double plays with 17, while junior first baseman Makenzie Macfarlane is third with 15. In conference play, Macfarlane ranks second in fielding double plays with 10, while Orozco is third with nine.
 
SMOOTH CRIMINALS
Utah State stole more bases in February of 2022 (20) than in the entire 2021 season (16). The Aggies rank third in the Mountain West with 51 stolen bases this season. Junior center fielder Mazie Macfarlane leads the team with 20 stolen bases to rank second in the Mountain West.
 
NOT ON MY WATCH
On the reverse side of things, the Aggies lead the Mountain West by catching 15 runners stealing, including a league-best eight runners in conference play. Senior catcher Gabriella Jimenez leads the MW and is eighth in the nation after catching 15 runners stealing, including eight in MW action, to rank sixth in the nation.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
Utah State has won seven games in 2022 after trailing going into the seventh inning. USU fell behind Saint Mary's 5-4 and Boston University 4-2 entering the seventh frame and won both contests 6-5 in eight innings. The Aggies next trailed Santa Clara 4-3 after six innings before defeating the Broncos 8-5 in eight frames. Utah State fell behind 2-0 to New Mexico going into the seventh before pulling away with a 4-2 victory. USU trailed Weber State 9-8 and walked off with an 11-10 win. The Aggies were down 5-2 against Nevada heading into the bottom of the seventh before earning the 6-5 walk-off victory. Most recently, USU trailed UNLV 1-2 entering the final frame before winning 3-2.
 
EXTRA, EXTRA
Utah State is 4-2 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.
 
WALK THIS WAY
Utah State has recorded four walk-off victories so far in the 2022 campaign. 
 
SIX IS A MAGIC NUMBER
Twenty of Utah State's 25 victories in 2022 have come when the Aggies have scored six or more runs.
 
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 49 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.
 
AGGIE AWARDS
Two Utah State players have earned Mountain West Player of the Week honors in 2022 in senior shortshop Lexi Orozco (March 8) and senior catcher Gabriella Jimenez (April 19). Pitcher Mia Reynolds also earned a conference weekly accolade as she was named the MW Freshman of the Week (April 19). Two Aggies have earned America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks in Jimenez (March 28) and senior pitcher Kapri Toone (April 4). Senior Sydnee Smith earned the top honor at USU's 29th annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon as she earned the Joe E. Whitesides Award. 
 
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. 
 
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 marked the first time since 2016 USU has recorded two three-game MW sweeps since 2016.
 
HOT STREAK
Utah State had a nine-game winning streak between March 23 and April 8 as the Aggies posted victories over Utah Valley (8-3), New Mexico (5-4, 4-2, 13-4), Weber State (11-10), Colorado State (2-0, 2-0, 6-1) and Fresno State (9-3). USU's nine-game winning streak was its best since 1993, when the Aggies reeled off 11 straight. Utah State's 7-0 start in Mountain West play was its second-best league-opening mark in program history, trailing USU's 11-0 start in the Intermountain Athletic Conference in 1981, the same year the Aggies won the AIAW World Series.
 
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). 
 
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