PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (8-12, MW) continues nonconference action with a standalone game at Utah Valley (6-13, 0-0 WAC) on Tuesday, March 14, at 5 p.m. (MT). The Aggies will then open Mountain West play by hosting a three-game series against New Mexico (12-15, 0-0 MW) on Friday through Sunday, March 17-19. The Aggies will play the Lobos on Friday at 4 p.m. (MT) before playing at noon (MT) on both Saturday and Sunday.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Live stats for all of Utah State's games at the Silicon Valley Classic II will be available via StatBroadcast. Live streams for all three of USU's games against Santa Clara will be available through the WCC Network.
 
AGGIES VS. WOLVERINES
Utah State and Utah Valley meet for the 59th time with the Wolverines leading the series, 32-26. The Aggies have won 15 of the previous 21 meetings dating back to 2010.
 
AGGIES VS. LOBOS
Utah State leads the all-time series against New Mexico, 30-28, and has won four-straight in the series, including a three-game sweep of the Lobos in Albuquerque last season. 
 
FANNING THE FLAMES
Utah State freshman Hailey McLean ranks 20th in the nation in strikeouts per seven innings. The product of Sparks, Nevada, has sat down 10.5 batters per seven innings so far this season, the top mark in the Mountain West this season. McLean set the Utah State program record and the stadium record at UCLA's Easton Stadium with 20 strikeouts across nine innings in USU's 3-2 win over CSU Bakersfield. McLean ranks first in the Mountain West in opposing batting average (.150), is tied for second in hits allowed (18) and ranks third in total strikeouts (51). McLean's 51 K's are also tied for 95th in the nation this season. McLean earned USU's first Mountain West awards of the season, being named the MW Pitcher and Freshman of the Week after her outing against the Roadrunners.
 
HOT HITTING IN CALIFORNIA
Utah State sophomore third baseman Claire Raley hit her stride at the Santa Clara-hosted Silicon Valley Classic II. The native of Clovis, California, hit .364 (4-for-11) across the four games with three runs, six RBIs and a walk. Raley hit one double, a triple and the second home run of her career during the weekend.
 
STEPPING ONTO THE STAGE
Utah State freshman Jaden Colunga was named the MW Player and Freshman of the Week following USU's weekend at the Grand Canyon Invitational. Colunga appeared in three games on the weekend, all Aggie wins, and batted .667 (4-of-6), with two doubles and one homer, while being hit by two pitches and drawing one walk. Colunga scored four runs and had a team-best six RBIs, with a 1.500 slugging and .778 on-base percentage. She also stole one base and had five putouts. Against the Coyotes, Colunga was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, scored two runs and had a team-best three RBIs. In game two against Montana, Colunga was again 2-for-3 at the plate, including another double and her first-career home run, scored two runs and had a team-high three RBIs.
 
I SHALL BE VERY PUT OUT
Utah State graduate senior Gabrielle Jimenez is currently tied for third in the Mountain West with 117 total putouts on the season. Senior catcher/infielder Makenzie Macfarlane meanwhile is tied for fifth in the conference with 105 putouts on the season. Macfarlane finished the 2022 season with the sixth-most putouts in the MW (250). As a team, the Aggies ranked third in total putouts in 2022 with 1,122. 
 
GETTING STREAKY WITH IT
• Utah State freshman Kya Pratt is currently on a 14-game streak of reaching base. Across those 14 games, Pratt is batting .341 (15-for-44) with six runs scored, four RBIs, seven walks drawn and two HBPs.
 
• Utah State freshman Grace Matej currently leads the Aggies with a four-game hitting streak, reaching base in all of her appearances at the Silicon Valley Classic II. Across the four games in Santa Clara, California, plus against Montana on Feb. 26, Medina hit .400 (6-for12) with two runs scored, one RBI, one double and one home run. 
 
SWIPER, NO SWIPING!
Utah State senior Makenzie Macfarlane is tied for 10th in the nation and leads the Mountain West with 11 runners caught stealing. In 2022, then-senior Gabriella Jimenez ranked first in the MW with 19 runners caught stealing by.
 
DOUBLE OR NOTHING
The Aggies are once again among the top teams in the country in turning double plays after finishing last season atop the Mountain West in double plays fielded with 29. Utah State has already turned nine double plays this season, the second-most in the conference, and is tied for 26th in the nation with 0.47 double plays fielded per game.
 
BACK-TO-BACK... TO-BACK... TO-BACK
Utah State hit four consecutive home runs in the team's 12-9 win over Montana on Feb. 26. Senior Makenzie Macfarlane started the party with a two-run shot with one out in the top of the fifth inning. Macfarlane was then followed by three solo homers from graduate senior Gabriella Jimenez, freshman Grace Matej and sophomore Claire Raley. The four-straight homers marks the first time USU has hit back-to-back home runs since former Aggie Ariel Lopez and Gabriella Jimenez stacked moon shots against Nevada last season. The Aggies last hit three-consecutive home runs on April 2, 2021, against Nevada (Stepha Reed, Gabriella Jimenez, Lexi Orozco).
 
BIG SKY BOMBS
Utah State hit a total of five home runs against Montana in USU's 12-9 win over the Grizzlies on Feb. 26. The game was USU's first time hitting at least five home runs since hitting six homers on Feb. 20, 2021, also against Montana.
 
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Utah State graduate senior became the sixth player in Aggie history to record 100 RBIs in her career, hitting the century mark with a solo home run in USU's 12-9 win over Montana on Feb. 26.
 
HOT STREAK
Utah State had a nine-game winning streak last season 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.
 
AGGIE AWARDS
Then-senior catcher Gabriella Jimenez earned MW Player of the Week honors twice in 2022, taking home the award on April 19 and May 17. Pitcher Mia Reynolds also earned a conference weekly accolade as she was named the MW Freshman of the Week (April 19). Jimenez also earned America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week honors twice on the year (March 28, May 16), and Jimenez was named to the MW All-Conference First Team.
 
CREAM OF THE CROP
The Aggies ended 2022 leading the Mountain West in several statistical categories. Utah State led the league in total plate appearances (1,751), at-bats (1,501), sacrifice flies (22), double plays fielded (29), total assists (508), chances (1,715), putout (1,122) and times catching runner stealing (29). Utah State was also tied for 11th, nationally, with 0.52 doubles play per game.
 
Additionally, then-senior Gabriella Jimenez led the MW in runners caught stealing (19) and also in slugging percentage (.842) and home runs (12) during conference play. Jimenez was also tied for third in the nation in runners caught stealing. Then-junior Mazie Macfarlane led the league in total plate appearances (216) and, during conference play, was tops in the league for putouts (192), chances (199) and double plays fielded (14).
 
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Several Aggies ended 2022 campaign in the top 10 of several Utah State single-season and career record lists: 
SINGLE-SEASON RECORD LIST
Runs
1.         Mazie Macfarlane      46        2022
2.         Rhealee Thorn                        45        1996
3.         Riley Plogger              38        2019
            Jazmin Clarke             38        2017
5.         Sarah Chow                36        2016
            Jolene Koons              36        2015
7.         Gabriella Jimenez     35        2022
            Two others tied with    35
 
RBIs
1.         Gabriella Jimenez     49        2022
2.         Hailey Froton              48        2015
3.         Lexi Orozco                 46        2022
4.         Three others tied with 44
 
Home Runs
1.         Gabriella Jimenez     15        2022
2.         Lexi Orozco                 13        2019
3.         Four tied with             12
 
Total Bases
1.         Sandra Millard Taylor 111      2000
2.         Gabriella Jimenez     109      2022
            Tammy Alcantar         109      1996
            Rhealee Thorn                        109      1996
 
Walks
1.         Jennifer Power                        41        1994
2.         Mazie Macfarlane      36        2022
            Lexi Orozco                 36        2022
4.         Two others tied with    27
 
Stolen Bases
4.         Jazmin Clarke             25        2016
5.         Leah Molina                23        2018
            Mia Maher                   23        2017 
7.         Mazie Macfarlane      22        2022
8.         Two others tied with    21
 
Graduate senior Gabriella Jimenez is pursuing the top of the all-time leaderboards in several categories at Utah State: 
CAREER RECORD LIST 
Home Runs
1.         Lexi Orozco                 39
            Kelley Kaneshiro         39
3.         Victoria Saucedo        33
4.         Gabriella Jimenez     31
5.         Sanra Millard Taylor   24
 
RBIs
4.         Sandra Millard Taylor 112
5.         Kelley Kaneshiro         110
6.         Gabriella Jimenez     104
7.         Kathy Beasley             98
8.         Tammy Alcanter         94
 
Slugging Percentage
3.         Alleyah Armendariz    .599
4.         Christine Thomsen     .585
5.         Victoria Saucedo        .576
6.         Gabriella Jimenez     .536
7.         Sandra Millard Taylor .530
 
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. 
 
AGGIE UPSET
Utah State recorded its first victory over a ranked opponent in 12 years after defeating then-No. 22 San Diego State 3-1 on May 7, 2022. The win marked USU's first victory over a top-25 opponent since the Aggies defeated then-No. 1 Washington 7-4 in the opening game of the Campbell-Cartier Classic in San Diego on Feb. 19, 2010.
 
STEALING HOME
Center fielder Mazie Macfarlane stole home in the top of the fourth inning in Utah State's 8-2 victory at Dixie State last season on Feb. 19, becoming the first Aggie to steal home since Megan McDonald vs. Utah Valley on April 20, 2010. 
 
LOOK AT ME, I CAN BE CENTER FIELD
Center fielder Mazie Macfarlane was the only Aggie in the 2022 campaign to have started in all 56 games. She was also the only USU player to start at the same position in every game played. Macfarlane led off for Utah State in all but one game in 2022. 
 
SHUT IT DOWN
Utah State's pitching staff recorded four complete-game shutouts in the 2022 season. Then-freshman Mia Reynolds posted shutout victories against Yale (11-0) and Colorado State (2-0), and former Aggie Kapri Toone also notched complete game shutouts against the Rams (2-0) and San José State (8-0).
 
FIRST ON THE BOARD
Utah State went 19-9 last season when putting the first run on the board. In palindromic fashion, the Aggies were 9-19 when allowing the first run of the game.
 
AROUND THE HORN
Utah State went 20-9 last season when the Aggies record a home run in a game. When USU recorded multiple HRs in a contest, that figure improved to 8-2.
 
FIRST UP, FIRST OUT
Over 34 percent of Utah State's home runs in 2022 were in the first inning of play, the most of any inning. Fifteen of USU's 44 long balls came in the opening frame last season. The sixth inning was the second-most populated inning for Aggie moon shots, with USU hitting seven total homers in the inning.
 
TOUCHDOWN AGGIES!
Utah State was 22-6 last season when scoring six runs or more, including a perfect 4-0 when reaching double-digits on the scoreboard. The Aggies reached the six-run plateau in exactly half their games in 2022.
 
THE DISRESPECT IS REAL
Utah State was picked to finish last in the Mountain West preseason poll, receiving a total of 21 votes. However, the Aggies were only four votes removed from fifth-place in the poll as the trio of Fresno State, Nevada and San José State all received 25 votes each. Boise State was tabbed the preseason favorite with 61 votes, including five first-place votes, narrowly edging out last season's champion, San Diego State, with 60 total and four first-place votes.
 
THIS IS OUR TURF
LaRee & LeGrand Johnson Field received an upgrade prior to the 2022 season 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 graduate senior Gabriella Jimenez (Sacramento), seniors Makenzie and Mazie Macfarlane (Rocklin), juniors Jessica Stewart (Salinas), sophomores Taryn Edds (Anaheim), Giselle Gonzalez (San Diego), Ariel Fifita (San Marcos), Claudia Medina (West Sacramento), Claire Raley (Clovis) and Mia Reynolds (Tulare), and freshmen Jaden Colunga (Colton), Sydney Saldaña (Seal Beach), Grace Matej (Orangevale) and Kya Pratt (Temecula).
 
HOME GROWN
Utah State has three players from the state of Utah in seniors Nya Laing (Logan) and Tyler Thornton (Millville), and redshirt freshman Emily Dority (South Jordan). 
 
YOUNGLINGS
Out of 21 players on Utah State's roster, 14 are underclassmen as the Aggies boast seven freshmen (Tess Bumiller, Jaden Colunga, Emily Dority, Grace Matej, Hailey McLean, Kya Pratt and Sydney Saldaña) and seven sophomores (Taryn Edds, Giselle Gonzalez, Ariel Fifita, Claudia Medina, Claire Raley, Mia Reynolds and Hannah Vargas) entering 2023.
 
 - USU -