PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (12-17, 4-5 MW) will play a pair of Mountain West series this week as the Aggies face Colorado State (19-13, 5-6 MW) in a road doubleheader on Wednesday, April 12, beginning at noon. USU then hosts Fresno State (16-21, 5-4 MW) at noon on both Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16. 
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Live stats for Utah State's games will be available via Sidearm, while the games will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
 
AGGIES VS. RAMS
Utah State leads Colorado State in the all-time series 41-25, including 15-13 in games played in Fort Collins, and swept the home series last season (2-0, 2-0, 6-1). However, the Aggies have not won a game in Fort Collins since their 4-0 victory on April 14, 2017).
 
AGGIES VS. BULLDOGS
Fresno State leads the all-time series 50-16, including 18-8 in games played in Logan. The Bulldogs have won 10 of the last 12 games played, however, USU won the last game played in Logan 6-5 on Feb. 28, 2021.
 
SWIPER, NO SWIPING!
Utah State senior Makenzie Macfarlane leads the nation and the Mountain West with 19 runners caught stealing. In total, the Aggies lead the MW with 20 runners caught stealing.
 
DOUBLE OR NOTHING
The Aggies are once again among the top teams in turning double plays after finishing last season atop the Mountain West in double plays fielded with 29. Utah State has already turned 11 double plays this season, which ranks third in the conference.
 
I SHALL BE VERY PUT OUT
Utah State graduate senior Gabrielle Jimenez is third in the Mountain West with 179 total putouts on the season. Senior Makenzie Macfarlane, meanwhile, is sixth in the conference with 172 putouts on the year. 
 
FANNING THE FLAMES
• Utah State freshman Hailey McLean ranks 13th in the nation in strikeouts per seven innings. The product of Sparks, Nevada, has sat down 10.4 batters per seven innings so far this season, the top mark in the Mountain West. She is also 14th in the nation in hits allowed per seven innings (3.66).
 
• McLean set the Utah State program record and 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 (.156) and is tied for first in hits allowed (35), while she is second in total strikeouts (100). McLean's 100 Ks are also tied for 71st 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.
 
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. 
 
• Utah State hit three-straight home runs in its 15-13 loss to New Mexico. Freshman Kya Pratt, Raley and Matej knocked three-straight out of the park to give the Aggies an 11-9 lead in the bottom of the third.
 
• The four-straight homers marks the first time USU has hit back-to-back home runs since Ariel Fifita and Gabriella Jimenez stacked moon shots against Nevada last season. The Aggies last hit three-consecutive home runs on April 2, 2021, against Nevada (Stephanie Reed, Gabriella Jimenez, Lexi Orozco).
 
BOMBS AWAY
Utah State has recorded five home runs in a single game twice this season. The Aggies first accomplished the feat 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. Utah State later recorded five bombs on March 19 against New Mexico in Logan.
 
WALK IT OFF
Utah State has recorded X walk-off victories this season. Freshman Jaden Colunga gave the Aggies their first walk-off win of the year with a sacrifice fly against CSU Bakersfield for the 10-2 win. That same weekend, sophomore Ariel Fifita recorded an RBI single for the 3-2 walk-off victory in a nine-inning game against CSU Bakersfield. 
 
USU later had back-to-back walk-off wins against New Mexico as graduate Gabriella Jimenez scored on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the 10th frame in Utah State's 5-4 victory. Freshman Kya Pratt then logged an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth against the Lobos in the Aggies' 8-0 shutout win. 
 
Sophomore Taryn Edds logged USU's first walk-off homerun of the season with a solo bomb in the bottom of the seventh for the 5-4 Aggie win against San Diego State. The homer was Edds' first of her career. 
 
SHUT IT DOWN
Utah State's pitching staff has recorded two shutouts this season as freshman Tess Bumiller had a five-inning complete-game shutout in the Aggies' 8-0 victory against New Mexico, giving up just three hits in the outing. Sophomore Mia Reynolds and freshman Hailey McLean combined for a 3-0 shutout victory at Utah Valley. 
 
LIFELINES
Two Utah State pitchers have already recorded a save this season, nearly tying the 2022 USU pitching staffs total of three saves. Freshman Hailey McLean logged her first-career save at San José State, entering the game in the top of the seventh with the Aggies leading 5-2. Freshman Tess Bumiller followed suit with her first career-save a week later against South Dakota, entering in the bottom of the sixth with USU ahead 6-4. 
 
AROUND THE HORN
Utah State is 7-5 this season when recording a home run in a game after going 20-9 last season when the Aggies recorded a homer. 
 
THE ODDS ARE...
Utah State has recorded 73.9 percent (17-of-23) of its home runs in an odd-numbered inning, including seven homers in the third and six bombs in the fifth.
 
PLEAD THE FIFTH
Utah State has recorded 27.3 percent of its runs (32-of-117) in the fifth inning, outscoring its opponents 32-29 in the frame. 
 
THIS ISN'T BASEBALL
Utah State is a perfect 2-0 this season in games that go nine or more innings as USU defeated CSU Bakersfield 3-2 in nine frames, and New Mexico 5-4 in 10. 
 
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Utah State graduate senior Gabriella Jimenez 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. 
 
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.
 
FRESHMEN LEAVING THEIR MARK 
Utah State has won three Mountain West Freshman of the Week awards this season as pitcher Hailey McLean earned the first weekly honor of the campaign, along with MW Pitcher of the Week accolades, while outfielder Jaden Colunga has earned the distinction twice, including one MW Player of the Week honor.
 
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. 
 
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.
 
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