PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (19-15, 4-2 Mountain West) is set for a pair of two-game Mountain West series this week as the Aggies host New Mexico in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 2, with games at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. USU will then travel to San Jose, California, where it will face San José State on Saturday, April 5, at 4 p.m. (MT), and Sunday, April 6, at 1 p.m. (MT). 
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Live stats for all of this weekend's games will be available via Statbroadcast, while all games will be streamed for free on the Mountain West Network. Links and live updates will be available on the USU softball social media pages and through UtahStateAggies.com.
 
AGGIES VS LOBOS
Utah State and New Mexico have met 64 times in a highly competitive series which dates back to 1978. The series is tied, with each side winning 32 games. USU has won six of the past 10 meetings, but the Lobos swept last year's three-game series in Albuquerque. Utah State is 12-10 all-time at home against New Mexico.
 
AGGIES VS SPARTANS
Utah State and San José State have met 90 times in a series which began in 1988, the third-most played opponent in USU history (behind Utah and New Mexico State). The Spartans hold a 56-34 advantage in the series, and swept a three-game trip to Logan last season. In San Jose against SJSU, Utah State is 16-32 all-time.
 
BREAK OUT THE BROOMS
In their series at Colorado State March 27-28, the Aggies put together one of the most dominant series sweeps in program history. Utah State out-scored CSU 37-13 over the three games, both its highest-scoring and most lopsided Mountain West series since joining the league in 2014. 

This was USU's first three-game conference road sweep of a team since a 2022 sweep at New Mexico, and just the second since 2016. 
 
FINDING A WAY
Senior infielder Ariel Fifita continues to add her name to the Utah State record book, as she now holds the longest on-base streak in program history with 29-straight games reaching base. During that streak, she has recorded hits in 21 games.  
 
HISTORIC HITTING
With a .348 team batting average this season, Utah State is on track for its best hitting season in program history. Currently, the team batting average record is .310 in 1996. USU is also on track to post its best slugging percentage (.555) and on base percentage (.435) in program history. 
 
EXTRA CREDIT
Utah State has made the most of its at-bats this season, getting extra bases in 113 of its 341 hits. This includes 64 doubles, eight triples and 41 home runs. Senior infielder Ariel Fifita leads the way with 21 extra base hits (12 doubles, three triples and six home runs).
 
USU's 1.88 doubles per game lead the MW and rank eighth in the nation. 
 
A GRAND SEASON
Utah State redshirt junior catcher/infielder Kaylee Erickson has hit four grand slams this year, a mark which ranks tied for second-most by a player in a season in NCAA history. Just one player has ever hit more grand slams in a season: Kansas' Serena Settlemier with six in 2006. Louisiana-Lafayette's Gabriele Bridges in 2011 is the only other player to record four.
 
Prior to Erickson, just one USU player in program history, Lexi Orozco, had ever hit multiple grand slams in a season (2 in 2019). The program record for grand slams in a year by the entire team was three in 2021.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Utah State currently ranks in the top-50 nationally in several key statistics, including: doubles per game (8th - 1.88), hits (11th - 342), hit by pitches (14th - 34), batting average (15th - .349), on base percentage (16th - .436), RBIs per game (21st - 6.56), scoring (23rd - 7.03), slugging percentage (25th - .556), total runs (28th - 239), home runs per game (34th - 1.21) and double plays (39th - 14).
 
MOUNTAIN BEST
With most of non-conference play in the books, the Mountain West Conference has had one of its best out of league showings in recent history this year. Entering league play last week, seven of the league's nine teams are .500 or better and eight are .450 or better. The squads have combined for a 142-93-1 (.604) record in non-conference play.
 
FIFITA'S ON FIRE
Utah State senior infielder Ariel Fifita has been one of the top hitters in the country this season, as well as one of the top shortstops. Fifita currently leads the nation in assists per game (3.24), while also recording 39 putouts.
 
Fifita is batting .414 (48-for-116) entering the week, while 21 of her 48 hits have resulted in extra bases. Her .417 batting average ranks 102nd nationally and fifth in the MW. She also ranks 21st nationally in doubles (12) and 30th in hits (48). Her .769 slugging percentage ranks sixth in the MW, and her .531 on base percentage ranks second in the league.
 
THAT HURT!
Utah State leads the Mountain West and ranks 14th in the nation with 34 times being hit by a pitch this season. Senior infielder Ariel Fifita leads the Aggies with eight HBPs taken on the year.
 
THE BATS ARE HOT
In five games at the Lyman Classic Feb. 21-23, Utah State totaled a whopping 62 runs scored, easily the highest scoring week in program history. USU scored 10-plus runs in four-straight games for the first time ever. The Aggies tallied 71 hits during those games. After totaling eight home runs in the first 10 games of the year, USU hit 15 dingers during the five-game stretch. 
 
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After an outstanding showing the week ending Feb. 23, USU senior infielder Giselle Gonzalez was named the D1Softball National Player of the Week. During a five-game stretch at the Lyman Classic, Gonzalez went .500 (8-for-16) at the plate with five home runs, six runs scored, 13 RBIs and three walks. She had two home runs against Weber State, then three more against Utah Tech, tying a program record. 
 
Gonzalez was also named the Mountain West Player of the Week, joining Grace Matej (Feb. 9) as the second USU player to earn the honor this season. 
 
RYLIE WIN-DEL
Utah State junior right-hander Rylie Pindel is 8-1 in the circle entering the week, ranking fifth in the Mountain West in total wins.
 
UP NEXT
Utah State will play a single game at home to wrap a home-and-home series with Idaho State on Tuesday, April 8, at 4 p.m. The Aggies then host Fresno State in a three-game series at Johnson Field with games April 11-13.