PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (14-20, 3-6 MW) continues Mountain West play this weekend with a three-game conference series, traveling to San Diego to face the San Diego State Aztecs Thursday-Saturday, April 2-4.
FOLLOW ALONG
All three games will be streamed via the Mountain West Network with live stats available via StatBroadcast. Links and live updates will be available on the USU softball social media pages and through UtahStateAggies.com.
AGGIES VS THE AZTECS
USU and San Diego State have met 45 times previously, with the Aztecs leading the all-time series 31-14. SDSU has taken seven of the past ten matchups. Last season in Logan, the Aztecs won two of a three-game series. In San Diego, the Aggies are 5-18 all-time against San Diego State.
CAN'T STOP KAYLEE
Since returning from an injury suffered early this season, senior catcher Kaylee Erickson has been on a tear. In Mountain West play, Erickson leads the squad in batting average at .423 (11-for-26) with four home runs, five doubles, nine RBIs, seven runs scored and two bases on balls. She has a 1.077 slugging percentage and a .583 on base percentage during that span.
WALK IT OFF!
In Utah State's win over Nevada on March 21, the Aggies won a thriller which was capped off by a walk-off home run for senior catcher Grace Matej. After entering the seventh inning up 4-3 then allowing three Wolf Pack runs in the top of the seventh, USU rallied with a two-run dinger by Kaylee Erickson to tie the game, then the walk-off shot over the center field fence by Matej to win it.
STARTING STRONG
Utah State opened its conference slate with a series win over Fresno State, taking two of the three contests with a 9-2 victory in the series opener and an 8-4 win in nine innings before falling to the Bulldogs, 6-2, in the series finale. The series win was USU's fourth conference-opening series win in the past five seasons. It was also the Aggies' first series win Fresno State since 2017 and the first in Fresno since 1981.
ICYMI
Utah State posted an 0-3 record last week with losses to No. 23 Grand Canyon. The Aggies got off to solid starts in all three contests, but were outscored 15-0 in the seventh inning across the series. Errors and walks also proved costly for USU, as it walked six batters per game. Freshman infielder Jazmin Ramirez was Utah State's top player on the week as she recorded hits in each game, going 3-for-9 at the plate with a home run.
FLAWLESS FIELDING
Utah State's defense has been strong this season, currently ranking third in the Mountain West with a .970 fielding percentage. Six different USU players have a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, while an additional seven more are over .950. Overall, Utah State has just 30 errors on 988 chances.
EXTRA INNING HEROICS
After Fresno State scored three runs in the ninth inning, Utah State rebounded to hold the Bulldogs scoreless in the eighth before breaking out themselves in the ninth inning for four runs in an 8-4 win on March 14. The Aggies batted around the lineup, recording five hits, including a double by Matej and singles by Kate Vance, Jazmin Ramirez, Faith Kroening and Kya Pratt.
HAVE SOME FAITH!
Utah State sophomore outfielder Faith Kroening is having a major breakout season. After playing primarily as a pinch runner in 2025, totaling just four hits in 30 at-bats for a .133 batting average, Kroening has started all 34 games this season and ranks third on the squad with a .311 batting average (33-for-106).
OUCH! THAT HURT!
Utah State ranks 14th in the nation and first in the MW with 34 times being hit by pitch. Kaylee Erickson and Faith Kroening each rank in the top 10 in the conference in HBPs, ranking second and ninth, respectively, with 10 and six HBPs.
GOING THE DISTANCE
In eight of Utah State's outings this season, an Aggie pitcher has thrown a complete game. Rylie Pindel leads the way with four complete games, all four of which were wins.
UP NEXT
Utah State will return home next week for a mid-week double header against Boise State, hosting the Broncos on Wednesday, April 8, with games at noon and 2:30 p.m. at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field.
