PLAY BALL!
Utah State softball (19-28, 7-12 MW) plays the final home games of its 2026 campaign at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field, hosting Colorado State for a three-game weekend series from April 24-26, before facing in-state foe Weber State for a single contest on Tuesday, April 28.
FOLLOW ALONG
All of this week's 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 RAMS
Utah State and Colorado State have met 74 times previously, with the Aggies holding a 45-29 advantage in the series. USU has taken six of the past 10 meetings, including a three-game series sweep last season in Fort Collins (W, 14-9; W, 10-0 (5); W, 13-4). In Logan, USU is 19-10 against Colorado State.
AGGIES VS WILDCATS
USU and Weber State have met 63 times previously, with the Aggies leading the all-time series 42-21. Utah State has won six of the past 10 against the Wildcats. The sides met just two weeks ago in Ogden, USU coming away with a 5-1 victory.
ICYMI
In its last conference series last weekend, Utah State came out with a series victory against San José State, winning two of three games. The Aggies earned a 6-5 eight-inning win in the first game and a 7-6 win in the third, separated by a 10-5 loss in between. In both of the Aggies' wins, the team came back from deficits of three or more runs.
SENIOR SALUTE
As part of this weekend's series, Utah State will honor its 10 seniors with a ceremony on the field. Players to be honored include: Emmalyn Brinka (Chandler, Arizona), Alex Bunton (San Mateo, California), Kaylee Erickson (Phoenix, Arizona), Carly Limosnero (Los Alamitos, California), Grace Matej (Orangevale, California), Kenzee Olsen (Newton, Utah), Rylie Pindel (Las Vegas, Nevada), Kya Pratt (Temecula, California), Sydney Saldaña (Seal Beach, California) and Denay Smith (Mesa, Arizona).
RALLY FOR THE W
Utah State put together a big rally in late innings during its 7-6 win over San José State on April 19 to secure the series victory. After giving up four runs in the top of the sixth inning to go down 6-3, the Aggies immediately answered in the bottom of the inning. USU loaded the bases, before a two-out grand slam from senior outfielder Kya Pratt put the team back on top.
ALMOST TOURNAMENT TIME
The Mountain West softball tournament is just around the corner, taking place from May 6-9 in Reno, Nevada. The top six teams in the league will make the field. While Utah State enters the weekend out of the field, the Aggies sit just a game back with upcoming three-game series' against both Colorado State (currently in sixth) and New Mexico (currently in fifth) still to play.
DOUBLE 'EM UP
Utah State's defense has excelled in doubling teams up this season. The Aggies have forced 20 double plays, which ranks 39th in the nation.
DON'T EVEN TRY IT
Aggie sophomore catcher Jaelyn Castillo has made life difficult for opposing base runners this season. She currently leads the conference and ranks 52nd nationally with 10 times catching a runner stealing.
KYA'S ON FIYA
Senior outfielder Kya Pratt is having the best statistical season of her career, currently leading the squad with a .372 batting average, going 55-for-148 at the plate. Of her 55 hits, 22 have been for extra bases (16 doubles, one triple, five home runs). She also leads the Aggies with 35 RBIs and ranks second with 27 runs scored, all while striking out just nine times.
BIG SERIES WINS
• 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.
• The Aggies also earned a series victory over San Diego State, their first series win in San Diego in program history and just the fourth overall against the Aztecs. USU won the first game 4-3, then fell 9-1 in game two before bouncing back with a 5-4 win to take the series.
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 47 games this season and ranks fourth on the squad with a .309 batting average (47-for-152).
OUCH! THAT HURT!
Utah State ranks 12th in the nation with 45 times being hit by pitch. Kaylee Erickson and Faith Kroening each rank in the top 10 in the conference in HBPs, ranking second and eighth, respectively, with 11 and eight HBPs.
GOING THE DISTANCE
In nine of Utah State's outings this season, an Aggie pitcher has thrown a complete game. Rylie Pindel leads the way with five complete games, all five of which were USU wins. Her five complete games rank eighth-most in the Mountain West.
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.
USU also earned a walk-off victory in its 6-5 win over San José State on April 17. After three-straight scoreless innings for both sides in the fifth, sixth and seventh, Kaylee Erickson stepped up to the plate with bases loaded in the eighth to deliver a single to right center and secure the win.
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.
A SEASON FOR THE AGES
Utah State had a historic offensive season in 2025, shattering several long-standing program records. The Aggies set program records for batting average (.340), hits (493), runs (340), doubles (90), home runs (66), runs batted in (319), total bases (807), slugging percentage (.557), walks drawn (181), hits by pitch (50) and on-base percentage (.428).
ONE LAST CLIMB
The 2026 campaign will be the final season for Utah State as a member of the Mountain West Conference, as the Aggies will join the Pac-12 beginning July 1, 2026. USU will join existing members Oregon State and Washington State, along with new additions Gonzaga, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Texas State. Utah State has been a member of the Mountain West since 2013.
UP NEXT
Utah State will hit the road for its final games of the regular season, traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for three games against the New Mexico Lobos from April 30-May 2.
